JP4956346B2 - Array antenna device and thinning method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an active phased array antenna that is used in, for example, a radar device or a wireless communication device, and has a transmission and reception function, and particularly for mounting in which the demand for thinning to minimize mounting restrictions on the airframe is severe. The present invention relates to an active phased array antenna.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with respect to antennas for airframes and the like, the demand for high-performance, high-performance active phased arrays has increased due to the increasing demand for higher performance radar systems.

  However, the active phased array inevitably increases the scale of the device such as dimensions and mass due to the complicated circuit configuration as compared with the conventional passive antenna. For this reason, it is not always possible to secure the antenna aperture length necessary for realizing the high performance desired for the radar system in the airframe-mounted radar with severe restrictions on electronic devices.

  From such a situation, in the formation of an active phased array for airframe mounting, a method of achieving a thin layered structure as shown in Patent Document 1 and minimizing airframe mounting restrictions has been proposed. However, the conventional antenna requires a circulator for separating a transmission / reception circuit system between the power distribution circuit and the driver module. This circulator has become a major factor in determining the height of components in making the antenna wire thinner, and has been a major obstacle to making the antenna wire thinner.

On the other hand, there were cases where switches using diodes were used instead of circulators, but there were limits to increasing the output power and reducing loss of transmission power amplifiers. It was a situation to receive. For this reason, the prior art has a limit in realizing a thin antenna.
JP 2000-209016 A

  As described above, in an array antenna apparatus for mounting on a fuselage, there is a limit to thinning an antenna only by implementing a thin layered structure, a small size, and a light weight.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and is not limited to the height of parts such as circulators, and the antenna can be made thinner even in the case of severe design conditions such as higher power amplifier output and switching circuit loss. It is an object of the present invention to provide an array antenna device and a thinning method thereof.

  In order to solve the above problem, an array antenna apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array, and a power amplifying transmission and reception high-frequency signals connected to each of the plurality of antenna elements. And a plurality of transmission / reception modules each having a phase shifter for adjusting the phase of the transmission and reception high-frequency signals, and a power connected to the plurality of transmission / reception modules to distribute and supply the transmission high-frequency signals and synthesize the reception high-frequency signals A distribution / combining device; a driver module connected to the power distribution / combining device and having a first-stage power amplification function for the transmission high-frequency signal and a power amplification function for the reception high-frequency signal; and the power distribution / synthesis device and the driver module And the power distribution of the driver module by switching the phase between transmission and reception Characterized by comprising a hybrid circuit for switching transmission and reception ends for the synthesizer.

  The array antenna device thinning method according to the present invention includes a hybrid circuit connected to a transmission / reception signal input / output unit to which a power distributor / combiner of the array antenna device and a driver module are connected, and at the time of transmission and reception And switching the phase of the hybrid circuit to switch the transmitting / receiving end of the driver module with respect to the power distributor / combiner.

  That is, according to the present invention, a hybrid circuit is arranged between the driver module and the power distributor and the phase is switched between transmission and reception by the hybrid circuit to solve the above-described problem, thereby transmitting and receiving the driver module. The solution is achieved by switching the ends.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the thickness of an antenna even when the design conditions are severe, such as a high output of a power amplifier and a loss of a switching circuit, without being limited to the height of a component such as a circulator. An array antenna device and a thinning method thereof can be provided.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an active phased array antenna apparatus for mounting on an airframe as an embodiment of an array antenna apparatus according to the present invention. Here, in order to simplify the explanation, the number n of antenna elements is assumed to be n = 8.

  In FIG. 1, 11-18 are antenna elements which comprise an array antenna, and the transmission / reception modules 21-28 are connected to each antenna element 11-18, respectively. These transmission / reception modules 21 to 28 include amplifiers A1 and A2 that amplify the power of transmission and reception RF signals to the antenna elements 11 to 18, phase shifters B1 and B2 that adjust the phases of the transmission and reception RF signals, and transmission / reception switching switches. C1 and C2 are provided. Among these, the first group of transmission / reception modules 21 to 24 are connected to the four distribution / 4 combination circuit 31, and the second group of transmission / reception modules 25 to 28 are connected to the four distribution / 4 combination circuit 32.

  The 4 distribution / 4 combination circuits 31 and 32 distribute and supply transmission RF signals to the transmission / reception modules 21 to 24 and 25 to 28 and synthesize reception RF signals. HY) 41 is connected to the driver module 51. The driver module 51 has a first-stage power amplification function for a transmission RF signal and a power amplification function for a reception RF signal with respect to the four distribution / 4 combination circuits 31 and 32, and an input terminal of the driver module 51 generates an excitation RF signal ( The output terminal is connected to a receiver (not shown) that receives the received RF signal.

  The hybrid circuit 41 has a function of switching transmission / reception terminals for the 4 distribution / 4 combination circuits 31 and 32 of the driver module 51 by switching phases between transmission and reception.

