JP2006165779A - Active array antenna - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an active array antenna capable of scanning a beam in a wide angle along a three-dimensionally curved placing surface without deteriorating a gain. <P>SOLUTION: The antenna has a structure in which a flexible sheet-like circuit layer 2 having one or a plurality of active high frequency circuits 1 is laminated on a flexible sheet-like antenna layer 4 having one or a plurality of perforated radiation slots 3 for electromagnetically coupled to each of the active high frequency circuits 1. The circuit layer 2 is formed by coupling a side of a non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21 having the active high frequency circuit 1 to the side of a flexible circuit layer coupling material 22. The antenna layer 4 is formed by coupling the side of an antenna layer conductor 41 having radiation slots 3 formed thereon and to be laminated on the non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21 to the side of a flexible antenna layer coupling material 42 of a conductor to be laminated on the flexible circuit layer coupling material 22. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an active array antenna, and more particularly to an active array antenna that can scan a beam at a wide angle without a decrease in gain and has a compact configuration.

  A radar antenna or communication antenna attached to a structure having a three-dimensional curved surface such as an aircraft has few protrusions from the outer surface of the structure and enables wide-angle beam scanning without a decrease in gain. For this purpose, an array antenna in which a plurality of antenna elements are arranged on a mounting surface has been widely applied.

  As a method of manufacturing an antenna element on a three-dimensional curved surface, it is common to paste a conductor such as a copper foil on the three-dimensional curved surface and then cut the antenna element by etching.

  However, the above production method has a problem that not only a long time is required for production but also the production cost is high.

  Therefore, a conformal array antenna has been proposed in which a spacer that fills a gap is disposed between a planar array antenna and a dielectric having a three-dimensional curved surface (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

However, in the conventional conformal array antenna according to the above proposal, although the dielectric that radiates radio waves has a three-dimensional shape, the antenna element itself is arranged in a plane. It cannot be avoided that the gain decreases as it deviates from the front direction.
JP 2002-111374 A ([0009] to [0012], [FIG. 1])

  The present invention has been made to solve the conventional problems, and provides an active array antenna capable of performing wide-angle beam scanning along the installation surface, which is a three-dimensional curved surface, without reducing gain. Objective.

  An active array antenna according to the present invention has a flexible sheet-like circuit layer including one or more active high-frequency circuits and one or more radiation slots that are electromagnetically coupled to each of the active high-frequency circuits. A structure in which a flexible sheet-like antenna layer is stacked.

  With this configuration, the active array antenna can be flexed freely according to the installation surface.

  In the active array antenna according to the present invention, the circuit layer is a combination of a side of a non-flexible circuit layer conductor on which the active high-frequency circuit is disposed and a side of a flexible circuit layer bonding material, The antenna layer has the radiation slot perforated at a position corresponding to the active high-frequency circuit, and is laminated to the antenna layer conductor side laminated on the non-flexible circuit layer conductor and the flexible circuit layer bonding material. The flexible antenna layer coupling material, which is a conductor, is coupled to the side.

  In the active array antenna according to the present invention, the circuit layer has a non-flexible circuit layer conductor having the active high-frequency circuit disposed on a flexible sheet, and the antenna layer is formed with the radiation slot. A rectangular horizontal cross-section conductor laminated on the side of the antenna layer conductor laminated on the non-flexible circuit layer conductor and on the portion of the flexible sheet where the non-flexible circuit layer conductor is not disposed It may have a configuration in which the side of the flexible antenna layer coupling material is coupled.

  In the active array antenna according to the present invention, the circuit layer is a combination of a side of a non-flexible circuit layer conductor on which the active high-frequency circuit is disposed and a side of a flexible circuit layer bonding material, The antenna layer may have a configuration of a flexible conductor sheet having a radiation slot perforated at a position corresponding to each of the active high-frequency circuits.

