JPWO2013186967A1 - Electromagnetic wave propagation system, interface device and electromagnetic wave propagation sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

The interface device (200) includes a first conductor layer (210), a second conductor layer (270), and a dielectric layer (260). The first conductor layer (210) is a transmission line having a strip-shaped waveguide slot on both sides, one end of which is a waveguide line (222) serving as an input end for receiving an electromagnetic wave from the outside, and a waveguide line A second coupling line (232) as an antenna connected to the other end of (222) and surrounded by a second coupling slot (231), and the second conductor layer (270) There is a third slot (271) at a position facing the two coupling lines (232), and the interface device (200) is attached to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet (100) on the surface conductor layer (130) of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet (100). The first coupling line (152) as an antenna disposed in the first coupling slot (151) so as to be resonantly coupled to the second coupling line (232) through the third slot (200) when superimposed. It is provided.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electromagnetic wave propagation system. Specifically, the present invention relates to an electromagnetic wave interface device for inputting / outputting electromagnetic waves to / from an electromagnetic wave propagation sheet that propagates electromagnetic waves. For example, an interface device that inputs electromagnetic waves from a power feeding device to an electromagnetic wave propagation sheet, and electromagnetic wave propagation sheets The present invention relates to an interface device for connection.

A two-dimensional communication system is known as a system for performing communication between electronic devices via a sheet-like medium. The two-dimensional communication system includes an electromagnetic wave propagation sheet and a proximity coupler placed on the electromagnetic propagation sheet. By using the phenomenon that an electromagnetic field oozes from the surface of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet, the proximity coupler becomes an electromagnetic coupling device that inputs and outputs electromagnetic waves with the inside of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet. If the proximity coupler is electrically connected to the antenna terminal of the electronic device, the electronic devices can communicate with each other at any position on the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet. This technique can be applied not only to communication but also to power transmission.
Such a two-dimensional communication system is sometimes called a surface communication system because communication is possible on the surface of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet.

Several methods for supplying power to such an electromagnetic wave propagation sheet have been proposed.
For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-16592) and Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-9801) propose a clip-type electromagnetic wave interface device. This clip-type electromagnetic wave interface device has a clip portion that sandwiches the edge portion of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet from above and below. The electromagnetic wave interface device is attached to the side surface portion of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet with this clip portion, and feeds electromagnetic waves from the side surface of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet.

  Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-56952) discloses a structure in which electromagnetic wave propagation sheets are joined together so that electromagnetic waves can be transmitted. In patent document 3, when joining one electromagnetic wave propagation sheet | seat and the other electromagnetic wave propagation sheet | seat, two sheet | seats are arranged so that a mutual edge part may adjoin and oppose. And the edge part of both which adjoins and opposes is pinched | interposed with a pair of upper and lower conductor plates. With such a structure, an electromagnetic wave emitted from one end face can be input from the other end face.

JP 2010-16592 A JP 2011-9801 A JP 2010-56952 A

When the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet is sandwiched between the upper and lower surfaces by the conductor plate as in the above prior art, no gap is generated. This is because electromagnetic waves leak from this gap, and the efficiency of power supply or transmission decreases.
However, it is unexpectedly not easy to sandwich the end face of the sheet from both the upper and lower sides so that no gap is generated.
One of the advantages of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet is that it can be made flexible, but it is increasingly difficult to sandwich the flexible sheet between two plates without any gap. Moreover, it is necessary to consider that the end user, not an electrical construction expert, supplies power by himself or joins sheets together.

  In addition, the distance between the conductor plates of the interface device must be managed very precisely, which is expected to cost considerable. Moreover, although it must endure repeated use, there exists a possibility that the space | interval of a conductor board may shift | deviate easily with slight external force. Then, it turns out that there are many problems in the structure for inputting and outputting electromagnetic waves so that the end of the electromagnetic propagation sheet is sandwiched between the conductor plates from above and below.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetic wave propagation system capable of supplying an electromagnetic wave to an electromagnetic wave propagation sheet with high efficiency while having a simple structure.