  In FIG. 1, the control circuit 61 controls the antenna directivity direction by performing phase and power control on the transmission / reception modules 21 to 28 based on an instruction input of the antenna directivity direction. However, here, the phase control amount is obtained by adding the phase correction amount due to the insertion of the hybrid circuit 41 to the phase shift amount corresponding to the directivity direction.

  That is, in the active phased array antenna apparatus having the above-described configuration, when the transmission phase for each element of the hybrid circuit 41 and the four distribution / 4 combination circuits 31 and 32 is set as shown in FIG. The phase control amount for each element of the modules 21 to 28 is as shown in FIG. Further, when receiving, when the passing phase for each element of the hybrid circuit 41 and the 4 distribution / 4 synthesis circuits 31 and 32 is set as shown in FIG. 3A, the phase control for each element of the transmission / reception modules 21 to 28 is performed. The amount is as shown in FIG.

  Therefore, according to the active phased array antenna device having the above-described configuration, the hybrid circuit 41 is arranged between the driver module 51 and the four distribution / 4 combination circuits 31 and 32, so that the phase of the hybrid circuit 41 is changed to that at the time of transmission. The transmission / reception end of the driver module 51 can be switched simply by switching between reception and reception. The hybrid circuit does not have the height of a circulator and is optimal for thinning. Moreover, there is no big loss like the switch using a diode, and it can fully contribute to the high output of the transmission power amplifier and the reduction of the loss.

  In the above embodiment, the case of the active phased array antenna apparatus has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment as it is, and is similarly implemented in the case of other array antenna apparatuses such as a passive type. In the implementation stage, the constituent elements can be modified and embodied without departing from the spirit of the invention. Moreover, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

The block diagram which shows the structure of one Embodiment of an active phased array antenna apparatus as an array antenna apparatus which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows the relationship between the element passage phase at the time of transmission of the array antenna apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and a phase control amount. The figure which shows the relationship between the element passage phase at the time of reception of the array antenna apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and a phase control amount.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11-18 ... Antenna element, 21-28 ... Transmission / reception module, 31, 32 ... 4 distribution / 4 synthetic | combination circuit, 41 ... Hybrid circuit, 51 ... Driver module, 61 ... Control circuit.

Claims (2)

First and second antenna element groups each including a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array;
Phase adjustment and electric power are provided corresponding to the first and second antenna element groups, connected to each of the plurality of antenna elements of the first or second antenna element group, and transmitted to a transmission high-frequency signal input at the time of transmission. A first and a second transmission / reception module group including a plurality of transmission / reception modules that perform amplification and supply to the antenna element, input a received high-frequency signal from the antenna element at the time of reception, and perform output amplification and phase adjustment; ,
A transmission high-frequency signal provided corresponding to the first and second transmission / reception module groups, connected to a plurality of transmission / reception modules of the first or second transmission / reception module group, and input from an input / output end during transmission First and second power distributors / combiners that distribute and supply to a plurality of transmission / reception modules, input a plurality of reception high-frequency signals output from the plurality of transmission / reception modules at the time of reception, and combine and output from the input / output ends;
A driver module having a first-stage power amplification function for the transmission high-frequency signal and a power amplification function for the reception high-frequency signal, and having an output terminal for outputting the transmission high-frequency signal and an input terminal for inputting the reception high-frequency signal;
The driver module is interposed between the first and second power distributor / combiners and the driver module, and the output terminal of the driver module is connected to the input / output terminals of the first and second power distributor / combiners during transmission. In the reception, the passing phase is switched between the transmission time and the reception time so that the input / output terminals of the first and second power distribution / combiners are connected to the input terminals of the driver module. A hybrid circuit for switching a connection path with the power distributor / combiner ;
A control unit that controls the phase adjustment and power amplification of each of the plurality of transmission / reception modules of the first and second transmission / reception module groups so that the beam directing direction of the antenna formed by the plurality of antenna elements becomes the indication direction. And
The control unit controls the phase shift amount of each of the plurality of transmission / reception modules by adding a phase correction amount for interposing the hybrid circuit to a phase shift amount with respect to an indication direction of the beam directing direction. Antenna device. A hybrid circuit is interposed between the transmission / reception signal input / output terminals of the first and second power distribution / combiners of the array antenna apparatus and the transmission signal output terminal and the reception signal input terminal of the driver module, and the transmission signal output is transmitted during transmission. One end is connected to the input / output ends of the first and second power distribution / combiners, and the input / output ends of the first and second power distribution / combiners are connected to the reception signal input ends during reception. As described above, the transmission phase of the hybrid circuit is switched between transmission and reception to switch the connection path between the driver module and the first and second power distribution / combiners, and the first and second transmission / reception are performed. The phase adjustment and power amplification of each of the plurality of transmission / reception modules in the module group is performed by setting the beam directing direction of the antenna formed by the plurality of antenna elements to be the indication direction. In the control, the phase correction amount for interposing the hybrid circuit is added to the phase shift amount with respect to the indicated direction of the beam directing direction to control the phase shift amount of each of the plurality of transmission / reception modules. A method for reducing the thickness of an array antenna device.

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