Wireless communication device

Abstract

This wireless communication device comprises a substrate, a plurality of antenna elements that are arranged on the substrate, and a first circuit and a second circuit that are disposed in different layers of the substrate. The antenna elements are arranged on a side surface of the substrate. The first circuit and the second circuit are disposed on the substrate such that a terminal group of the first circuit connected to a portion of the plurality of antenna elements and a terminal group of the second circuit connected to another portion of the plurality of antenna elements do not overlap when viewed from a substrate surface of the substrate, or are disposed on the substrate such that terminals of the first circuit connected to the antenna elements and terminals of the second circuit connected to the antenna elements are alternately positioned when viewed from the substrate surface of the substrate.

Description

wireless communication device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to wireless communication devices.

[0002] Millimeter-wave and terahertz-band radio waves have higher frequencies than the microwave band conventionally used for wireless communications, and by utilizing a wide frequency band, they enable high-speed, high-capacity communications. For this reason, the use of millimeter-wave and terahertz bands is being discussed in the fifth-generation mobile communications system (5G) and sixth-generation mobile communications system (6G), and the development of wireless communications devices that utilize these high-frequency bands is becoming increasingly important.

[0003] Although high-frequency radio waves have the advantages mentioned above, they are difficult to diffract, are significantly affected by obstructions, and have other characteristics such as large free-space propagation loss and a short communication distance.

[0004] Therefore, the use of beamforming is expected for wireless communications in high frequency bands. Beamforming is a technology that can extend communication distance by concentrating radio waves in a specific direction, and one method of achieving beamforming is the phased array antenna. In a phased array antenna, multiple antenna elements are arranged and the directionality of radio waves is controlled by adjusting the phase of each element.

[0005] There are various arrangements of antenna elements, but one basic arrangement is a linear array antenna, in which antenna elements are arranged at equal intervals in a straight line. In such an arrangement, when the antenna element spacing is equal to or greater than half the wavelength (λ / 2), unwanted radiation called grating lobes occurs. Here, λ is the wavelength of the radio waves radiated from the antenna elements.

[0006] High-precision beam control requires a large number of antenna elements, which means that wireless communication devices are expected to include multiple RFICs (Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits), which are integrated circuits that process high-frequency signals.

[0007] The size of the antenna element depends on the wavelength of the radio wave, and as the frequency increases, the antenna element can be made smaller. On the other hand, the size of the RFIC does not depend on the wavelength of the radio wave (it has low dependency), and it is difficult to make it smaller even when the frequency increases.

[0008] High-frequency wireless communication devices require reduced transmission loss in circuit boards. High-frequency signals are transmitted through transmission lines formed on the circuit board, but some of the signal energy is converted into other energy, such as heat, and is attenuated. It is generally known that the higher the signal frequency, the greater the transmission loss in the circuit board.

[0009] To reduce transmission loss, wiring length must be shortened. For high-frequency band wireless communication devices, an antenna-in-package (AiP) structure is being considered, in which everything from the RFIC that generates the high-frequency signal to the antenna element that transmits and receives radio waves is integrated onto a single circuit board, creating a modular structure. How the RFIC and antenna element are arranged on the circuit board is an important consideration that has a significant impact on the characteristics of wireless communication devices.

[0010] From the above, in a wireless communication device having multiple antenna elements and multiple RFICs, the following conditions 1 and 2 must be met in order to suppress transmission loss and unwanted radiation. Condition 1: The transmission line between the RFIC terminal and the antenna element feed terminal must be short. Condition 2: The element spacing between the multiple antenna elements must be equal to or less than half the wavelength of the radio wave.

[0011] Conventionally, a configuration has been disclosed in which a plurality of antenna elements are arranged on the front surface of a circuit board and a plurality of RFICs are arranged on the rear surface of the circuit board (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0012] JP 2021-034821 A International Publication No. 2020 / 153098 JP 2023-137106 A

[0013] Due to mounting constraints, it may be difficult to mount RFICs closely on a substrate. In other words, RFICs may be mounted on a substrate with a certain distance between them. Therefore, with the configurations of Patent Documents 1 and 2, it may be difficult to satisfy both Condition 1 and Condition 2.

[0014] For example, as the frequency of radio waves increases, the spacing between antenna elements decreases. Therefore, for example, the spacing between two RFICs mounted on a circuit board may become larger than the spacing between multiple antenna elements. When multiple antenna elements arranged at equal intervals of less than half the wavelength of radio waves are connected to an RFIC arranged at intervals larger than half the wavelength of the radio waves, the spacing between the two RFICs may be larger than the spacing between the antenna elements, resulting in a longer transmission line (condition 1 may not be satisfied).

[0015] Furthermore, when multiple antenna elements are connected to the aforementioned RFIC so as to shorten the transmission line, the distance between the two RFICs may be greater than the distance between the antenna elements, and therefore the multiple antenna elements may not be able to be arranged at intervals of less than half the wavelength of the radio waves (condition 2 may not be satisfied).

[0016] Non-limiting examples of the present disclosure contribute to providing a wireless communication device that reduces transmission loss of high-frequency signals on a substrate and suppresses the generation of unnecessary radio wave radiation.

[0017] A wireless communication device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a substrate, a plurality of antenna elements arranged on the substrate, and a first circuit and a second circuit arranged on the substrate, wherein the antenna elements are arranged on a side surface of the substrate, and the first circuit and the second circuit are arranged on the substrate such that, when viewed from the substrate surface of the substrate, a group of terminals of the first circuit connected to a portion of the plurality of antenna elements does not overlap with a group of terminals of the second circuit connected to another portion of the plurality of antenna elements, or such that, when viewed from the substrate surface of the substrate, the terminals of the first circuit connected to the antenna elements and the terminals of the second circuit connected to the antenna elements are positioned alternately.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce transmission loss of high frequency signals on a substrate and suppress the occurrence of unwanted radiation of radio waves.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, further advantages and effects will be clarified from the specification and the drawings. Such advantages and / or effects are respectively provided by several embodiments and the features described in the specification and the drawings, but not all of them are necessarily provided in order to obtain one or more identical features.

[0020] FIG. showing a block configuration example of a wireless communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure Perspective view of a wireless communication device according to the first embodiment Side view of a wireless communication device according to the first embodiment Side view of a wireless communication device in Comparative Example 1-1 Side view of a wireless communication device in Comparative Example 1-2 Perspective view of a wireless communication device according to the second embodiment Side view of a wireless communication device according to the second embodiment Side view of a wireless communication device in Comparative Example 2-1 Side view of a wireless communication device in Comparative Example 2-2 Side view of a wireless communication device according to the third embodiment Side view of a wireless communication device according to the fourth embodiment Side view of a wireless communication device according to the fourth embodiment Side view of a wireless communication device according to the fifth embodiment Side view of a wireless communication device according to the sixth embodiment Side view of a wireless communication device according to the sixth embodiment Side view of a wireless communication device according to the seventh embodiment Top view of a wireless communication device according to the eighth embodiment Top view of a wireless communication device according to the ninth embodiment Side view of a wireless communication device according to the tenth embodiment Side view of a wireless communication device according to the eleventh embodiment Side view of a wireless communication device according to the twelfth embodiment

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with appropriate reference to the drawings. However, a more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters and duplicate descriptions of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid making the following description unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art.

[0022] Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and it is not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims thereby.

[0023] <Block Diagram of Wireless Communication Device> Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example block configuration of a wireless communication device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 1, the wireless communication device 1 includes RFICs 20 and 21, antenna element groups 30 and 31, connectors 40 and 41, and wirings 60a to 60d, 61a to 61d, 70, and 71. The RFICs 20 and 21, the antenna element groups 30 and 31, the connectors 40 and 41, and the wirings 60a to 60d, 61a to 61d, 70, and 71 are mounted on a substrate (not shown in Fig. 1).

[0024] The RFICs 20 and 21 are high-frequency processing circuits including, for example, amplifiers, attenuators, combiners, dividers, phase shifters, and frequency converters. The RFICs 20 and 21 have multiple terminals arranged at equal intervals (including approximately equal intervals). The terminal spacing of the RFIC 20 and the terminal spacing of the RFIC 21 are the same (including approximately the same). Hereinafter, the terminals of the RFICs 20 and 21 may be referred to as RF terminals.

[0025] The antenna element group 30 includes antenna elements 30a to 30d. The antenna elements 30a to 30d each have an antenna terminal. The antenna elements 30a to 30d transmit radio waves into space and receive radio waves from space. The antenna elements 30a to 30d may be, for example, a waveguide slot antenna or a patch antenna. The antenna terminal may also be referred to as a feed terminal or a terminal.