The electromagnetic wave propagation system of the present invention is
An electromagnetic wave propagation system comprising a sheet-like electromagnetic wave propagation sheet that propagates electromagnetic waves, and an interface device that supplies electromagnetic waves to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet,
The interface device
A first conductor layer, a second conductor layer disposed opposite to the first conductor layer, and a dielectric layer sandwiched between the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer,
In the first conductor layer,
A transmission line in which both sides are band-shaped waveguide slots, one end of which is a waveguide line serving as an input end for receiving an electromagnetic wave from the outside,
A second coupling line as an antenna connected to the other end of the waveguide line and surrounded by a second coupling slot;
In the second conductor layer,
A third slot is provided at a position facing the second coupling line;
The electromagnetic wave propagation sheet is
A surface conductor layer at least partially meshed, a back conductor layer disposed opposite to the surface conductor layer, a dielectric layer sandwiched between the surface conductor layer and the back conductor layer, With
Either one of the surface conductor layer and the back conductor layer,
A first coupling line as an antenna disposed in the first coupling slot is provided so that when the interface device is overlaid on the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet, the interface device is resonantly coupled with the second coupling line through the third slot. It is characterized by that.

  According to the present invention, an electromagnetic wave can be supplied to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet with high efficiency by resonance coupling between the interface device and the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet. Furthermore, since the interface device has a very simple configuration and has a planar structure similar to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet, the overall planarity can be maintained even when the interface device and the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet are connected. it can.

The figure which shows the state before couple | bonding an electromagnetic wave propagation sheet | seat and an interface apparatus in 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the state which joined the interface apparatus to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet | seat in 1st Embodiment. Sectional drawing of an electromagnetic wave propagation sheet. The figure which planarly viewed the front surface of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet. The figure which shows the back surface of an electromagnetic wave propagation sheet. The disassembled perspective view of an interface apparatus. Sectional drawing of an interface apparatus. The top view of an interface apparatus. The figure which looked at the interface apparatus from the back. The figure for demonstrating an example of an experiment. The figure which shows an experimental result. The figure which shows the front surface of an electromagnetic wave propagation | transmission sheet | seat in 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows the back surface of an electromagnetic wave propagation | transmission sheet | seat in 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows the modification of an interface apparatus. The figure which shows the modification of an interface apparatus. The figure which shows the modification of an interface apparatus. The figure which shows a connection interface apparatus and two electromagnetic wave propagation | transmission sheets in 3rd Embodiment. The top view of a connection interface apparatus. The figure which looked at the connection interface apparatus from the back surface. The figure which shows the state which connected two electromagnetic wave propagation | transmission sheets using the connection interface apparatus. The figure which shows the example which provided the two 1st resonance antennas in one electromagnetic wave propagation | transmission sheet | seat as a modification. The figure which shows the example which connected the some electromagnetic wave propagation | transmission sheet | seat in one dimension. The figure which shows the example which connected the some electromagnetic wave propagation | transmission sheet | seat in one dimension. The figure which shows the example which provided four coupling | bond parts in the rectangular electromagnetic wave propagation sheet | seat. The figure which shows the example which connected many electromagnetic wave propagation | transmission sheets in two dimensions. The figure which shows the front surface of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet | seat which has a coupling | bond part in the back surface. The figure which shows the back surface of an electromagnetic wave propagation sheet. The figure which shows the state which connected the two interface apparatuses with the cable as a modification. The figure which shows the example which connected in the state which arranged the strip-shaped electromagnetic wave propagation sheet | seat in multiple parallel.

An embodiment of the present invention will be illustrated and described with reference to reference numerals attached to elements in the drawing.
(First embodiment)
As a first embodiment, an interface device 200 for supplying power to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 and an electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 that can be coupled to the interface device 200 will be described as an electromagnetic wave propagation system.
FIG. 1 shows a state before the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 and the interface device 200 are coupled. On the other hand, FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the interface device 200 is bonded to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100.

As shown in FIG. 2, the interface device 200 is joined to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100, and power is supplied to the interface device 200 at a high frequency. Then, electric power is supplied to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 via the interface device 200.
In this state, the proximity coupler 900 that sucks up the electric power exuding from the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 is placed on the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100. Then, the electronic device 910 can operate using the power sucked up by the proximity coupler 900.

The first feature of the present embodiment is that a planar circuit is adopted for the interface device 200 in accordance with the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 having a planar shape. The second feature of the present embodiment is that resonance coupling is used for power transmission from the interface device 200 to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100.
Hereinafter, it demonstrates in order.

(Configuration of electromagnetic wave propagation sheet)
First, the structure of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 will be described.
Although the basic structure of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 is the same as that conventionally known, in the present embodiment, the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 has a coupling part 120 for resonance coupling with the interface device 200. As shown in FIG. 1, the surface of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 has a mesh shape (140) over almost the entire surface, and electromagnetic waves are leached from the openings of the mesh (140).

