JP5925622B2 - Antenna device - Google Patents

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to an antenna device used for transmission / reception of a radar or a communication system.

  As a measure for improving the performance of a system having a signal receiving function such as a radar or a communication system, there is a high sensitivity of a receiving system by reducing a system noise temperature. In general, the system noise temperature is dominated by transmission loss from the antenna to the LNA (Low Noise Amplifier) and internal noise generated by the LNA. Therefore, the receiving circuit such as a transmission line from the antenna to the LNA or a reception filter is used. Furthermore, the LNA is housed in a heat insulating container such as a vacuum container, and provided with a cooling means for cooling them until they are in a superconducting state. An antenna device has been devised that reduces noise and increases the sensitivity of a receiving system.

  Note that in an antenna device for reducing the power loss from the conventional antenna to the LNA close to zero, reducing the internal noise of the LNA and increasing the sensitivity of the receiving system, components such as a transmission system and a receiving phase shifter for each antenna element The transmission / reception module which accommodated the inside in the metal case was comprised, and it has arrange | positioned in the normal temperature part outside a heat insulation container.

  Here, the transmission / reception module generates heat from a transmission amplifier that generates a large amount of heat compared to other components, heat generation due to transmission line loss depending on transmission power, and the like. It is effective to reduce the scale of the cooling means such as a refrigerator when these transmission system components are arranged not in the heat insulating container that is cooled to a very low temperature but in the normal temperature part outside the heat insulating container.

JP 2000-236206 A

  However, in the conventional method in which a transmission / reception module in which components such as a transmission system and a phase shifter for reception are arranged in a metal case for each antenna element and is arranged in a room temperature part outside the heat insulating container is connected to the transmission / reception module. For this reason, an antenna device having a plurality of antenna elements requires a huge number of coaxial connectors in proportion to the number of antenna elements, resulting in a significant increase in cost. In addition, since each transmission module has a metal case, the size and mass of the antenna device increase, which has been a major issue in realizing the demand for reduction in size and weight. Note that the metal case of the transmission / reception module is necessary for fixing the housing components, radiating heat, suppressing interference between adjacent modules, and the like.

  Therefore, the present embodiment has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and is reduced in the number of coaxial connectors and does not require a metal case for each antenna element. An object of the present invention is to provide an antenna device capable of realizing the above.

According to the present embodiment, the antenna device includes a shared antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array, a plurality of transmission / reception switchers, a plurality of transmission phase shifters, a plurality of transmission amplifiers, A plurality of transmission filters, a plurality of reception filters, a plurality of low noise amplifiers, a plurality of reception phase shifters, a combiner, a heat insulating container, and a cooling means are provided. The plurality of transmission / reception switchers switch-connect a transmission system and a reception system corresponding to each antenna element of the array antenna. The plurality of transmission phase shifters are provided at the input stage of the transmission system, and control the phase of transmission signals transmitted from the plurality of antenna elements. The plurality of transmission amplifiers amplify the transmission signals output from the plurality of transmission phase shifters. The plurality of transmission filters extract predetermined frequency band components from the transmission signals output from the plurality of transmission amplifiers. The plurality of reception filters are provided at an input stage of the reception system, and extract predetermined frequency band components from reception signals received by the plurality of antenna elements. The plurality of low noise amplifiers amplify the reception signals output from the plurality of reception filters with low noise. The plurality of reception phase shifters control the phases of the reception signals output from the plurality of low noise amplifiers. The synthesizer synthesizes a plurality of reception signals output from the plurality of reception phase shifters. The heat insulating container accommodates the reception filter and the low noise amplifier, and blocks heat from the outside. The cooling means cools the reception filter and the amplifier accommodated in the heat insulating container. The receiving filter is made of a superconducting material that becomes superconducting by cooling of the cooling means. The transmission amplifier is disposed on a first circuit board, and the transmission phase shifter, reception phase shifter, and synthesizer are integrated on a second circuit board. The first circuit board, the cooling layer that separates the first circuit board and the second circuit board, the second circuit board, and the heat insulating container are arranged in this order.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the antenna apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the antenna apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the circuit board of the antenna apparatus shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the modification 1 of the antenna apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the modification 2 of the antenna apparatus which concerns on this embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same part in subsequent figures, the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted, and a different part is mainly described. In the following embodiments, the same description is omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the antenna device according to the present embodiment.