[0026] The antenna element group 31 includes antenna elements 31a to 31d. Each of the antenna elements 31a to 31d has an antenna terminal. The antenna elements 31a to 31d transmit radio waves into space and receive radio waves from space. The antenna elements 31a to 31d may be, for example, a waveguide slot antenna or a patch antenna.

[0027] A baseband IC (not shown) is connected to the connectors 40 and 41 .

[0028] The wirings 60a to 60d connect the antenna terminals of the antenna elements 30a to 30d to the RF terminal of the RFIC 20. The wirings 61a to 61d connect the antenna terminals of the antenna elements 31a to 31d to the RF terminal of the RFIC 21.

[0029] The wiring 70 connects the RFIC 20 and the connector 40. The wiring 71 connects the RFIC 21 and the connector 41.

[0030] The operation of each part when the wireless communication device 1 transmits data will be described. The baseband IC generates a baseband signal for wireless communication from the transmission data. The RFIC 20 receives the baseband signal from the baseband IC via the connector 40 and distributes the baseband signal according to the number of antenna elements 30a to 30d. The RFIC 20 also converts the baseband signal into an RF signal in a carrier frequency band, performs phase control and amplification, and outputs the signal to the antenna elements 30a to 30d. The antenna elements 30a to 30d radiate radio waves into space based on the RF signal output from the RFIC 20. The RFIC 21 and antenna elements 31a to 31d also perform the same operations as the RFIC 20 and antenna elements 30a to 30d.

[0031] The operation of each part when the wireless communication device 1 receives data will be described. The antenna elements 30a to 30d receive radio waves from space and output RF signals based on the received radio waves to the RFIC 20. The RFIC 20 adjusts the amplitude and controls the phase of the RF signals. The RFIC 20 frequency-converts the RF signals that have been amplitude-adjusted and phase-controlled into baseband signals and combines the baseband signals corresponding to the antenna elements 30a to 30d. The baseband IC receives the combined baseband signal via the connector 40 and demodulates it to extract the pre-modulation data. The RFIC 21 and antenna elements 31a to 31d also perform the same operations as the RFIC 20 and antenna elements 30a to 30d.

[0032] The RFICs 20 and 21 may be connected to other circuits such as a power supply circuit, a control circuit, and a local signal generation circuit via the connector 40 .

[0033] Furthermore, the RFICs 20 and 21 may input and output intermediate frequency (IF) signals and be connected to a baseband IC via a connector 40. In this case, the baseband IC has a function of frequency converting the baseband signals to IF, and the input and output of the baseband IC are IF signals.

[0034] Furthermore, in the above example, the phase control is performed on the RF signal in the RFICs 20 and 21, but the phase control may be performed on any of the IF signal, the baseband signal, or the local signal.

[0035] Furthermore, the number of RFICs and the number of antenna elements included in the wireless communication device 1 are not limited to the numbers shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, the number of antenna elements connected to one RFIC is not limited to the numbers shown in Fig. 1. The wireless communication device 1 may be configured with an AiP.

[0036] <First embodiment> Fig. 2A is a perspective view of a wireless communication device 1 according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2B is a side view of the wireless communication device 1 according to the first embodiment. In Figs. 2A and 2B, the same components as those in Fig. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. As shown in Figs. 2A and 2B, x, y, and z coordinates are set for the wireless communication device 1. Note that in Fig. 2A, the wiring 60a to 60d and 61a to 61d described in Fig. 1 are omitted.

[0037] 2A and 2B, the wireless communication device 1 has a substrate 5. The antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged in a linear row on a side surface 50 of the substrate 5. The side surface 50 of the substrate 5 may be considered to be the surface of the edge portion of the substrate 5 (the edges of the front surface 51 and the back surface 52).

[0038] The antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged at intervals of half the wavelength of the radio wave or less. The antenna element 30d connected to the RFIC 20 and the antenna element 31a connected to the RFIC 21 are adjacent to each other in the x-axis direction.

[0039] The substrate 5 is a composite material that combines a base material with an insulating resin or the like, and has a wiring pattern formed inside or on a surface using a conductor such as copper foil. The substrate 5 functions as an electronic circuit when electronic components such as ICs are mounted on it using solder or the like. The substrate 5 may be a multilayer substrate. The substrate 5 may also be called a circuit board.

[0040] The RFIC 20 is disposed on a front surface 51 of the substrate 5, and the RFIC 21 is disposed on a rear surface 52 of the substrate 5. That is, the RFICs 20 and 21 are disposed on different surfaces of the substrate 5.

[0041] 2B, the RF terminal 200a of the RFIC 20 is connected to the antenna terminal 300a of the antenna element 30a via the wiring 60a. The remaining three RF terminals of the RFIC 20 are also connected to the antenna terminals of the antenna elements 30b to 30d.

[0042] 2B, the RFIC 21 has four RF terminals. The RF terminal 210a of the RFIC 21 is connected to the antenna terminal 310a of the antenna element 31a via the wiring 61a. The remaining three RF terminals of the RFIC 21 are also connected to the antenna terminals of the antenna elements 31b to 31d.

[0043] 2A and 2B , the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on the front surface 51 and the back surface 52 of the substrate 5 so that the RF terminal group of the RFIC 20 and the RF terminal group of the RFIC 21 do not overlap when viewed from the front surface 51 (substrate surface) of the substrate 5. That is, the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged so that the RF terminal group of the RFIC 20 (see the dotted line frame A2a in FIG. 2B ) and the RF terminal group of the RFIC 21 (see the dotted line frame A2b in FIG. 2B ) are shifted from each other in the direction in which the antenna elements are arranged (the x-axis direction).

[0044] Comparative Example 1-1 Fig. 3A shows a side view of a wireless communication device in Comparative Example 1-1. The black circles on the RFICs 20 and 21 in Fig. 3A indicate RF terminals. The black circles on the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d in Fig. 3A indicate antenna terminals. In the wireless communication device of Comparative Example 1-1 shown in Fig. 3A, two RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on a surface 51 of a substrate 5. When the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on one surface (surface 51), a predetermined gap is created between adjacent RFICs 20 and 21 due to mounting constraints.

[0045] As the frequency of radio waves (carrier frequency or communication frequency) increases, the spacing between antenna elements decreases, so that, for example, the spacing between multiple RFICs mounted on a substrate may become larger than the spacing between multiple antenna elements.

[0046] Under these conditions, if the antenna element and the RFIC are mounted on a substrate so that the wiring between them is short, it may become impossible to arrange the antenna elements so that the spacing between them is equal to or less than half the wavelength of the radio wave. For example, as shown in Figure 3A, the spacing d between the antenna element 30d connected to the RFIC 20 and the antenna element 31a connected to the RFIC 21 adjacent to the RFIC 20 may be greater than half the wavelength of the radio wave. In other words, if the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on one surface (surface 51), it may be impossible to satisfy the above condition 2 due to mounting constraints.

[0047] Comparative Example 1-2 Fig. 3B shows a side view of a wireless communication device in Comparative Example 1-2. The black circles on the RFICs 20 and 21 in Fig. 3B indicate RF terminals. The black circles on the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d in Fig. 3B indicate antenna terminals. In the wireless communication device of Comparative Example 1-2 shown in Fig. 3B, two RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on the surface 51 of the substrate 5, similar to Fig. 3A. When the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on one surface (surface 51), a predetermined gap is created between adjacent RFICs 20 and 21 due to mounting constraints.

[0048] Under these conditions, if the antenna elements are mounted on the substrate so that the spacing between the antenna elements is half the wavelength, the wiring between the antenna elements and the RFIC may become long. For example, as shown in FIG. 3B , when viewed from the side surface 50 of the substrate 5, the antenna terminals of the antenna elements 30a to 30d and the RF terminal of the RFIC 20 are not arranged on a straight line parallel to the z-axis, so wiring extending in the x-axis direction is arranged. This may result in long wiring between the antenna elements 30a to 30d and the RFIC 20. Similarly, wiring extending in the x-axis direction is arranged for the antenna elements 31a to 31d and the RFIC 21, so the wiring between the antenna elements 31a to 31d and the RFIC 21 may become long. In other words, when the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on one surface (surface 51), the above condition 1 may not be satisfied due to mounting constraints.

[0049] 3A and 3B show an example in which the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged on the side surface 50 of the substrate 5, but the same problem can occur even when they are arranged on the back surface 52 of the substrate 5.

[0050] 2A and 2B are arranged on different surfaces (front surface 51 and back surface 52) of the substrate 5. Therefore, the restriction that the RFICs 20 and 21 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B cannot be arranged close to each other, as opposed to when the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on one surface as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, is eliminated. For example, the RFICs 20 and 21 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B can be arranged so that they partially overlap when viewed from the front surface 51 side of the substrate 5 (see the dotted frame A2c in FIG. 2B).