  The “mesh shape” refers to a state in which a plurality of openings having a regular or irregular shape are formed in addition to a regular mesh. The mesh shape is typically a lattice pattern in which the shape of the opening is rectangular, but the shape of the opening may take various shapes such as a turtle shell shape, a rhombus, a circle, and a triangle.

  In the example shown in FIG. 1, the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 has a so-called strip shape and is a rectangle having a longitudinal direction and a short direction. And when the electromagnetic wave propagation | transmission sheet | seat 100 is arrange | positioned so that it may have length in the left-right direction like FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, the surface is mesh-like from the right end to about 2/3 length. On the other hand, from the left end to the length of about one third, the surface is not mesh-like, and is a plain plate portion 145 having a slot 151, and this portion becomes a coupling portion 120 coupled to the interface device 200.

The right side portion that is mesh-shaped (140) is a portion that leaches out electromagnetic waves to the outside and realizes surface communication. Therefore, this portion is referred to as a surface communication unit 110.
The left side portion that is not the mesh shape but is the plain plate portion 145 is a portion that realizes the coupling with the interface device 200, so this portion is referred to as a coupling portion 120.
The surface communication unit 110 and the coupling unit 120 are continuously connected. That is, the surface communication unit 110 and the coupling unit 120 are integrated and integrated.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the front surface of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet, and FIG. 5 is a view showing the back surface of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet.
The electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 includes a front conductor layer 130, a dielectric layer 101, a back conductor layer 102, and a short conductor 103. As shown in FIG. 3, the middle dielectric layer 101 is sandwiched between the front conductor layer 130 and the back conductor layer 102 to form a three-layer structure.

  The surface conductor layer 130 has a mesh-shaped portion 140 corresponding to the surface communication unit 110 and a plain plate portion 145 corresponding to the coupling portion 120. In the surface communication unit 110, a plurality of vertical wirings 141 and a plurality of horizontal wirings 142 are arranged in a lattice pattern. (The short side direction is the vertical direction, and the long side direction is the horizontal direction.)

  The plane plate portion 145 has an elongated first coupling slot 151 having a length in the short direction, and an elongated linear conductor wire 152 is disposed inside the first coupling slot 151. Has been. Since the conductor line 152 serves as a coupling line as a resonator, the conductor line 152 is referred to as a first coupling line 152. The first coupling slot 151 and the first coupling line 152 constitute a first resonant antenna 150 that resonates with electromagnetic waves from the interface device 200.

  The positions and sizes of the first coupling slot 151 and the first coupling line 152 will be described later.

  The surface conductor layer 130 can be manufactured by etching a thin plate of metal (for example, aluminum), and the mesh-shaped portion 140 and the first coupling slot 151 may be patterned at the time of manufacturing.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the back conductor layer 102 is simply a plain conductor thin plate.

  Further, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, the front conductor layer 130 and the rear conductor layer 102 are connected to each other by a short conductor 103 at the end of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100. That is, all four end surfaces of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 are surrounded by the short conductor 103. The short conductor 103 can be realized by attaching a conductive tape, metal plating, applying a conductive paint, or the like.

(Configuration of interface device)
Next, the interface device 200 will be described.
As can be seen with reference to FIG. 1, the interface device 200 also has a flat and thin plate shape as a whole like the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the interface device 200.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the interface device 200.
Similarly to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100, the interface device 200 has a three-layer structure, and has a structure in which a dielectric layer 260 is sandwiched between two conductor layers 210 and 270.
For description, in FIG. 6 or FIG. 7, a layer disposed on the upper surface of the dielectric layer 260 is referred to as a first conductor layer 210, and a layer disposed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer is referred to as a second conductor layer 270.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the interface device 200, that is, a plan view of the first conductor layer 210.
The first conductor layer 210 is provided with a so-called coplanar line as a planar circuit that can transmit electromagnetic waves and emit the electromagnetic waves toward the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100.
When the first conductor layer 210 is disposed as shown in FIG. 8, the x-axis is taken in the left-right direction on the paper surface and the y-axis is taken in the vertical direction on the paper surface.
As a result, an elongated slot 221 extending in the x-axis direction from the left end is formed substantially at the center of the first conductor layer 210 in the vertical direction (y-axis direction).
The slot 221 further bends at a right angle at about 3/5 of the length of the first conductor layer 210 in the x-axis direction and extends in the + y-axis direction and the −y-axis direction. For the sake of explanation, a portion extending in the x-axis direction of the slot is referred to as a waveguide slot 221, and a portion extending in the y-axis direction is referred to as a second coupling slot 231.