  In the active array antenna according to the present invention, the circuit layer includes a non-flexible circuit layer conductor having the active high-frequency circuit disposed on a flexible sheet, and the antenna layer includes the active high-frequency circuit. You may have the structure which is a flexible conductor sheet which perforated the radiation slot in the position corresponding to each.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to scan the beam at a wide angle without lowering the gain even when the beam is freely bent according to the installation surface.

  In the active array antenna according to the present invention, each of the active high-frequency circuits includes a dielectric substrate, a high-frequency amplifying element disposed on the dielectric substrate, and the dielectric substrate that inputs a high-frequency signal to the high-frequency amplifying element. A circuit-side strip conductor disposed above, and an antenna-side strip conductor disposed on the dielectric substrate that outputs the high-frequency signal amplified by the high-frequency amplification element to the corresponding radiation slot. is doing.

  With this configuration, the array antenna is activated.

  The active array antenna according to the present invention may have a configuration in which a strip conductor electromagnetically coupled to the antenna-side strip conductor is provided on the lower surface of the circuit layer.

  The active array antenna according to the present invention may have a configuration including an amplifying element connected to the strip conductor on a lower surface of the circuit layer.

  In the active array antenna according to the present invention, each of the active high-frequency circuits includes a dielectric substrate, a high-frequency amplifying element disposed on the dielectric substrate, and a high-frequency signal received by the corresponding radiation slot. An antenna-side strip conductor disposed on the dielectric substrate for input to the amplifying element; and a circuit-side strip conductor disposed on the dielectric substrate for outputting the high-frequency signal amplified by the high-frequency amplifying element. It has a configuration.

  With this configuration, the array antenna is activated.

  The active array antenna according to the present invention may have a configuration in which a strip conductor electromagnetically coupled to the circuit-side strip conductor is provided on the lower surface of the circuit layer.

  The active array antenna according to the present invention may have a configuration including an amplifying element connected to the strip conductor on a lower surface of the circuit layer.

  According to the present invention, a wide-angle beam scanning can be performed without a decrease in gain along the installation surface which is a three-dimensional curved surface by adopting a laminated configuration of a flexible sheet-like circuit layer and a flexible sheet-like antenna layer. Possible active array antennas can be provided.

  Embodiments of an active array antenna according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the active array antenna according to the present invention includes a flexible sheet-like circuit layer 2 including one or a plurality of active high-frequency circuits 1 and one electromagnetically coupled to each of the active high-frequency circuits 1. Or it has the structure which laminated | stacked the flexible sheet-like antenna layer 4 with which the some radiation | emission slot 3 was pierced.

  First, a first embodiment of an active array antenna according to the present invention will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the circuit layer 2 of the first embodiment has a configuration in which the side of the non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21 having the active high-frequency circuit 1 and the side of the flexible circuit layer bonding material 22 are coupled. Have

  As shown in FIG. 3, the antenna layer 4 of the first embodiment has an antenna layer conductor 41 having a radiation slot 3 perforated at a position corresponding to the active high-frequency circuit 1 and laminated on the non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21. And the side of the flexible antenna layer coupling material 42 that is a conductor laminated on the flexible circuit layer coupling material 22.

  In FIGS. 2 and 3, the non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21, the flexible circuit layer bonding material 22, the antenna layer conductor 41, and the flexible antenna layer bonding material 42 are rectangular, but these have a horizontal cross section. The shape may be a rectangle, and the vertical cross-sectional shape may be another shape such as an ellipse shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21 is provided with a recess 23 in a conductor substrate, and the active high-frequency circuit 1 is disposed in each recess 23 to protect the active high-frequency circuit 1. Desirable from a viewpoint.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the active high-frequency circuit 1 includes a dielectric substrate 11, a high-frequency amplification element 12 disposed on the dielectric substrate 11, and a dielectric substrate 11 that inputs a high-frequency signal to the high-frequency amplification element 12. A circuit-side strip conductor 13 disposed above, and an antenna-side strip conductor 14 disposed on the dielectric substrate 11 that outputs a high-frequency signal amplified by the high-frequency amplification element 12 to the corresponding radiation slot 3 by electromagnetic coupling; including.