[0051] 2A and 2B, the antenna elements in the antenna element group 30 connected to the RFIC 20 and the antenna element group 31 connected to the RFIC 21 are arranged at equal intervals of λ / 2 or less. In addition, the adjacent antenna elements 30d and 31a connected to different RFICs 20 and 21 are also arranged at equal intervals of λ / 2 or less.

[0052] Furthermore, the wirings 60a to 60d and wirings 61a to 61d shown in Fig. 2B do not have to be implemented so as to extend in the x-axis direction as shown in Fig. 3B, which allows the wireless communication device 1 shown in Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B to have a reduced line length and thus reduce transmission loss.

[0053] In high frequency bands such as millimeter waves and terahertz waves, RFICs generate a lot of heat, making heat dissipation a challenge. Since the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on both the front and back sides of the substrate 5, the heat source is dispersed, making heat dissipation easier.

[0054] If the RFIC is disposed on one side of the substrate, the substrate may be distorted due to the influence of heat. However, since the RFICs 20 and 21 are disposed on both the front and back sides of the substrate 5, distortion of the substrate 5 is reduced.

[0055] Summary of First Embodiment As described above, the wireless communication device 1 includes the substrate 5, a plurality of antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d arranged on a side surface 50 of the substrate 5, and RFICs 20, 21 arranged on a front surface 51 and a back surface 52 of the substrate 5. The RFICs 20, 21 are arranged on the substrate 5 such that, when viewed from the front surface 51 of the substrate 5, the terminal group of the RFIC 20 connected to the antenna elements 30a to 30d and the terminal group of the RFIC 21 connected to the antenna elements 31a to 31d do not overlap.

[0056] As a result, the wireless communication device 1 can reduce transmission loss of high-frequency signals on the substrate 5 and suppress unwanted radiation of radio waves. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged closely to each other in the wireless communication device 1, high gain can be obtained with a limited aperture area. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged linearly in the wireless communication device 1, the beam width can be narrowed compared to, for example, the triangular arrangement of the antenna elements 21 in Patent Document 3, and the peak gain can be increased (which is advantageous at high frequencies).

[0057] Modification of the First Embodiment The number of RFICs is not limited to two. The number of RFICs may be three or more. For example, the RFICs 20 and 21 and the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d configured as shown in FIG. 2B may be arranged to the right (positive x-axis direction) of the RFICs 20 and 21 and the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d shown in FIG. 2B. In this case, the number of RFICs is four, and the number of antenna elements is 16.

[0058] Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, the antenna elements 30a to 30d connected to the RFIC 20 are arranged adjacent to each other, and the antenna elements 31a to 31d connected to the RFIC 21 are arranged adjacent to each other. In the second embodiment, the antenna elements 30a to 30d connected to the RFIC 20 and the antenna elements 31a to 31d connected to the RFIC 21 are arranged adjacent to each other alternately.

[0059] Fig. 4A is a perspective view of the wireless communication device 1 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 4B is a side view of the wireless communication device 1 according to the second embodiment. In Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B, the same components as those in Fig. 1, Fig. 2A, and Fig. 2B are denoted by the same reference numerals. In Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B, some reference numerals are omitted.

[0060] 4A and 4B , the RFIC 20 is disposed on a front surface 51 of the substrate 5, and the RFIC 21 is disposed on a rear surface 52 of the substrate 5. That is, the RFICs 20 and 21 are disposed on different surfaces of the substrate 5.

[0061] The RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on the substrate 5 such that the RF terminals 200a to 200d of the RFIC 20 and the RF terminals 210a to 210d of the RFIC 21 are alternately positioned when viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5. For example, the RF terminals 200a to 200d of the RFIC 20 and the RF terminals 210a to 210d of the RFIC 21 are positioned in the order of RF terminals 200a, 210a, 200b, 210b, 200c, 210c, 200d, and 210d toward the positive x-axis direction when viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5.

[0062] The antenna elements 30a to 30d connected to the RFIC 20 and the antenna elements 31a to 31d connected to the RFIC 21 are alternately arranged adjacent to each other. For example, the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged adjacent to each other in the order of the antenna elements 30a, 31a, 30b, 31b, 30c, 31c, 30d, and 31d in the positive x-axis direction.

[0063] Comparative Example 2-1 Fig. 5A shows a side view of a wireless communication device in Comparative Example 2-1. The black circles in RFICs 20 and 21 in Fig. 5A represent RF terminals. The black circles in antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d in Fig. 5A represent antenna terminals.

[0064] 5A, two RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on a surface 51 of a substrate 5. When the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on one surface (surface 51), a predetermined gap occurs between the adjacent RFICs 20 and 21 due to mounting constraints.

[0065] As the frequency of the radio waves increases, the spacing between the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d decreases. On the other hand, it is difficult to reduce the chip size of the RFICs 20 and 21, even when the frequency of the radio waves increases. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5A , if the antenna elements are arranged so that the wiring between the antenna terminals of the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d and the RF terminals of the RFICs 20 and 21 is short, the spacing between the antenna elements may become d>λ / 2.

[0066] In other words, as the frequency of the radio waves increases, the required antenna element spacing decreases, but there is a limit to how much the spacing between the RF terminals of the RFICs 20 and 21 can be shortened, so if the antenna elements are arranged so that the wiring between the antenna elements and the RF terminals is short, it may not be possible to make the antenna element spacing λ / 2 or less. Therefore, as the frequency of the radio waves increases, it may not be possible to satisfy the above condition 2.

[0067] Comparative Example 2-2 Fig. 5B shows a side view of a wireless communication device in Comparative Example 2-2. The black circles on RFICs 20 and 21 in Fig. 5B indicate RF terminals. The black circles on antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d in Fig. 5B indicate antenna terminals. In the wireless communication device of Comparative Example 2-2 shown in Fig. 5B, two RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on the surface 51 of the substrate 5, similar to Fig. 5A.

[0068] As explained in Comparative Example 2-1, as the frequency of radio waves increases, the spacing between the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d decreases. On the other hand, it is difficult to reduce the chip size of the RFICs 20 and 21 even when the frequency of radio waves increases. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5B , if the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged so that the spacing between them is half the wavelength, the wiring connecting the antenna terminals of the antenna elements to the RF terminals of the RFICs 20 and 21 may become long.

[0069] In other words, as the frequency of the radio waves increases, the required antenna element spacing decreases, but there is a limit to how much the spacing between the RF terminals of the RFICs 20 and 21 can be shortened, so arranging the antenna elements so as to satisfy the spacing d≦λ / 2 may result in long wiring. Therefore, as the frequency of the radio waves increases, it may not be possible to satisfy the above condition 1.

[0070] 5A and 5B show an example in which the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged on the side surface 50 of the substrate 5, but the same problem can occur even when they are arranged on the back surface 52 of the substrate 5.

[0071] 4A and 4B are arranged on different surfaces (the front surface 51 and the back surface 52) of the substrate 5 so that the RF terminals 200a to 200d of the RFIC 20 and the RF terminals 210a to 210d of the RFIC 21 are positioned alternately in the x-axis direction when viewed from the front surface 51 of the substrate 5. The antenna elements 30a to 30d connected to the RFIC 20 and the antenna elements 31a to 31d connected to the RFIC 21 are arranged alternately on the side surface 50 of the substrate 5.

[0072] As a result, even if the frequency of the radio waves increases and the spacing required for the antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d becomes smaller than the spacing between the RF terminals 200a to 200d, 210a to 210d of the RFICs 20 and 21, it becomes possible to arrange the spacing between the antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d at a value equal to or less than half the wavelength of the radio waves.

[0073] 4A and 4B, the wiring connecting the antenna terminal and the RF terminal does not have to be implemented so as to extend in the x-axis direction as shown in Fig. 5B. This reduces the line length and transmission loss in the wireless communication device 1 shown in Fig. 4A and 4B.

[0074] In high frequency bands such as millimeter waves and terahertz waves, RFICs generate a lot of heat, making heat dissipation a challenge. Since the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on both the front and back sides of the substrate 5, the heat source is dispersed, making heat dissipation easier.

[0075] If the RFIC is disposed on one side of the substrate, the substrate may be distorted due to the influence of heat. However, since the RFICs 20 and 21 are disposed on both the front and back sides of the substrate 5, the distortion of the substrate 5 is reduced.

[0076] The RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on the substrate 5 such that the RF terminals of the RFIC 20 and the RF terminals of the RFIC 21 are alternately positioned when viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5. As a result, the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged so as to substantially overlap when viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5, and the substrate 5 can be made smaller.