A conductor line 222 extending in the x-axis direction is provided inside the waveguide slot 221, and the microwave waveguide 220 is configured by the line 222 and the waveguide slot 221. This conductor line 222 is referred to as a waveguide line 222.
A conductor line 232 extending in the y-axis direction is provided inside the second coupling slot 231. This conductor line 232 will be referred to as a second coupling line 232.

  The second resonance antenna 230 that radiates electromagnetic waves toward the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 is configured by the second coupling slot 231 and the second coupling line 232.

  The waveguide line 222 is connected to the vicinity of the center of the second coupling line 232. However, for the purpose of matching, the junction point between the waveguide line 222 and the second coupling line 232 is a position slightly shifted from the center of the second coupling line 232.

  The positions and sizes of the second coupling slot 231 and the second coupling line 232 will be described later.

FIG. 9 is a view of the interface device 200 as seen from the back side, that is, a view of the second conductor layer 270 in plan view.
As shown in FIG. 9, an elongated slot 271 is also formed in the second conductor layer 270.
This slot 271 will be referred to as a third slot 271.
The third slot 271 is connected to the second resonant antenna 230 (the second coupling slot 231 and the second coupling line 232) when the first conductor layer 210 and the second conductor layer 270 face each other with the dielectric layer 260 interposed therebetween. It is formed in the position which opposes. Furthermore, the shape of the third slot 271 is a shape corresponding to the second resonant antenna 230 (the second coupling slot 231 and the second coupling line 232). That is, when the second conductor layer 270 is disposed as shown in FIG. 9, the third slot 271 is formed in an elongated shape so as to have a length on the y-axis at a position about 3/5 from the left end.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of vias 240 are formed through the first conductor layer 210 and the dielectric layer 260 so as to surround the waveguide slot 221 and the second coupling slot 231. The via 240 is filled with a conductive material, and the first conductor layer 210 and the second conductor layer 270 are electrically connected by the via 240. By being surrounded by the row of vias 240, the microwave waveguide 220 and the second resonant antenna 230 are shielded.

  In addition, a connector 280 can be attached to the left end of the first conductive layer 210 so that high-frequency power can be supplied to the microwave waveguide 220 (see FIG. 1 or FIG. 2).

  When supplying power to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 via the interface device 200, the interface device 200 is disposed so as to overlap the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100. At this time, when the interface device 200 is overlaid on the coupling part 120 of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 as shown in FIG. 2, the second coupling line 232 is positioned immediately above the first coupling line 152. Since the second slot 271 is formed in the second conductor layer 270, the first coupling line 152 and the second coupling line 232 can be resonantly coupled through the opening of the third slot 271.

(Design concept)
Next, a design concept (design concept) of each element for efficiently transmitting power from the interface device 200 to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 will be described.
First, the design concept of the interface device 200 will be described.
In FIG. 8, when the length of the second coupling line 232 is expressed as LL2, the length LL2 of the second coupling line 232 is set to λ _g / 4 to λ _g / 2.
(Lambda _g is the wavelength lambda in the free space, the effective wavelength multiplied by the wavelength shortening rate determined by the effective dielectric constant of the dielectric layer)
As a preferable example, the length LL2 of the second coupling line is set to 1/3 of λ _{g in} consideration of the degree of coupling and the like, with 1/4 wavelength (λ _g / 4) as a reference. It is done.

  Ga represents a gap between the second coupling line 232 and the second slot 231 in the y-axis direction, and Gb represents a gap between the second coupling line 232 and the second coupling slot 231 in the x-axis direction. The smaller the gap Ga and the gap Gb, the better. However, the gap Ga and the gap Gb are determined by manufacturing restrictions, and the minimum order is, for example, about 100 μm.

Next, the size of the third slot 271 formed in the second conductor layer 270 will be described with reference to FIG.
As the opening size of the third slot 271, the vertical length is LS3 and the width is WS3.
The elements that determine the lengths LS3 and WS3 include, for example, the size of the second coupling slot 231, the thickness of the interface device 200, the thickness of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100, and the material constants.
For example, it is assumed that the interface device 200 and the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 have the same material constant, and the interface device 200 and the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 have substantially the same thickness.
In this case, it is preferable that the opening size of the third slot 271 of the second conductor layer 270 is larger than the size of the second coupling slot 231 by the thickness. That is, the length of the second coupling slot 231 in the y-axis direction is LS2, and the length in the x-axis direction is WS2. Furthermore, it is assumed that the thickness of the interface device 200 and the thickness of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 are the same H. In this case, the opening size of the third slot 271 of the second conductor layer 270 is, for example, LS3 = LS2 + H and WS3 = WS2 + H.