  Since the radiation slot 3 of the antenna layer conductor 41 needs to be installed at a predetermined distance directly above the antenna-side strip conductor 14 of the corresponding active high-frequency circuit 1, the antenna layer conductor 41 is not connected to the non-flexible circuit. It is necessary to fix to the layer conductor 21.

  As a fixing method, in addition to a method of screwing the antenna layer conductor 41 to the non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21, a method of bonding them together with a conductive adhesive may be applied.

  The high-frequency amplifying element 12 is a known monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC).

  As shown in FIG. 7, the antenna layer conductor 41 has a configuration in which a radiation sheet 3 for emitting radio waves is perforated at a predetermined pitch in a rectangular sheet-like conductor. In the case of an array antenna for 14.1 GHz, the perforations are, for example, 9.2 millimeters long and 1.5 millimeters wide.

  FIG. 8 is an assembled cross-sectional view of the non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21 having one active high-frequency circuit 1 and the antenna layer conductor 41 having one radiation slot 3, and includes first to third assembly structures. .

  In the first assembly structure, as shown in FIG. 8A, the coaxial cable connector 15 is directly connected to the circuit side strip conductor 13, and the high frequency signal is supplied to the high frequency amplifying element 12 through the coaxial cable.

  The antenna layer conductor 41 is screwed to the inflexible circuit layer conductor 21.

  In the second assembly structure, as shown in FIG. 8B, an opening 24 is perforated in the inflexible circuit layer conductor 21 immediately below the circuit-side strip conductor 13. A strip conductor 16 that is electromagnetically coupled to the circuit side strip conductor 13 and supplies power to the circuit side strip conductor 13 is disposed on the back surface of the non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21, and the coaxial cable connector 15 is connected to the strip conductor 16. .

  With this configuration, a coaxial cable that supplies a high-frequency signal to the high-frequency amplification element 12 can be connected from the rear surface of the antenna.

  As shown in FIG. 8C, the third assembly structure has a configuration in which an amplification element 17 is connected to the strip conductor 16 of the second assembly structure. The amplifying element 17 may be a high frequency amplifying element or an intermediate frequency amplifying element. The amplifying element 17 may include a frequency conversion element.

  With this configuration, the entire transmission device can be further reduced in size and transmission loss can be reduced.

  Needless to say, it is necessary to separately supply driving power to the high-frequency amplifying element 12 and the amplifying element 17.

  Next, an operation when the first embodiment of the active array antenna according to the present invention is used as a transmission antenna will be described.

  The high frequency signal output from the transmission circuit is input to the high frequency amplifying element 12 via a coaxial cable (not shown) and the circuit side strip conductor 13. The high-frequency signal amplified by the high-frequency amplification element 12 is output from the antenna-side strip conductor 14, opened directly above the antenna-side strip conductor 14, and radiated as a radio wave from the radiation slot 3 that is electromagnetically coupled to the antenna-side strip conductor 14. The

  In the first embodiment, the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21 and the antenna layer conductor 41 is a rectangular rectangle. Therefore, the active array antenna according to the present invention has a rectangular short side. Although it can bend in the direction, it cannot bend in the long side direction.

  In order to enable the active array antenna according to the present invention to be installed along a three-dimensional curved surface, the horizontal cross-sectional shapes of the non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21 and the antenna layer conductor 41 are set as shown in FIG. A substantially square shape may be used, and the flexible circuit layer bonding material 22 and the flexible antenna layer bonding material 42 as a conductor may be bonded to all four sides of the non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21 and the antenna layer conductor 41. .

  Next, the second to fourth embodiments of the active array antenna according to the present invention will be described.