[0077] Either the wireless communication device 1 according to the first embodiment or the wireless communication device 1 according to the second embodiment may be adopted depending on, for example, the spacing between the RF terminals of the RFIC and the spacing between the antenna elements. For example, when the frequency of the radio wave is high and the value of λ / 2 is very small compared to the spacing between the RF terminals of the RFIC, the wireless communication device 1 according to the second embodiment may be adopted.

[0078] Summary of Second Embodiment As described above, the wireless communication device 1 includes the substrate 5, a plurality of antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d arranged on the side surface 50 of the substrate 5, and RFICs 20, 21 arranged on the front surface 51 and back surface 52 of the substrate 5. The RFICs 20, 21 are arranged on the substrate 5 such that, when viewed from the front surface 51 (or back surface 52) of the substrate 5, the terminals of the RFIC 20 connected to the antenna elements 30a to 30d and the terminals of the RFIC 21 connected to the antenna elements 31a to 31d are alternately positioned.

[0079] As a result, the wireless communication device 1 can reduce transmission loss of high-frequency signals on the substrate 5 and suppress unwanted radiation of radio waves. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged closely to each other in the wireless communication device 1, high gain can be obtained with a limited aperture area. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged linearly in the wireless communication device 1, the beam width can be narrowed compared to, for example, the triangular arrangement of the antenna elements 21 in Patent Document 3, and the peak gain can be increased (which is advantageous at high frequencies).

[0080] Furthermore, the wireless communication device 1 can reduce the space required in the arrangement direction of the antenna elements (x-axis direction) compared to a configuration in which multiple RFICs are arranged on the same plane.

[0081] Modification of the second embodiment The number of RFICs is not limited to two. The number of RFICs may be three or more. For example, the RFICs 20 and 21 and the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d configured as shown in FIG. 4B may be arranged to the right (positive x-axis direction) of the RFICs 20 and 21 and the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d shown in FIG. 4B. In this case, the number of RFICs is four, and the number of antenna elements is 16.

[0082] In the first and second embodiments, the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on the outer layer of the substrate 5, i.e., on the front surface 51 and back surface 52. In the third embodiment, the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on the inner layer of the substrate 5.

[0083] Fig. 6 is a side view of a wireless communication device 1 according to a third embodiment. In Fig. 6, the same components as those in Fig. 1, Fig. 2A, and Fig. 2B are assigned the same reference numerals. In Fig. 6, some reference numerals are omitted. The black circles in the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d in Fig. 6 indicate antenna terminals.

[0084] 6 is a multi-layer substrate having inner layers 53a and 53b. The RFIC 20 is disposed (formed) on the inner layer 53a of the substrate 5, and the RFIC 21 is disposed on the inner layer 53b of the substrate 5.

[0085] 6 are arranged on inner layers 53a and 53b of the substrate 5 so that the group of RF terminals 200a to 200d of the RFIC 20 does not overlap with the group of RF terminals 210a to 210d of the RFIC 21 when viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5. The wireless communication device 1 shown in FIG. 6 can be considered to have a configuration in which the RFICs 20 and 21 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B are arranged on the inner layers 53a and 53b of the substrate 5, for example.

[0086] The number of inner layers of the substrate 5 is not limited to 2. When the number of inner layers of the substrate 5 is greater than the number of RFICs, for example, the RFICs 20 and 21 and the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d shown in FIG. 6 may be arranged so as to be stacked in the z-axis direction.

[0087] Summary of the Third Embodiment As described above, the wireless communication device 1 includes the substrate 5, a plurality of antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d arranged on the side surface 50 of the substrate 5, and RFICs 20, 21 arranged on inner layers 53a, 53b of the substrate 5. The RFICs 20, 21 are arranged on the substrate 5 such that, when viewed from the front surface 51 of the substrate 5, the terminal group of the RFIC 20 connected to the antenna elements 30a to 30d and the terminal group of the RFIC 21 connected to the antenna elements 31a to 31d do not overlap.

[0088] As a result, the wireless communication device 1 can reduce transmission loss of high-frequency signals on the substrate 5 and suppress the occurrence of unnecessary radiation of radio waves. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged closely to each other in the wireless communication device 1, high gain can be obtained with a limited aperture area. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged linearly in the wireless communication device 1, the beam width can be narrowed compared to, for example, the triangular arrangement of the antenna elements 21 in Patent Document 3, and the peak gain can be increased (which is advantageous at high frequencies).

[0089] Fourth Embodiment In the fourth embodiment, RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on the inner layer of the substrate 5 in the same manner as in the third embodiment, but the configuration is different.

[0090] Fig. 7 is a side view of a wireless communication device 1 according to a fourth embodiment. In Fig. 7, the same components as those in Figs. 1, 2A, and 2B are assigned the same reference numerals. In Fig. 7, some reference numerals are omitted. The black circles in the RFICs 20 and 21 in Fig. 7 indicate RF terminals. The black circles in the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d in Fig. 7 indicate antenna terminals.

[0091] 7, the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on inner layers 53a and 53b of the substrate 5 so that the RF terminals of the RFIC 20 and the RF terminals of the RFIC 21 are positioned alternately in the x-axis direction when viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5. The wireless communication device 1 shown in FIG. 7 can be considered to have a configuration in which the RFICs 20 and 21 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B are arranged on inner layers of the substrate 5, for example.

[0092] The number of inner layers of the substrate 5 is not limited to 2. When the number of inner layers of the substrate 5 is greater than the number of RFICs, for example, the RFICs 20 and 21 and the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d shown in FIG. 7 may be arranged so as to be stacked in the z-axis direction.

[0093] The RFIC and antenna element may also be disposed on a substrate 5 having three inner layers as shown in FIG.

[0094] FIG. 8 is a side view of a wireless communication device 1 according to a fourth embodiment. In FIG. 8, the same components as those in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B are assigned the same reference numerals. In FIG. 8, some reference numerals are omitted. The black circles in the RFICs 20 and 22 in FIG. 8 indicate RF terminals. The black circles in the antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d, and 32a to 32d in FIG. 8 indicate antenna terminals. Although not shown because they are hidden by the antenna elements 31a to 31d, the RFIC 21 also has an RF terminal.

[0095] The wireless communication device 1 shown in FIG. 8 includes inner layers 53a to 53c, RFICs 20 to 22, and antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d, and 32a to 32d.

[0096] The RFIC 20 is arranged on the inner layer 53a, the RFIC 21 is arranged on the inner layer 53b, and the RFIC 22 is arranged on the inner layer 53c. The RFIC 21 is arranged between the RFIC 20 and the RFIC 22. The RFICs 20 to 22 are arranged on the inner layers 53a to 53c of the substrate 5 such that, when viewed from the front surface 51 of the substrate 5, the RF terminal of the RFIC 20, the RF terminal of the RFIC 21, and the RF terminal of the RFIC 22 are positioned alternately in the x-axis direction.

[0097] The antenna elements 30a to 30d are connected to RF terminals of the RFIC 20, the antenna elements 31a to 31d are connected to RF terminals of the RFIC 21, and the antenna elements 32a to 32d are connected to RF terminals of the RFIC 22. The antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d, and 32a to 32d are arranged adjacent to each other in the positive x-axis direction in the order of antenna elements 30a, 31a, 32a, 30b, 31b, 32b, 30c, 31c, 32c, 30d, 31d, and 32d. Note that the numbers of RFICs, antenna elements, and inner layers are not limited to those shown in FIG. 8.

[0098] Summary of Fourth Embodiment As described above, the wireless communication device 1 includes the substrate 5, a plurality of antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d arranged on a side surface of the substrate 5, and RFICs 21, 22 arranged on inner layers 53a, 53b of the substrate 5. The RFICs 20, 21 are arranged on the inner layers 53a, 53b such that, as viewed from the surface of the substrate 5, the terminals of the RFIC 20 connected to the antenna elements 30a to 30d and the terminals of the RFIC 21 connected to the antenna elements 31a to 31d are alternately positioned. This enables the wireless communication device 1 to reduce transmission loss of high-frequency signals on the substrate 5 and suppress unwanted radiation of radio waves.

[0099] The wireless communication device 1 also includes a substrate 5, antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d, and 32a to 32d arranged on a side surface of the substrate 5, and RFICs 20 to 22 arranged on three inner layers 53a to 53c. The RFIC 21 is arranged between the RFIC 20 and the RFIC 22. The RFICs 20 to 22 are arranged on the inner layers 53a to 53c such that, as viewed from the board surface of the substrate 5, the terminals of the RFIC 20 connected to the antenna elements 30a to 30d, the terminals of the RFIC 21 connected to the antenna elements 31a to 31d, and the terminals of the RFIC 22 connected to the antenna elements 32a to 32c are alternately positioned.