Next, the design concept (design concept) of the coupling part 120 of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 will be described.
In FIG. 4, the opening size of the first coupling slot 151 may be the same as the opening size of the third slot 271. That is, assuming that the length of the first coupling slot 151 in the y-axis direction is LS1 and the length in the x-axis direction is WS1, for example, LS1 = LS3 and WS1 = WS3 may be set.

If the length of the first coupling line 152 is LL1, the length LL1 of the first coupling line is set to λ _g / 4 to λ _g / 2.
(Lambda _g is the wavelength lambda in the free space, the effective wavelength multiplied by the wavelength shortening rate determined by the effective dielectric constant of the dielectric layer)
As a preferred example, the length LL1 of the first coupling line 152 is set to 1/3 of λ _{g in} consideration of the degree of coupling and the like, with the 1/4 wavelength (λ _g / 4) as a reference. Can be mentioned.

Next, the position of the first resonant antenna 150 in the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 will be described.
In FIG. 4, the distance from the left end of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 to the first coupling line 152 is D1. That is, the distance from the end of the coupling unit 120 opposite to the surface communication unit 110 to the first coupling line 152 is D1.
At this time, D1 may be changed from λ _f / 4 to λ _f / 2, for example, λ _f / 3.
Since the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 has a structure surrounded by the short conductor 103, it can be handled as a dielectric waveguide.
Considering the in-tube wavelength λ _f when the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 is regarded as a waveguide, the simplest is the maximum electric field at a quarter wavelength (λ _f / 4) from the end of the sheet, and the first coupling line 152 It can be considered that the electromagnetic wave input from can be efficiently coupled to the dielectric layer 101 inside the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100.
Note that the ease of actual coupling is determined by the balance between the electric field and the magnetic field created by the interface device 200 and the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100, respectively, and falls within the range of λ _f / 4 to λ _f / 2 from the end. It is thought that the point with the best coupling efficiency can be found.

(Usage form)
In actual use, the interface device 200 is overlaid on the coupling portion 120 of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 so that the second coupling line 232 is positioned immediately above the first coupling line 152 (see FIG. 2). A connector 280 is attached to the waveguide line 222 to supply high-frequency power to the microwave waveguide 220. The high frequency power is transmitted through the microwave waveguide 220 and is radiated from the second coupling line 232 to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100. At this time, since the second coupling line 232 faces the first coupling line 152 of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 through the opening of the third slot 271, the second coupling line 232 and the first coupling line 152 are arranged. And resonance coupling. When the second coupling line 232 and the first coupling line 152 are resonantly coupled, electric power is supplied to the inside of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 via the first resonant antenna 150 (the first coupling line 152 and the first coupling slot 151). Will be thrown in.

  The electromagnetic wave transmitted in the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 propagates in the sheet. And electromagnetic waves ooze out from the opening of the mesh structure (140) of the surface communication part 110. FIG. A coupler 900 having a predetermined structure is placed on the surface communication unit 110 and sucks out the electromagnetic waves that ooze out. The electronic device 910 can be operated by supplying the sucked electromagnetic wave (electric power) to the electronic device 910.

(Experimental example)
Next, an experimental example will be described.
As shown in FIG. 10, it is assumed that a strip-shaped electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100A having a longitudinal direction is prepared, and that coupling portions 120 and 120 are provided at both ends of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100A, respectively. The interface devices 200 and 200 are joined to the two coupling units 120 and 120, respectively, and the two interface devices 200 and 200 are used as input / output ports.

Various setting values were as follows.
The width of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100A was 60 mm, and the length of the portion corresponding to the surface communication unit 110 excluding the coupling parts 120 and 120 of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 was 320 mm.
The length LL1 of the first coupling line 152 is 27.7 mm, the width WL1 of the first coupling line 152 is 1.55 mm, and the gap between the first coupling line 152 and the first coupling slot 151 is in the x direction, y Both directions were 1.5 mm.
The length LL2 of the second coupling line 232 was 27.7 mm, and the width WL2 of the second coupling line 232 was 1.55 mm.
Further, the gaps Ga and Gb between the second coupling line 232 and the second coupling slot 231 are both 1.5 mm.
Further, the connection point between the waveguide line 222 and the second coupling line 232 is shifted by 2.4 mm from the center of the second coupling line.
The size of the third slot 271 is the same size as the first combined slot 151 and the second combined slot 231.