  The assembly structure of the three types of inflexible circuit layer conductor 21 and the antenna layer conductor 41 described in the first embodiment, and the inflexible circuit layer conductor 21 and the antenna layer conductor 41 are substantially square. It is obvious that the configuration having the horizontal cross-sectional shape can be applied to the second to fourth embodiments.

  In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the circuit layer 2 has a non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21 in which the active high-frequency circuit 1 is arranged on a flexible sheet 25.

  As in the first embodiment, the antenna layer 4 has the radiation slot 3 formed therein, the antenna layer conductor 41 stacked on the non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21, and the non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21 of the flexible sheet. And a flexible antenna layer bonding material 42 laminated on a portion not covered with.

  In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the circuit layer 2 is connected to the non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21 in which the active high-frequency circuit 1 is arranged, as in the first embodiment. The material 22 is combined.

  The antenna layer 4 is a flexible conductor sheet 43 in which a radiation slot 3 is drilled at a position corresponding to each of the active high-frequency circuits 1.

  In the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the circuit layer 2 has a non-flexible circuit layer conductor 21 in which the active high-frequency circuit 1 is arranged on a flexible sheet 25.

  The antenna layer 4 is a flexible conductor sheet 43 in which the radiation slot 3 is drilled at a position corresponding to each of the active high-frequency circuits 1.

  Note that the operation of the second to fourth embodiments is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  When the active array antenna according to the present invention is used as a transmitting antenna, it is possible not only to scan a beam at a wide angle along the installation surface which is a three-dimensional curved surface without a decrease in gain, but also to a transmitter and a transmitting antenna. It is possible to reduce the size of the transmission device including the.

  The above describes the case where the active array antenna according to the present invention is applied as a transmitting antenna. However, it is obvious that the active array antenna according to the present invention can also be applied to a receiving antenna.

  When used as a transmission antenna, the high-frequency signal output from the transmission circuit is transmitted in the order of the circuit-side strip conductor, the high-frequency amplification element, and the antenna-side strip conductor.

  On the other hand, when used as a receiving antenna, the high-frequency signal received in the radiation slot is transmitted from the antenna-side strip conductor to the high-frequency amplifying element and the circuit-side strip conductor in this order, and is guided to the receiving circuit.

  When the active array antenna according to the present invention is used as a receiving antenna, the beam can be scanned at a wide angle along the installation surface which is a three-dimensional curved surface without a decrease in gain.

  As described above, the active array antenna according to the present invention has the following advantages.

  1. Although the active array antenna according to the present invention has flexibility, the amplifying element, the radiating element, and the connection portion between the amplifying element and the radiating element are non-flexible. The active array antenna according to the present invention can be flexibly bent along a three-dimensional curved surface without deterioration of characteristics.

  2. Since the active array antenna according to the present invention can bend the amplifying element and the radiating element along a three-dimensional curved surface, the beam can be scanned at a wide angle without reducing the gain.

  3. When the active array antenna according to the present invention is installed on a three-dimensional curved surface, it is not necessary to make a three-dimensional design, and it is not necessary to manufacture a three-dimensional component.

  4). The active array antenna according to the present invention can be folded, and the size at the time of folding can be arbitrarily determined. Therefore, portability, portability, and storage are improved.

  As described above, the active array antenna according to the present invention can scan a beam at a wide angle along the installation surface which is a three-dimensional curved surface without a decrease in gain, and is effective as an array antenna or the like.