[0100] As a result, the wireless communication device 1 can reduce transmission loss of high-frequency signals on the substrate 5 and suppress unwanted radiation of radio waves. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged closely to each other in the wireless communication device 1, high gain can be obtained with a limited aperture area. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged linearly in the wireless communication device 1, the beam width can be narrowed compared to, for example, the triangular arrangement of the antenna elements 21 in Patent Document 3, and the peak gain can be increased (which is advantageous at high frequencies).

[0101] Fifth Embodiment In the fifth embodiment, an example in which RFICs are mounted on the outer layer and inner layer of a substrate 5 will be described.

[0102] FIG. 9 is a side view of a wireless communication device 1 according to a fifth embodiment. In FIG. 9, the same components as those in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B are assigned the same reference numerals. In FIG. 9, some reference numerals are omitted. The black circles in the RFICs 20 and 21 in FIG. 9 indicate RF terminals. The black circles in the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d in FIG. 9 indicate antenna terminals. Although not shown because they are hidden by the antenna elements 31a to 31d, the RFIC 21 also has an RF terminal.

[0103] The RFIC 20 is disposed on a surface 51 of the substrate 5, and the RFIC 21 is disposed on an inner layer 53a of the substrate 5. Antenna terminals of the antenna elements 30a to 30d are connected to RF terminals of the RFIC 20, and antenna terminals of the antenna elements 31a to 31d are connected to RF terminals of the RFIC 21. The wireless communication device 1 shown in FIG. 9 can be considered to have the RFIC 21 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B disposed on the inner layer 53a of the substrate 5, for example.

[0104] The number of inner layers of the substrate 5 is not limited to one. For example, the substrate 5 may include multiple inner layers, and an RFIC may be arranged in each of the multiple inner layers. The multiple RFICs may be arranged such that the RF terminal groups of each RFIC do not overlap when viewed from the front surface 51 of the substrate 5.

[0105] Summary of Fifth Embodiment As described above, the wireless communication device 1 includes the substrate 5, a plurality of antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d arranged on the side surface of the substrate 5, and RFICs 20, 21 arranged on the outer layer (surface 51) and inner layer 53a of the substrate 5. The RFICs 20, 21 are arranged on the substrate 5 such that, when viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5, the terminal group of the RFIC 20 connected to the antenna elements 30a to 30d and the terminal group of the RFIC 21 connected to the antenna elements 31a to 31d do not overlap.

[0106] As a result, the wireless communication device 1 can reduce transmission loss of high-frequency signals on the substrate 5 and suppress unwanted radiation of radio waves. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged closely to each other in the wireless communication device 1, high gain can be obtained with a limited aperture area. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged linearly in the wireless communication device 1, the beam width can be narrowed compared to, for example, the triangular arrangement of the antenna elements 21 in Patent Document 3, and the peak gain can be increased (which is advantageous at high frequencies).

[0107] Sixth Embodiment In the sixth embodiment, RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on the outer and inner layers of a substrate 5, similarly to the fifth embodiment, but the configuration is different from that of the fifth embodiment.

[0108] FIG. 10 is a side view of a wireless communication device 1 according to a sixth embodiment. In FIG. 10, the same components as those in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B are assigned the same reference numerals. In FIG. 10, some reference numerals are omitted. The black circles in the RFIC 20 in FIG. 10 indicate RF terminals. The black circles in the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d in FIG. 10 indicate antenna terminals. Although not shown because they are hidden by the antenna elements 31a to 31d, the RFIC 21 also has an RF terminal.

[0109] The RFIC 20 is disposed on a surface 51 of the substrate 5, and the RFIC 21 is disposed on an inner layer 53a of the substrate 5. Antenna terminals of the antenna elements 30a to 30d are connected to RF terminals of the RFIC 20, and antenna terminals of the antenna elements 31a to 31d are connected to RF terminals of the RFIC 21. The wireless communication device 1 shown in Fig. 10 can be considered to have a configuration in which, for example, the RFIC 21 shown in Figs. 4A and 4B is disposed on the inner layer 53a of the substrate 5.

[0110] The number of inner layers of the substrate 5 is not limited to one. For example, the substrate 5 may include a plurality of inner layers, and an RFIC may be disposed in each of the plurality of inner layers. The plurality of RFICs may be disposed such that the RF terminals of the RFICs do not overlap when viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5.

[0111] Fig. 11 is a side view of a wireless communication device 1 according to a sixth embodiment. In Fig. 11, the same components as those in Figs. 1, 2A, and 2B are assigned the same reference numerals. In Fig. 11, some reference numerals are omitted. The black circles in the RFICs 20 to 22 in Fig. 11 indicate RF terminals. The black circles in the antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d, and 32a to 32d in Fig. 11 indicate antenna terminals.

[0112] The wireless communication device 1 shown in FIG. 11 includes inner layers 53a and 53b, RFICs 20 to 22, and antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d, and 32a to 32d.

[0113] The RFIC 20 is arranged on the surface 51 of the substrate 5, the RFIC 21 is arranged on an inner layer 53a of the substrate 5, and the RFIC 22 is arranged on an inner layer 53b of the substrate 5. The RFICs 20 to 22 are arranged on the surface 51 and the inner layers 53a and 53b of the substrate 5 such that, when viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5, the RF terminal of the RFIC 20, the RF terminal of the RFIC 21, and the RF terminal of the RFIC 22 are positioned alternately in the x-axis direction.

[0114] The antenna elements 30a to 30d are connected to RF terminals of the RFIC 20, the antenna elements 31a to 31d are connected to RF terminals of the RFIC 21, and the antenna elements 32a to 32d are connected to RF terminals of the RFIC 22. The antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d, and 32a to 32d are arranged adjacent to each other in the positive x-axis direction in the order of antenna elements 30a, 31a, 32a, 30b, 31b, 32b, 30c, 31c, 32c, 30d, 31d, and 32d. Note that the numbers of RFICs, antenna elements, and inner layers are not limited to those shown in FIG. 11 .

[0115] Summary of Sixth Embodiment As described above, the wireless communication device 1 includes the substrate 5, a plurality of antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d arranged on the side surface of the substrate 5, and RFICs 20, 21 arranged on the outer layer (surface 51) and inner layer 53a of the substrate 5. The RFICs 20, 21 are arranged on the substrate 5 such that, when viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5, the terminals of the RFIC 20 connected to the antenna elements 30a to 30d and the terminals of the RFIC 21 connected to the antenna elements 31a to 31d are alternately positioned.

[0116] As a result, the wireless communication device 1 can reduce transmission loss of high-frequency signals on the substrate 5 and suppress unwanted radiation of radio waves. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged closely to each other in the wireless communication device 1, high gain can be obtained with a limited aperture area. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged linearly in the wireless communication device 1, the beam width can be narrowed compared to, for example, the triangular arrangement of the antenna elements 21 in Patent Document 3, and the peak gain can be increased (which is advantageous at high frequencies).

[0117] The wireless communication device 1 also includes a substrate 5, antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d, and 32a to 32d arranged on the side surfaces of the substrate 5, and RFICs 20 to 22 arranged on an outer layer (surface 51) and multiple inner layers 53a and 53b of the substrate 5. The RFICs 20 to 22 are arranged on the substrate 5 such that, as viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5, terminals of the RFIC 20 connected to the antenna elements 30a to 30d, terminals of the RFIC 21 connected to the antenna elements 31a to 31d, and terminals of the RFIC 22 connected to the antenna elements 32a to 32d are alternately positioned.

[0118] As a result, the wireless communication device 1 can reduce transmission loss of high-frequency signals on the substrate 5 and suppress unwanted radiation of radio waves. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged closely to each other in the wireless communication device 1, high gain can be obtained with a limited aperture area. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged linearly in the wireless communication device 1, the beam width can be narrowed compared to, for example, the triangular arrangement of the antenna elements 21 in Patent Document 3, and the peak gain can be increased (which is advantageous at high frequencies).

[0119] Seventh Embodiment In the seventh embodiment, an example in which antenna elements are arranged two-dimensionally will be described.