Incidentally, 27.7 mm is equivalent to one third of the wavelength lambda _g.

  The distance D1 from the end of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 to the first coupling line 152 was 40 mm. This corresponds to a third wavelength.

  The thickness of the interface device 200 was 0.5 mm, and the thickness of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 was 1.0 mm.

  The relative permittivity of the dielectric layers 101 and 260 of the interface device 200 and the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 was 2.2, and the loss (tan δ) was 0.0009.

FIG. 11 shows reflection characteristics and transmission characteristics between ports when electromagnetic field simulation (MW Studio 2011 from CST) is performed under the above conditions.
When electromagnetic waves having a frequency of 2.45 GHz are used, the transmission characteristics are about -1.2 dB. Therefore, it is shown that highly efficient microwave transmission can be performed by the interface device-electromagnetic wave propagation sheet-interface device.
Thereby, it was shown that the microwave can be transmitted to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 using the interface device 200 which is a planar circuit and further using the resonance coupling.

According to the present embodiment having such a configuration, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In this embodiment, when supplying power to the sheet-like electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100, a planar circuit is used as both the interface device 200 and the coupling part 120 of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100. The electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 has a merit that it is planar, but the conventional electric power feeding system in which the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet is sandwiched from above and below in a clip shape is distorted and is flat when the electric power feeding interface is attached. There was also a risk that the merit as a seat would be reduced. In this regard, in the present embodiment, the planarity as a whole can be maintained even when the interface device 200 is attached to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100.

(2) Since the coupling part 120 has a configuration in which the first coupling slot 151 and the first coupling line 152 are arranged on the plane plate part 145, the coupling part 120 and the mesh portion 140 are flush with each other. ) Can be made. Therefore, even if the coupling portion 120 is provided continuously and integrally on the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100, the flatness of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 is not impaired. In addition, when the mesh-shaped portion 140 is formed in the surface conductor layer 130, the first coupling slot 151 and the first coupling line 152 can be simultaneously formed in the plane plate portion 145, leading to an increase in manufacturing cost. Nor.

(3) The conventional power supply interface is configured to sandwich the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet in a clip shape from above and below, and there is a possibility that the gap between the two conductor plates that sandwich the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet gradually changes. . In this respect, in the present embodiment, since the coupling lines (152, 232) are arranged in the slots (151, 231), it can withstand repeated use by the user and can be expected to have a much longer useful life. .

(4) When using a power feeding interface that sandwiches the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet in a clip shape from the top and bottom as in the prior art, it is difficult to prevent a gap from being formed between the power feeding interface and the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet. In this regard, in the present embodiment, the planar interface device 200 only needs to be superimposed on the planar electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100, that is, the planar surface is simply superimposed on the plane. This is much simpler than the structure in which the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet is sandwiched from both the upper and lower directions without any gap. According to this embodiment, even the end user who is not an electrical expert can The two can be coupled without a gap by simply overlapping the interface device 200.

(5) Since power transmission is performed between the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 and the interface device 200 using the resonance coupling of the first coupling line 152 and the second coupling line 232, extremely high efficiency power transmission at a predetermined frequency. Can be realized.

(6) In the coupling portion 120, the first coupling line 152 is disposed at a position of λ _f / 4 to λ _f / 2 from the end of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100. Accordingly, the electromagnetic wave received by the first coupling line 152 can be smoothly introduced into the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100.

(Second Embodiment)
The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12A and 12B.
The basic configuration of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the second embodiment is characterized in that the coupling portion 120B of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100B is provided on the back surface side.
FIG. 12A is a diagram illustrating a front surface of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100B according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12B is a diagram illustrating the back surface of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100B according to the second embodiment.

  As can be seen with reference to FIGS. 12A and 12B, the first resonant antenna 150B is provided on the back surface of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet. That is, the first coupling slot 151 </ b> B and the first coupling line 152 </ b> B are provided in the back conductor layer 102. In the back conductor layer 102, a range from the end to the first coupling slot 151B is referred to as a coupling portion 120B.