1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an active array antenna according to the present invention. It is the perspective view and horizontal sectional view of the circuit layer of 1st Embodiment of the active array antenna which concern on this invention. It is the perspective view and horizontal sectional view of the antenna layer of 1st Embodiment of the active array antenna which concern on this invention. 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a first embodiment of an active array antenna according to the present invention. It is a perspective view of the inflexible circuit layer conductor of 1st Embodiment of the active array antenna which concerns on this invention. 1 is a perspective view of an active high-frequency circuit of a first embodiment of an active array antenna according to the present invention. It is a perspective view of the antenna layer of 1st Embodiment of the active array antenna which concerns on this invention. 1 is an assembled horizontal sectional view of an inflexible circuit layer conductor and an antenna layer conductor of the first embodiment of the active array antenna according to the present invention. It is a perspective view of another 1st Embodiment of the active array antenna which concerns on this invention. It is a horizontal sectional view of a 2nd embodiment of an active array antenna concerning the present invention. It is a horizontal sectional view of a 3rd embodiment of an active array antenna concerning the present invention. It is a horizontal sectional view of a 4th embodiment of an active array antenna concerning the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Active high frequency circuit 2 Circuit layer 21 Inflexible circuit layer conductor 22 Flexible circuit layer coupling material 3 Radiation slot 4 Antenna layer 41 Antenna layer conductor 42 Flexible antenna layer coupling material

Claims (11)

A flexible sheet-like circuit layer including one or more active high-frequency circuits, and a flexible sheet-like antenna layer perforated with one or more radiation slots that are electromagnetically coupled to each of the active high-frequency circuits; Active array antenna with stacked layers. The circuit layer is a combination of a side of a non-flexible circuit layer conductor on which the active high-frequency circuit is disposed and a side of a flexible circuit layer bonding material;
The antenna layer is laminated on the antenna layer conductor side and the flexible circuit layer bonding material, wherein the radiation slot is perforated at a position corresponding to the active high-frequency circuit, and the antenna layer conductor is laminated on the non-flexible circuit layer conductor. The active array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the flexible antenna layer bonding material, which is a conductive conductor, is coupled to a side. The circuit layer is a non-flexible circuit layer conductor having the active high-frequency circuit disposed on a flexible sheet;
The antenna layer is formed with the radiation slot, and the side of the antenna layer conductor laminated on the non-flexible circuit layer conductor and the portion of the flexible sheet where the non-flexible circuit layer conductor is not disposed The active array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the side of the flexible antenna layer coupling material, which is a conductor laminated on the antenna, is coupled. The circuit layer is a combination of a side of a non-flexible circuit layer conductor on which the active high-frequency circuit is disposed and a side of a flexible circuit layer bonding material;
2. The active array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the antenna layer is a flexible conductor sheet having a radiation slot perforated at a position corresponding to each of the active high-frequency circuits. The circuit layer is a non-flexible circuit layer conductor having the active high-frequency circuit disposed on a flexible sheet;
2. The active array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the antenna layer is a flexible conductor sheet having a radiation slot perforated at a position corresponding to each of the active high-frequency circuits. Each of the active high-frequency circuits includes a dielectric substrate, a high-frequency amplification element disposed on the dielectric substrate, and a circuit-side strip conductor disposed on the dielectric substrate that inputs a high-frequency signal to the high-frequency amplification element. And an antenna-side strip conductor disposed on the dielectric substrate for outputting the high-frequency signal amplified by the high-frequency amplification element to the corresponding radiation slot. Active array antenna. The active array antenna according to claim 6, further comprising a strip conductor electromagnetically coupled to the circuit side strip conductor on a lower surface of the circuit layer. The active array antenna according to claim 7, further comprising an amplifying element connected to the strip conductor on a lower surface of the circuit layer. Each of the active high-frequency circuits includes a dielectric substrate, a high-frequency amplifying element disposed on the dielectric substrate, and a high-frequency signal received in the corresponding radiation slot to the high-frequency amplifying element. The antenna-side strip conductor disposed above and a circuit-side strip conductor disposed on the dielectric substrate that outputs the high-frequency signal amplified by the high-frequency amplification element. An active array antenna according to claim 1. The active array antenna according to claim 9, further comprising a strip conductor electromagnetically coupled to the circuit-side strip conductor of the active high-frequency circuit on a lower surface of the circuit layer. The active array antenna according to claim 10, further comprising an amplifying element connected to the strip conductor on a lower surface of the circuit layer.

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