[0120] FIG. 12 is a side view of a wireless communication device 1 according to a seventh embodiment. In FIG. 12, the same components as those in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B are assigned the same reference numerals. In FIG. 12, some reference numerals are omitted. The black circles in the RFICs 20 and 23 in FIG. 12 indicate RF terminals. The black circles in the antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d, 32a to 32d, and 33a to 33d in FIG. 12 indicate antenna terminals. Although not shown because they are hidden by the antenna elements 31a to 31d, the RFIC 21 also has an RF terminal. Although not shown because they are hidden by the antenna elements 32a to 32d, the RFIC 22 also has an RF terminal.

[0121] 12 includes RFICs 20 to 23. The substrate 5 includes inner layers 53a and 53b. The RFIC 20 is disposed on the front surface 51 of the substrate 5, the RFIC 21 is disposed on the inner layer 53a of the substrate 5, the RFIC 22 is disposed on the inner layer 53b of the substrate 5, and the RFIC 23 is disposed on the back surface 52 of the substrate 5.

[0122] Antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d, 32a to 32d, and 33a to 33d are two-dimensionally arranged on a side surface 50 of the substrate 5. For example, the one-dimensional arrangement of antenna elements 30a to 30d and antenna elements 31a to 31d and the one-dimensional arrangement of antenna elements 32a to 32d and antenna elements 33a to 33d are arranged in parallel, so that the antenna elements are arranged two-dimensionally.

[0123] The RFICs 20 and 21 connected to the one-dimensionally arranged antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged on the surface 51 and inner layer 53a of the substrate 5 so that the RF terminal group of the RFIC 20 and the RF terminal group of the RFIC 21 do not overlap when viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5. Furthermore, the RFICs 22 and 23 connected to the one-dimensionally arranged antenna elements 32a to 32d and 33a to 33d are arranged on the surface 51 and inner layer 53a of the substrate 5 so that the RF terminal group of the RFIC 22 and the RF terminal group of the RFIC 23 do not overlap when viewed from the back surface 52 (substrate surface) of the substrate 5.

[0124] This allows the one-dimensionally arranged antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d to be arranged at a distance equal to or less than half the wavelength of the radio wave. This also allows the length of the wiring between the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d and the RF terminals of the RFICs 20 and 21 to be shortened. Similarly, the one-dimensionally arranged antenna elements 32a to 32d and 33a to 33d can be arranged at a distance equal to or less than half the wavelength of the radio wave. This also allows the length of the wiring between the antenna elements 32a to 32d and 33a to 33d and the RF terminals of the RFICs 22 and 23 to be shortened.

[0125] The number of RFICs arranged in the x-axis direction is not limited to the number shown in FIG. 12 (it is not limited to two on the left and right).

[0126] The arrangement of the antenna elements connected to the RFIC in the x-axis direction is not limited to the arrangement shown in Fig. 12. As shown in the second, fourth, and sixth embodiments, the antenna elements connected to different RFICs may be arranged alternately adjacent to each other in the x-axis direction.

[0127] The arrangement of the antenna elements connected to the RFIC in the z-axis direction is not limited to the arrangement shown in Fig. 12 (it is not limited to two upper and lower rows). The number of inner layers of the substrate 5 is not limited to the number shown in Fig. 12.

[0128] The layers on which the RFICs are arranged are not limited to those shown in Fig. 12. The layers on which the RFICs are arranged may be selected so that adjacent RFICs in the x-axis direction or the z-axis direction are not arranged on the same layer. For example, as shown in Fig. 12, the RFICs 20 to 23 may all be arranged on different layers.

[0129] Summary of Seventh Embodiment As described above, the wireless communication device 1 has antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d arranged in a line on the side surface 50 of the substrate 5, and antenna elements 32a to 32d and 33a to 33d arranged in a line parallel to the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d. The RFIC 20 is arranged on the front surface 51 of the substrate 5, and the RFIC 21 is arranged on the inner layer 53a of the substrate 5. The RFIC 22 is arranged on the inner layer 53b of the substrate 5, and the RFIC 23 is arranged on the back surface 52 of the substrate 5.

[0130] The RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on the substrate 5 so that the terminal group of the RFIC 20 connected to the antenna elements 30a to 30d does not overlap with the terminal group of the RFIC 21 connected to the antenna elements 31a to 31d when viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5. The RFICs 22 and 23 are arranged on the substrate 5 so that the terminal group of the RFIC 22 connected to the antenna elements 32a to 32d does not overlap with the terminal group of the RFIC 23 connected to the antenna elements 33a to 33d when viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5.

[0131] As a result, the wireless communication device 1 can reduce transmission loss of high-frequency signals on the substrate 5 and suppress the occurrence of unnecessary radio wave radiation. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d, 32a to 32d, and 33a to 33d are arranged closely to each other in the wireless communication device 1, high gain can be obtained with a limited aperture area. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d, 32a to 32d, and 33a to 33d are arranged linearly in the wireless communication device 1, the beam width can be narrowed compared to the triangular arrangement of the antenna elements 21 in Patent Document 3, and the peak gain can be increased (which is advantageous at high frequencies).

[0132] Eighth Embodiment In the eighth embodiment, an example in which RFICs are arranged on the same surface of the substrate 5 will be described.

[0133] Fig. 13 is a top view of a wireless communication device 1 according to an eighth embodiment. In Fig. 13, the same components as those in Fig. 1, Fig. 2A, and Fig. 2B are denoted by the same reference numerals. The black circles in the RFICs 20 and 21 in Fig. 13 indicate RF terminals. The black circles in the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d in Fig. 13 indicate antenna terminals.

[0134] 13, the RFICs 20 and 21 and the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged on the surface 51 of the substrate 5. The RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged so that the terminal group of the RFIC 20 and the terminal group of the RFCI 21 do not overlap when viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5. In other words, the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged so that the terminal group of the RFIC 20 and the terminal group of the RFCI 21 are offset in the x-axis direction with the antenna elements 30a to 30d sandwiched between them.

[0135] Although the RFICs 20 and 21 and the antenna elements 30 a to 30 d and 31 a to 31 d are arranged on the surface 51 of the substrate 5 , they may be arranged on one of the inner layers of the substrate 5 .

[0136] Summary of Eighth Embodiment As described above, the wireless communication device 1 includes the substrate 5, the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d arranged on the surface 51 of the substrate 5, and the RFICs 20 and 21 arranged on the same surface (surface 51) of the substrate 5, sandwiching the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d. The RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on the substrate 5 such that, when viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5, the terminal group of the RFIC 20 connected to the antenna elements 30a to 30d and the terminal group of the RFIC 21 connected to the antenna elements 31a to 31d do not overlap.

[0137] As a result, the wireless communication device 1 can reduce transmission loss of high-frequency signals on the substrate 5 and suppress unwanted radiation of radio waves. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged closely to each other in the wireless communication device 1, high gain can be obtained with a limited aperture area. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged linearly in the wireless communication device 1, the beam width can be narrowed compared to, for example, the triangular arrangement of the antenna elements 21 in Patent Document 3, and the peak gain can be increased (which is advantageous at high frequencies).

[0138] Ninth Embodiment In the ninth embodiment, an example in which RFICs are arranged on the same surface of the substrate 5 will be described, which is different from the eighth embodiment.

[0139] Fig. 14 is a top view of a wireless communication device 1 according to the ninth embodiment. In Fig. 14, the same components as those in Fig. 1, Fig. 2A, and Fig. 2B are denoted by the same reference numerals. The black circles in the RFICs 20 and 21 in Fig. 14 indicate RF terminals. The black circles in the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d in Fig. 14 indicate antenna terminals.

[0140] 14, the RFICs 20 and 21 and the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged on the surface 51 of the substrate 5. The RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged such that the terminals of the RFIC 20 and the terminals of the RFCI 21 are alternately positioned when viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5. In other words, the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged such that the terminals of the RFIC 20 and the terminals of the RFCI 21 are alternately positioned in the x-axis direction with the antenna elements 30a to 30d between them.

[0141] Although the RFICs 20 and 21 and the antenna elements 30 a to 30 d and 31 a to 31 d are arranged on the surface 51 of the substrate 5 , they may be arranged on one of the inner layers of the substrate 5 .

[0142] Summary of the ninth embodiment As described above, the wireless communication device 1 includes the substrate 5, a plurality of antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d arranged on the surface 51 of the substrate 5, and RFICs 20, 21 arranged on the same surface (surface 51) of the substrate 5, sandwiching the antenna elements 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d. The RFICs 20, 21 are arranged on the substrate 5 such that, as viewed from the surface 51 of the substrate 5, the terminals of the RFIC 20 connected to the antenna elements 30a to 30d and the terminals of the RFIC 21 connected to the antenna elements 31a to 31d are alternately positioned.