  In the surface conductor layer 130, a plane portion 143 is provided at a position facing the first coupling slot 151B and the first coupling line 152B on the back surface. That is, in the surface conductor layer 130, the plane portion 143 has no mesh opening. On the other hand, in the surface conductor layer 130, the portion excluding the plane portion 143 has a mesh structure 140. As can be seen with reference to FIG. 12A, the mesh structure 140 is also provided in the range from the end to the plane portion 143.

  The plane portion 143 closes an opening at a position facing the first combined antenna 150B. If a mesh opening is also provided in the area corresponding to the plane portion 143, most of the electromagnetic waves introduced from the first coupled antenna 150B will immediately pass through the opening in this area and propagate through the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet. It is also conceivable that the electromagnetic wave to be reduced will decrease. Therefore, in this embodiment, the plane portion 143 having no opening is provided in a region of the front conductor layer 130 facing the first resonance antenna 150B on the back surface. What is necessary is just to select suitably considering the intensity | strength of the electromagnetic waves to be used, a frequency, the magnitude | size of an electromagnetic wave propagation | transmission sheet | seat (size of a surface communication part), etc.

  The interface device 200 used for supplying power to the second embodiment is the same as that described in the first embodiment. However, as a matter of course, in use, the interface device 200 is overlaid on the back conductor layer 102 side.

According to this 2nd Embodiment, in addition to the effect of the said 1st Embodiment, there exist the following effects.
(7) Compared with the first embodiment in which the coupling portion 120 is provided in the surface conductor layer 130, in the second embodiment, the area that can be formed into a mesh structure in the surface conductor layer 130 is significantly widened. In the first embodiment, since the interface device 200 is stacked on the surface conductor layer 130, the overlapping portion cannot be used as the surface communication unit 110. On the other hand, according to the second embodiment, the front surface of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100B can be used as the surface communication unit 110 over almost the entire surface.

(Modification 1)
In the interface device 200 described in the first embodiment, the waveguide line 222 is connected to substantially the center of the second coupling line 232.
Here, for impedance matching, for example, a stub 233 may be provided as shown in FIG. 13A.
In FIG. 13A, the stub 233 is a short stub because it is connected to the first conductor layer 210 serving as the ground.
The stub 233 and the first conductor layer 210 may be disconnected to form an open stub.

The stub 233 is disposed in a direction orthogonal to the length direction of the second coupling line 232 (the short direction of the interface device 200, that is, the y-axis direction). The second coupling line 232 is bent in the x direction at one end and connected to the stub 233.
The waveguide line 222 extends from the left end in the x-axis direction, then bends in the y direction, and is joined to the junction point (feed point) between the stub 233 and the second coupling line 232. Similarly to the first embodiment, the y-direction length LL2a of the second coupling line 232 is changed from a quarter wavelength (λ _g / 4) to a half wavelength (λ _g / 2).

  As shown in FIG. 13B, the third slot 271 formed in the second conductor layer 270 may have the same shape and size as in the first embodiment.

  Thus, impedance matching can be achieved by using the matching stub 233, and the efficiency of power supply to the second coupling line 232 is improved. Even in this case, by arranging the matching stub 233 so as to have a length in the x-axis direction, there is no influence on the length of the interface device 200 in the y-axis direction, and a small interface is achieved while improving efficiency. A device can be realized.

(Modification 2)
In the first embodiment, the first coupling line 152 and the second coupling line 232 as the resonant antenna structure have a linear shape, but other shapes may be adopted.
For example, FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a case where an open ring shape is adopted as the resonator structure.
FIG. 14 is a plan view of the first conductor layer 210 of the interface device 200C. The first conductor layer 210 is provided with a waveguide slot 221 and a waveguide line 222, which is the same as in the first embodiment. is there. Here, in the modification 2 of FIG. 14, the 2nd coupling slot 231C is substantially square, The ring-shaped 2nd coupling line 232C is arrange | positioned in it.

  Although not shown in detail, the same open ring resonator as that of FIG. 14 is provided as the coupling portion 120 of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100 corresponding to the interface device 200C.

  Even when an open ring resonator structure is used in this way, the planar circuit structure can be used as the structure of the coupling portion 120 and the interface device 200C of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100, and thus the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. Can do.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described.
As a third embodiment, a connection interface device that electrically connects two electromagnetic wave propagation sheets will be described.
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the connection interface device 400 and the two electromagnetic wave propagation sheets 100C and 100D.
The configuration of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet is the same as that described in the first embodiment. In FIG. 15, the left electromagnetic wave propagation sheet is a first electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100C, and the right electromagnetic wave propagation sheet is a second electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100D.