  In this antenna device, a transmission layer (circuit board) 15 including transmission amplifiers 31 to 3n, transmission filters 41 to 4n, and transmission / reception switchers 51 to 5n is provided for each of a plurality of antenna elements 61 to 6n arranged in an array. A distribution / combination layer (circuit board) 16 including a distributor 1, a transmission phase shifter 21 to 2n, a reception phase shifter 101 to 10n, and a combiner 11, a reception filter 71 to 7n, and a limiter 81 to 8n. And an LNA (low noise amplifier) 91 to 9n, a vacuum vessel 12, a cooling mechanism 13, and a cooling plate 14.

  Note that the transmission system and the reception system included in the antenna device are provided in units of n corresponding to the number n of the plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array, and are respectively connected to the antenna elements 61 to 6n. Further, the antenna elements 61 to 6 n are included in the transmission layer 15.

  The distributor 1 receives a transmission signal generated by the host device and distributes this transmission signal to n systems.

  Each of the transmission phase shifters 21 to 2n receives the transmission signal distributed by the distributor 1, and performs desired phase control on the transmission signal.

  The transmission amplifiers 31 to 3n receive the transmission signals output from the corresponding transmission phase shifters 21 to 2n, respectively, and amplify the power of the transmission signals with a desired gain.

  The transmission filters 41 to 4n receive the transmission signals output from the corresponding transmission amplifiers 31 to 3n, respectively, and extract desired transmission frequency band components from the transmission signals.

  The transmission / reception switchers 51 to 5n are for switching the transmission system and the reception system for the corresponding antenna elements 61 to 6n, and use, for example, a circulator or a coaxial switch. Further, when the transmission frequency and the reception frequency are different, a diplexer may be used.

  The reception filters 71 to 7n receive the reception signals supplied from the antenna elements 61 to 6n via the corresponding transmission / reception switchers 51 to 5n, respectively, and extract predetermined frequency band components from the reception signals. The reception filters 71 to 7n are made of a superconductive material.

  The limiters 81 to 8n receive a desired reception signal output from the reception filters 71 to 7n, limit the signal level of the reception signal, and perform over-input protection to the LNAs 91 to 9n.

  The LNAs 91 to 9n receive the reception signals output from the corresponding reception filters 71 to 7n, respectively, and amplify the reception signals with low noise.

  In FIG. 1, reception circuits 1211 to 121n are formed by the reception filters 71 to 7n, limiters 81 to 8n, and LNAs 91 to 9n.

  The reception phase shifters 101 to 10n receive reception signals output from the corresponding LNAs 91 to 9n, respectively, and perform predetermined phase control on the reception signals.

  The synthesizer 11 receives the received signals that have undergone phase control by the receiving phase shifters 101 to 10n, and synthesizes these received signals.

  The vacuum vessel 12 accommodates the receiving circuits 1211 to 121n and insulates and keeps the temperature of the contents by making the inside vacuum. The vacuum vessel 12 is a vessel for insulating the surroundings where the superconducting material is disposed in a vacuum state for the purpose of efficiently maintaining a cryogenic temperature. For this reason, at least the surroundings where the superconducting material is disposed have an airtight structure.

  The cooling mechanism 13 and the cooling plate 14 are means for cooling the transmission line in the vacuum vessel 12 and the receiving circuits 1211 to 121n at a cryogenic temperature.

  The processing operation of the above configuration will be described below.

  First, at the time of transmission, an input transmission signal is distributed and supplied to each of the transmission phase shifters 21 to 2n arranged in an array by the distributor 1, and the transmission beam is transmitted by each of the transmission phase shifters 21 to 2n. After performing phase control according to the excitation distribution, the power is amplified by the transmission amplifiers 31 to 3n, the unnecessary wave component is suppressed by the transmission filters 41 to 4n, and the antenna elements 61 to 61 are transmitted via the transmission / reception switches 51 to 5n. A transmission signal is sent from 6n to space.