[0143] As a result, the wireless communication device 1 can reduce transmission loss of high-frequency signals on the substrate 5 and suppress unwanted radiation of radio waves. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged closely to each other in the wireless communication device 1, high gain can be obtained with a limited aperture area. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged linearly in the wireless communication device 1, the beam width can be narrowed compared to, for example, the triangular arrangement of the antenna elements 21 in Patent Document 3, and the peak gain can be increased (which is advantageous at high frequencies).

[0144] Tenth Embodiment In a tenth embodiment, a wireless communication device 1 has a structure compatible with both polarized waves (vertical polarization and horizontal polarization), and an antenna element transmits or receives radio waves of both polarized waves.

[0145] Fig. 15 is a side view of a wireless communication device 1 according to a tenth embodiment. In Fig. 15, the same components as those in Figs. 1, 2A, and 2B are assigned the same reference numerals. In Fig. 15, some reference numerals are omitted. The black circles in the RFICs 20 and 21 in Fig. 15 indicate RF terminals. The black circles in the antenna elements 30a to 30d in Fig. 15 indicate antenna terminals.

[0146] 15, the antenna elements 30a to 30d are arranged on a side surface 50 of the substrate 5. The antenna elements 30a to 30d are arranged in a linear row.

[0147] The RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on the front surface 51 and the back surface 52 of the substrate 5 so as to sandwich the antenna elements 30a to 30d.

[0148] The RF terminal 200a of the RFIC 20 is connected to the antenna terminal of the rectangular antenna element 30a via the wiring 60a. The antenna terminal of the antenna element 30a to which the RF terminal 200a of the RFIC 20 is connected is arranged on the side closest to and parallel to the RFIC 20. The antenna terminals of the antenna elements 30b to 30d are also arranged on the side closest to and parallel to the RFIC 20, similar to the antenna terminal of the antenna element 30a.

[0149] The RF terminal 210a of the RFIC 21 is connected to the antenna terminal of the rectangular antenna element 30a via a wiring 61a. The antenna terminal of the antenna element 30a to which the RF terminal 210a of the RFIC 21 is connected is arranged on a side perpendicular to the RFIC 21. The antenna terminals of the antenna elements 30b to 30d are also arranged on sides perpendicular to the RFIC 21, similar to the antenna element 30a.

[0150] The antenna terminal to which the RF terminal 200a of the RFIC 20 is connected and the antenna terminal to which the RF terminal 210a of the RFIC 21 is connected are arranged on adjacent sides (sides forming a 90-degree angle) of the antenna element 30a. Similarly to the antenna element 30a, the antenna terminals to which the RF terminal of the RFIC 20 is connected and the antenna terminals to which the RF terminal of the RFIC 21 is connected are arranged on adjacent sides of the antenna element for the antenna elements 30b to 30d.

[0151] The arrangement (position) of the antenna terminals is not limited to the example in Fig. 15. The arrangement of the antenna terminals may be changed depending on the type or shape of the antenna element.

[0152] Each of the RFICs 20 and 21 may be an IC that supports one polarized wave. In this case, the antenna terminal to which the RFIC 20 is connected and the antenna terminal to which the RFIC 21 is connected are arranged (configured) as shown in Fig. 15, so that the wireless communication device 1 supports both polarized waves (changes the polarization direction). Each of the RFICs 20 and 21 may be an IC that supports both polarized waves.

[0153] Summary of Tenth Embodiment As described above, each of the antenna elements 30a to 30d has an antenna terminal connected to the RFIC 20 and an antenna terminal connected to the RFIC 21. In other words, each of the antenna elements 30a to 30d has two antenna terminals connected to the RFICs 20 and 21.

[0154] As a result, the wireless communication device 1 can reduce transmission loss of high-frequency signals on the substrate 5 and suppress the occurrence of unnecessary radiation of radio waves. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d are arranged closely to each other in the wireless communication device 1, high gain can be obtained with a limited aperture area. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d are arranged linearly in the wireless communication device 1, the beam width can be narrowed compared to, for example, the triangular arrangement of the antenna elements 21 in Patent Document 3, and the peak gain can be increased (which is advantageous at high frequencies). Furthermore, the wireless communication device 1 can support both polarized waves.

[0155] Eleventh Embodiment In the tenth embodiment, the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged on the outer layers of the substrate 5, i.e., on the front surface 51 and the back surface 52. In the eleventh embodiment, the substrate 5 is a multilayer substrate, and the RFICs are arranged on the outer and inner layers of the substrate 5.

[0156] FIG. 16 is a side view of a wireless communication device 1 according to an eleventh embodiment. In FIG. 16, the same components as those in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B are assigned the same reference numerals. In FIG. 16, some reference numerals are omitted. The black circles in RFICs 20 to 23 in FIG. 16 indicate RF terminals. The black circles in antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d in FIG. 16 indicate antenna terminals. The substrate 5 shown in FIG. 16 is a multilayer substrate and has inner layers 53a and 53b.

[0157] The antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged on a side surface 50 of the substrate 5. The antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged in a linear row.

[0158] The RFIC 20 is disposed on a surface 51 of the substrate 5, and the RFIC 21 is disposed on an inner layer 53a of the substrate 5. The RFICs 20 and 21 are disposed so as to sandwich the antenna elements 30a to 30d therebetween.

[0159] The RFIC 22 is disposed on the rear surface 52 of the substrate 5, and the RFIC 23 is disposed on an inner layer 53b of the substrate 5. The RFICs 22 and 23 are disposed so as to sandwich the antenna elements 31a to 31d therebetween.

[0160] The RFICs 20 and 21 and antenna elements 30a to 30d shown in FIG. 16 have the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 15, except that the RFIC 21 is arranged on the inner layer 53a, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0161] The RFICs 22 and 23 and antenna elements 31a to 31d shown in FIG. 16 are obtained by rotating the configuration of the RFICs 20 and 21 and antenna elements 30a to 30d shown in FIG. 16 by 180 degrees, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0162] Summary of Eleventh Embodiment As described above, the substrate 5 is a multilayer substrate, and the RFICs 20 to 23 are arranged on outer and inner layers of the substrate 5. Each of the antenna elements 30a to 30d has an antenna terminal connected to the RFIC 20 and an antenna terminal connected to the RFIC 21. Each of the antenna elements 31a to 31d has an antenna terminal connected to the RFIC 22 and an antenna terminal connected to the RFIC 23.

[0163] As a result, the wireless communication device 1 can reduce transmission loss of high-frequency signals on the substrate 5 and suppress the occurrence of unnecessary radiation of radio waves. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged closely to each other in the wireless communication device 1, high gain can be obtained with a limited aperture area. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged linearly in the wireless communication device 1, the beam width can be narrowed compared to, for example, the triangular arrangement of the antenna elements 21 in Patent Document 3, and the peak gain can be increased (which is advantageous at high frequencies). Furthermore, the wireless communication device 1 can support both polarized waves.

[0164] 16, one of the RFICs 20 and 21 and the antenna elements 30a to 30d and the RFICs 22 and 23 and the antenna elements 31a to 31d may be omitted. For example, the wireless communication device 1 may include the RFICs 20 and 21 and the antenna elements 30a to 30d, but not the RFICs 22 and 23 and the antenna elements 31a to 31d. The wireless communication device 1 may include the RFICs 22 and 23 and the antenna elements 31a to 31d, but not the RFICs 20 and 21 and the antenna elements 30a to 30d.

[0165] <Twelfth embodiment> In the eleventh embodiment, the antenna elements 30a, 31a, 30b, and 31b connected to the RFICs 20 and 21 are arranged adjacent to each other, and the antenna elements 30c, 31c, 30d, and 31d connected to the RFICs 22 and 23 are arranged adjacent to each other. In the twelfth embodiment, the antenna elements connected to the RFICs 20 and 21 and the antenna elements connected to the RFICs 22 and 23 are arranged adjacent to each other alternately.

[0166] FIG. 17 is a side view of a wireless communication device 1 according to an eleventh embodiment. In FIG. 17, the same components as those in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B are assigned the same reference numerals. In FIG. 17, some reference numerals are omitted. The black circles in RFICs 20 to 23 in FIG. 17 indicate RF terminals. The black circles in antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d in FIG. 17 indicate antenna terminals. The substrate 5 shown in FIG. 17 is a multilayer substrate and has inner layers 53a and 53b.

[0167] The antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged on a side surface 50 of the substrate 5. The antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged in a linear row.

[0168] The RFIC 20 is disposed on a surface 51 of the substrate 5, and the RFIC 21 is disposed on an inner layer 53a of the substrate 5. The RFICs 20 and 21 are disposed so as to sandwich the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d therebetween.

