Adjacent Horn Antenna Layout for Compact Radio Wave Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radio wave sensor apparatuses using patch antennas have low gain and short detection distances, and require long transmission lines that lead to reduced antenna efficiency, while horn antennas offer higher efficiency but increase sensor circuit size.
Innovation Solution
The radio wave sensor apparatus incorporates a horn antenna structure for both transmitting and receiving antennas, with a wall portion separating them, allowing for adjacent placement and reducing the sensor circuit size, while maintaining high antenna gain and directivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a patch antenna is used for the transmitting and receiving antennas, then the antenna size is small and it is easily connected to an integrated circuit, but the antenna gain is low and the detection distance is short
Solution Approach 1:
The horn antenna is divided into a transmitting horn section and a receiving horn section that are disposed adjacently, with each section having its own antenna (transmitting patch antenna and receiving patch antenna). This segmentation allows the horn structure to provide high gain while keeping individual antenna sections compact and suitable for integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmitting and receiving patch antennas are nested within the horn antenna structure, which provides the high gain capability. The horn sections cover the respective antenna sections, creating a compact integrated structure that combines the benefits of both patch antennas (low profile, easy integration) and horn antennas (high gain, good directivity).
2Power
If a patch array antenna is used to enhance the antenna gain, then the detection distance is extended, but a long transmission line is required connecting the patch antennas and the loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transmitting and receiving horn sections are disposed adjacently and connected through a common wall portion, merging the transmission and reception paths into a compact structure. This eliminates the need for long transmission lines between separate antenna elements, reducing transmission loss while maintaining high gain through the horn structure.
3Power
If a horn antenna is used for the transmitting and receiving antennas, then the antenna efficiency is high and the sensitivity is improved, but the sensor circuit size is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The horn antenna is segmented into transmitting and receiving sections that can be disposed adjacently in a compact arrangement. This segmentation allows the high-efficiency horn structure to be implemented without requiring excessive space, as the sections share common structures (wall portion, ground plane) and are optimized for compact integration.
4Volume of moving object
If the transmitting antenna and receiving antenna are disposed close to each other, then the sensor circuit size is reduced, but interference between the antennas may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The horn antenna is divided into transmitting and receiving sections separated by a wall portion, which provides electromagnetic isolation between the closely disposed antennas. This segmentation allows compact placement while preventing interference through the physical barrier of the wall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall portion acts as an intermediary structure between the transmitting and receiving horn sections, providing electromagnetic shielding and isolation. This mediator element enables close placement of the antennas for compact size while preventing harmful interference between them.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances antenna efficiency, reduces the size of the sensor circuit region, and allows for longer detection distances with improved sensitivity and reduced noise from outside the desired detection region.
Implementation Method 1
a transmitting antenna 10 to radiate a high frequency signal (a radio wave in a microwave band or a millimeter wave band) into a space
Implementation Method 2
a receiving antenna 11 to receive a reflected wave of the high frequency signal from the object 200
Implementation Method 3
a mixer 15 to mix the high frequency signal and the reflected wave received by the receiving antenna 11 to produce a reception signal
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A radio wave sensor apparatus comprises: an oscillator to generate a high frequency signal; a transmitting antenna (10); a receiving antenna (11); a mixer, and a signal processing device, in which the transmitting antenna (10) has a transmitting antenna section (21) and a transmitting horn section (22A) and the receiving antenna (11) has a receiving antenna section (23) and a receiving horn section (24A); the transmitting antenna section (21) and the receiving antenna section (23) are disposed on the same plane in a spaced manner; an inner wall of the transmitting horn section (22A) and an inner wall of the receiving horn section (24A) have a wall portion (27) separating the transmitting antenna (10) and the receiving antenna (11); this wall portion (27) has a wall surface region vertical to the plane from an open end side of the transmitting horn section (22A) and an open end side of the receiving horn section (24A) toward the transmitting antenna section (21) and the receiving antenna section (23), respectively; and the transmitting horn section (22A) and the receiving horn section (24A) are disposed adjacent to each other via the wall portion (27).