  At the time of reception, signals received by the antenna elements 61 to 6n are input to the reception system via the transmission / reception switchers 51 to 5n and are not required by the reception filters 71 to 7n disposed in the vacuum vessel 12. The wave component is suppressed, the amplitude is limited by the limiters 81 to 8n, amplified with low noise by the LNA 91 to 9n, and the phase control according to the directivity characteristics of the received beam is performed by the reception phase shifters 101 to 10n. Thereafter, the signals are synthesized by the synthesizer 11 and output as a reception beam.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna device shown in FIG.

  The transmission line and the reception filters 71 to 7n that connect the reception circuits 1211 to 121n in the vacuum vessel 12 shown in FIG. 2 are made of a superconductive material, and these cool the cooling mechanism 13 and the like that are connected to the vacuum vessel 12. It is cooled to a cryogenic temperature that becomes superconducting by means.

  Now, signals received by the antenna elements 61 to 6n arranged in the transmission layer 15 are input to the receiving circuits 1211 to 121n arranged in the vacuum vessel 12 through the distribution / synthesis layer 16. Here, the receiving circuits 1211 to 121n are cooled to a very low temperature by the cooling plate 14 in the vacuum vessel 12, and the transmission line and the receiving filters 71 to 7n using the superconducting material are brought into a superconducting state. Thus, by setting the transmission line and the reception filters 71 to 7n to the superconducting state, the transmission loss can be brought close to zero. In addition, by cooling the LNAs 91 to 9n to an extremely low temperature, internal noise generated inside the LNAs 91 to 9n can be reduced.

  The received signals amplified by the LNAs 91 to 9n in the receiving circuits 1211 to 121n are controlled in phase by the receiving phase shifters 101 to 10n arranged in the distribution / combining layer 16, and the signals are synthesized by the synthesizer 11 to be received beams. Is output as

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a circuit board of the antenna device shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the transmission layer 15 includes a plurality of antenna elements, transmission amplifiers corresponding thereto, high-frequency components such as transmission / reception switchers, transmission lines connecting them, and circuit patterns, transmission filters, and transmission amplifiers. A circuit board in which a power switching IC that performs ON / OFF control, a control IC, and the like are integrally formed of a single layer board or a multilayer board is used.

  The distribution / synthesis layer 16 includes a transmission signal distributor, a reception signal combiner, a phase shifter for phase control of each of the transmission signal and the reception signal, and a phase code set in the phase shifter. A control IC for controlling the above is a circuit board integrally formed of a single layer board or a multilayer board.

  The antenna device of this embodiment is characterized in that the transmission layer 15, the distribution / synthesis layer 16, and the vacuum vessel 12 are arranged in layers.

  Here, the transmission layer 15 and the distribution / synthesis layer 16 are integrally formed of a single-layer substrate or a multilayer substrate, and the connections within each layer are connected by a circuit pattern or a through hole without using a coaxial connector.

  By configuring the distributor 1 and the combiner 11 integrally with a transmission system and a reception system corresponding to the plurality of antenna elements 61 to 6n, the number of coaxial connectors to be used can be greatly reduced by reducing the number of coaxial interfaces. Can do. Further, it is not necessary to provide a separate metal case for each of the antenna elements 61 to 6n, and the antenna elements 61 to 6n are configured with the minimum necessary components such as a simple shield cover for the transmission amplifiers 31 to 3n and a fixing mechanism for each circuit board. It becomes possible.

  In FIG. 2, a minimum coaxial connector and a coaxial cable are used to connect the receiving system in the vacuum vessel 12 and the transmission / reception system arranged in the room temperature part. It is also possible to delete the coaxial connector.

  FIG. 2 shows a configuration having the cooling layer 17 for cooling the transmission amplifiers 31 to 3n of the transmission layer 15. However, the heat generation amount of the transmission amplifiers 31 to 3n is small and the cooling layer 17 is required. If not, you can delete it.

  Further, the limiters 81 to 8n in the vacuum vessel 12 may be arranged on the input side of the reception filters 71 to 7n or may be deleted.

  Here, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a structure in which a plurality of receiving circuits 1211 to 121n are accommodated in the same vacuum container 12 and integrated, but the vacuum container 12 is provided for each circuit corresponding to the antenna element. It may be divided.

  1 and 2 show a configuration in which the plurality of receiving circuits 1211 to 121n are cooled by one cooling plate 14, but the cooling plate 14 is provided for each circuit corresponding to the antenna element, and individually cooled. You may do it.