[0169] The RF terminal 200a of the RFIC 20 is connected to the antenna terminal of the rectangular antenna element 30a via the wiring 60a. The antenna terminal of the antenna element 30a to which the RF terminal 200a of the RFIC 20 is connected is arranged on the side closest to and parallel to the RFIC 20. The antenna terminals of the antenna elements 30b to 30d are also arranged on the side closest to and parallel to the RFIC 21, similar to the antenna element 30a.

[0170] The RF terminal 210a of the RFIC 21 is connected to the antenna terminal of the rectangular antenna element 30a via a wiring 61a. The antenna terminal of the antenna element 30a to which the RF terminal 210a of the RFIC 21 is connected is arranged on a side perpendicular to the RFIC 21. The antenna terminals of the antenna elements 30b to 30d are also arranged on sides perpendicular to the RFIC 21, similar to the antenna element 30a.

[0171] The antenna terminal to which the RF terminal 200a of the RFIC 20 is connected and the antenna terminal to which the RF terminal 210a of the RFIC 21 is connected are arranged on adjacent sides of the antenna element 30a. Similarly to the antenna element 30a, the antenna terminals to which the RF terminal of the RFIC 20 is connected and the antenna terminals to which the RF terminal of the RFIC 21 is connected are arranged on adjacent sides of the antenna element for the antenna elements 30b to 30d.

[0172] The RFIC 22 is disposed on the rear surface 52 of the substrate 5, and the RFIC 23 is disposed on an inner layer 53b of the substrate 5. The RFICs 22 and 23 are disposed so as to sandwich the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d therebetween.

[0173] The RF terminal 220a of the RFIC 22 is connected to the antenna terminal of the rectangular antenna element 31a via a wiring 62a. The antenna terminal of the antenna element 31a to which the RF terminal 220a of the RFIC 22 is connected is arranged on the side closest to and parallel to the RFIC 22. The antenna terminals of the antenna elements 31b to 31d are also arranged on the side closest to and parallel to the RFIC 22, similar to the antenna element 31a.

[0174] The RF terminal 230a of the RFIC 23 is connected to the antenna terminal of the rectangular antenna element 31a via a wiring 63a. The antenna terminal of the antenna element 31a to which the RF terminal 230a of the RFIC 23 is connected is arranged on a side perpendicular to the RFIC 23. The antenna terminals of the antenna elements 31b to 31d are also arranged on sides perpendicular to the RFIC 23, similar to the antenna element of the antenna element 31a.

[0175] The antenna terminal to which the RF terminal 220a of the RFIC 22 is connected and the antenna terminal to which the RF terminal 230a of the RFIC 23 is connected are arranged on adjacent sides of the antenna element 31a. Similarly to the antenna element 31a, the antenna terminals to which the RF terminal of the RFIC 22 is connected and the antenna terminals to which the RF terminal of the RFIC 23 is connected are arranged on adjacent sides of the antenna element for the antenna elements 31b to 31d.

[0176] The arrangement (position) of the antenna terminals is not limited to the example in Fig. 17. The arrangement of the antenna terminals may be changed depending on the type or shape of the antenna element.

[0177] Each of the RFICs 20 to 23 may be an IC that supports one polarized wave. In this case, by arranging the antenna terminal to which the RFIC 20 is connected and the antenna terminal to which the RFIC 21 is connected as shown in Fig. 17, and by arranging the antenna terminal to which the RFIC 22 is connected and the antenna terminal to which the RFIC 23 is connected as shown in Fig. 17, the wireless communication device 1 supports both polarized waves. Each of the RFICs 20 to 23 may be an IC that supports both polarized waves.

[0178] Summary of the twelfth embodiment As described above, the substrate 5 is a multilayer substrate, and the RFICs 20 to 23 are arranged on outer and inner layers of the substrate 5. Each of the antenna elements 30a to 30d has an antenna terminal connected to the RFIC 20 and an antenna terminal connected to the RFIC 21. Each of the antenna elements 31a to 31d has an antenna terminal connected to the RFIC 22 and an antenna terminal connected to the RFIC 23. The antenna elements 30a to 30d connected to the RFICs 20 and 21 and the antenna elements 31a to 31d connected to the RFICs 22 and 23 are arranged alternately adjacent to each other.

[0179] As a result, the wireless communication device 1 can reduce transmission loss of high-frequency signals on the substrate 5 and suppress the occurrence of unnecessary radiation of radio waves. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged closely to each other in the wireless communication device 1, high gain can be obtained with a limited aperture area. Furthermore, since the antenna elements 30a to 30d and 31a to 31d are arranged linearly in the wireless communication device 1, the beam width can be narrowed compared to, for example, the triangular arrangement of the antenna elements 21 in Patent Document 3, and the peak gain can be increased (which is advantageous at high frequencies). Furthermore, the wireless communication device 1 can support both polarized waves.

[0180] Modification of the twelfth embodiment The RFICs 20 to 23 may be arranged on inner layers of the substrate 5. For example, in Fig. 17, the RFIC 20 may be arranged on an inner layer above the inner layer 53b. The RFIC 22 may be arranged on an inner layer below the inner layer 53a.

[0181] Although the embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims. It is understood that such modifications or alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components in the embodiments may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0182] In the above-described embodiments, the notation "IC" may be replaced with other notations such as circuitry, assembly, device, unit, or module.

[0183] The method of integration is not limited to LSI, but may be realized by a dedicated circuit, a general-purpose processor, or a dedicated processor. Also, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of circuit cells inside the LSI, may be used.

[0184] Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI emerges due to advances in semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, it is natural that such technology may be used to integrate functional blocks. The application of biotechnology, etc. is also a possibility.

[0185] The disclosures of the specification, drawings and abstract contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-163112, filed on September 26, 2023, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0186] The present disclosure is useful for wireless communication devices having multiple RFICs and antenna elements.

[0187] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 wireless communication device 20 to 23 RFIC 200a to 200d, 210a to 200d RF terminal 30a to 30d, 31a to 31d, 32a to 32d, 33a to 33d antenna element 300a antenna terminal 5 substrate 50 side surface 51 front surface 52 rear surface 53a to 53c inner layer 60a to 60d wiring

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising: a substrate; a plurality of antenna elements arranged on the substrate; and a first circuit and a second circuit arranged on the substrate, wherein the antenna elements are arranged on a side surface of the substrate, and the first circuit and the second circuit are arranged on the substrate such that, when viewed from the substrate surface of the substrate, a group of terminals of the first circuit connected to a portion of the plurality of antenna elements does not overlap with a group of terminals of the second circuit connected to another portion of the plurality of antenna elements, or such that, when viewed from the substrate surface of the substrate, the terminals of the first circuit connected to the antenna elements and the terminals of the second circuit connected to the antenna elements are positioned alternately.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first circuit is disposed on a front surface of the substrate, and the second circuit is disposed on a rear surface of the substrate.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is a multi-layer substrate, and the first circuit and the second circuit are disposed on an inner layer of the substrate.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is a multi-layer substrate, the first circuit is disposed on a front or back surface of the substrate, and the second circuit is disposed on an inner layer of the substrate.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a third circuit disposed between the first circuit and the second circuit, wherein the first circuit, the second circuit, and the third circuit are disposed on an inner layer of the board such that, as viewed from the board surface of the board, the terminal of the first circuit connected to the antenna element, the terminal of the second circuit connected to the antenna element, and the terminal of the third circuit connected to the antenna element are positioned alternately.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna elements include a first antenna element arranged in a straight line, and a second antenna element arranged in a straight line parallel to the first antenna element.

7. The wireless communication device according to claim 6, wherein the substrate is a multilayer substrate, the first circuit is disposed on a first inner layer of the substrate, the second circuit is disposed on a second inner layer of the substrate, and the device further comprises a third circuit disposed on a front surface of the substrate and a fourth circuit disposed on a rear surface of the substrate, the first circuit and the third circuit are disposed on the substrate such that, when viewed from the substrate surface of the substrate, a terminal group of the first circuit connected to the first antenna element does not overlap with a terminal group of the third circuit connected to the first antenna element, and the second circuit and the fourth circuit are disposed on the substrate such that, when viewed from the substrate surface of the substrate, a terminal group of the second circuit connected to the second antenna element does not overlap with a terminal group of the fourth circuit connected to the second antenna element.

8. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of antenna elements transmit or receive radio waves of both polarized waves.

9. The wireless communication device according to claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of antenna elements comprises a first antenna terminal connected to the first circuit and a second antenna terminal connected to the second circuit.

10. The wireless communication device according to claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of antenna elements has a rectangular shape, and the first antenna terminal and the second antenna terminal are arranged on adjacent sides of the antenna element.

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