  The antenna elements 61 to 6n may be planar antennas that are integrally formed with a multilayer substrate integrally with the transmission layer 15. However, an antenna layer that constitutes a planar antenna may be provided separately from the transmission layer 15, or may be separately separated. A form in which a linear antenna such as a dipole is connected to the transmission layer 15 may be used.

(Modification 1)
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of Modification 1 of the antenna device according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 4, transmission antennas 511 to 51n and reception antennas 521 to 52n are provided separately. In this case, the transmission signal output of the transmission system is connected to the transmission antennas 511 to 51n, and the reception signal output from the reception antennas 521 to 52n is connected to the reception system without using the transmission / reception switchers 51 to 5n. .

(Modification 2)
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of Modification Example 2 of the antenna device according to the present embodiment.

  FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the antenna device in the case of dedicated reception. The distribution / synthesis layer 16 including the reception antennas 521 to 52n, the reception phase shifters 101 to 10n, and the synthesizer 11 disposed in the room temperature portion is integrally formed of a single layer substrate or a multilayer substrate.

  As described above, in the antenna device according to the above-described embodiment, the transmission / reception system including the antenna elements arranged in the normal temperature part is integrally configured with the single layer substrate or the multilayer substrate. Therefore, the antenna device can achieve a reduction in the number of coaxial connectors and the need for a metal case for each antenna element, and can be small, light and thin, low cost, and high sensitivity of the receiving system.

  The antenna device can be applied to any of a mechanical rotating array antenna that does not use a phase shifter and a phased array antenna having a phase shifter for each antenna element or subarray.

  Although some embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Divider, 21-2n ... Transmission phase shifter, 31-3n ... Transmission amplifier, 41-4n ... Transmission filter, 51-5n ... Transmission / reception switching device, 511-51n ... Transmission antenna, 521-52n ... Reception antenna , 61 to 6n ... antenna elements, 71 to 7n ... reception filters, 81 to 8n ... limiters, 91 to 9n ... low noise amplifiers (LNA), 101 to 10n ... phase shifters for reception, 11 ... combiners, 1211 to 121n DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Reception circuit, 12 ... Vacuum container, 13 ... Cooling mechanism, 14 ... Cooling plate, 15 ... Transmission layer (circuit board), 16 ... Distribution synthetic | combination layer (circuit board).

Claims (6)

An array antenna for transmission and reception comprising a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array; and
A plurality of duplexer for switching connects the reception system and transmission system that corresponds to each of the antenna elements of said array antenna,
A plurality of phase shifters for transmission that are provided in an input stage of the transmission system and control phases of transmission signals transmitted from the plurality of antenna elements;
A plurality of transmission amplifiers for amplifying transmission signals output from the plurality of transmission phase shifters;
A plurality of receiving filters the provided in the input stage of the reception system, you extract a predetermined frequency band component from the received signal received by the plurality of antenna elements,
A plurality of low-noise amplifier for low-noise amplifying a plurality of reception filters or we output the received signal,
A plurality of reception phase shifter for controlling a phase of the plurality of low noise amplifying unit or we output the received signal,
A synthesizer that synthesizes a plurality of reception signals output from the plurality of reception phase shifters;
A heat insulating container that houses the reception filter and the low noise amplifier and blocks heat from the outside;
A cooling means for cooling the reception filter and the low noise amplifier housed in the heat insulating container,
The reception filter is composed of a superconducting material that becomes superconducting by cooling of the cooling means,
The transmission amplifier is disposed on the first circuit board, and the transmission phase shifter, the reception phase shifter, and the combiner are integrated on the second circuit board,
It said first circuit board, said first circuit board and the cooling layer that separates the second circuit board, the second circuit board, before an antenna apparatus characterized in that arranged in layers in this order Kidan heat container. A desired reception signal output from the reception filter is input, a signal level of the input reception signal is limited, and a limiter that performs over-input protection to the low noise amplifier is provided,
The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulating container is accommodated including the limiter.   The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulating container is in a vacuum state around at least a superconducting material constituting the reception filter. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein an electromagnetic coupling method is used as a connection method between the second circuit board and the receiving circuit in the heat insulating container.   The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulating container is divided for each circuit corresponding to the antenna element.   The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein a cooling plate is provided for each circuit corresponding to the antenna element to individually cool the circuit.

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