  The structure of the connection interface device 400 includes elements corresponding to the power supply interface device 200 of the first embodiment. Therefore, in describing the configuration of the connection interface apparatus 400, corresponding elements are used by changing the reference numerals of the elements of the power supply interface apparatus 200 described in the first embodiment to the 400s. Although the description of the connection interface device 400 is simplified, refer to the description of the first embodiment for the corresponding elements.

Similarly to the power supply interface device 200 of the first embodiment, the connection interface device 400 has a three-layer structure, and includes a first conductor layer 410, a dielectric layer 460, and a second conductor layer 470. .
FIG. 16A is a top view of the connection interface device 400, that is, a plan view of the first conductor layer 410. FIG. 16B is a view of the connection interface device 400 as viewed from the back side, that is, a view of the second conductor layer 470 in plan view.

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16A, a microwave waveguide 420 having a length in the x-axis direction is formed at the upper and lower centers of the first conductor layer 410.
The microwave waveguide 420 includes a waveguide slot 421 and a waveguide line 422. Then, second resonant antennas 430A and 430B are provided at both ends of the microwave waveguide 220, respectively.
In FIGS. 15 and 16A, the symbol of the left second resonant antenna is 430A, and the symbol of the right second resonant antenna is 430B. The left second resonant antenna 430A has a second coupling slot 431A and a second coupling line 432A, and the right second resonant antenna 430B has a second coupling slot 431B and a second coupling line 432B.

  As shown in FIG. 16B, the second conductor layer 470 is provided with two third slots 471A and 471B corresponding to the two second resonant antennas 430A and 430B of the first conductor layer 410. In the second conductor layer 470 of FIG. 16B, the left third slot is 471A, and the right third slot is 471B.

As shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, a plurality of vias 440 are provided so as to surround the microwave waveguide 420 and the second resonant antennas 430A and 430B.
As can be seen from FIG. 16B, in the present embodiment, the via 440 is also formed so as to penetrate the second conductor layer 470. However, as long as the microwave waveguide 420 and the second resonant antennas 430A and 430B can be shielded, whether to penetrate the first conductor layer 410 and the second conductor layer 470 when providing the via is a design matter that can be selected as appropriate. .

FIG. 17 shows a state where two electromagnetic wave propagation sheets 100C and 100D are connected using the connection interface device 400.
In connecting the two electromagnetic wave propagation sheets 100C and 100D, as shown in FIG. 15, the first electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100C and the second electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100D are arranged in parallel so that the coupling parts 120 and 120 are proximal to each other. To place.
In this state, the connection interface device 400 is superimposed on the two coupling portions 120 and 120 from above (from the surface conductor layer 130 side). At this time, the second resonance antenna 430A on the left side overlaps the first resonance antenna 150 of the first electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100C, and the second resonance antenna 430B on the right side overlaps the first resonance antenna 150 of the second electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100D. To overlap.

  Then, in FIG. 17, the first resonant antenna 150 and the second resonant antenna 430A are resonantly coupled on the left side, the first resonant antenna 150 and the second resonant antenna 430B are resonantly coupled on the right side, and the microwave waveguide 420 is further coupled. The second resonant antenna 430A and the second resonant antenna 430A are connected by (the waveguide slot 421 and the waveguide line 222). Therefore, the electromagnetic field of the first electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100C and the electromagnetic field of the second electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100D are connected via the connection interface device 400. As shown in FIG. 17, the first electronic device 910A with a coupler is placed on the first electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100C, and the second electronic device 910B with a coupler is placed on the second electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100D. Put. Then, the first electronic device 910A and the second electronic device 910B are electrically connected. For example, the first electronic device 910A and the second electric device 910B can perform communication via the electromagnetic wave propagation sheets 100C and 100D.

  According to the third embodiment having such a configuration, two electromagnetic wave propagation sheets (100C, 100D) can be connected and used. For example, even if the area of each electromagnetic wave propagation sheet is not so large, surface communication can be performed over a wide area by connecting the two. Furthermore, since the connection interface device 400 of the present embodiment is planar, it can be easily understood that the same operational effects as the first embodiment can be obtained.

(Modification 3)
A modification of the third embodiment will be described.
In the third embodiment, one electromagnetic wave propagation sheet has one first resonance antenna. Here, as shown in FIG. 18, two first resonance antennas 150C and 150D may be provided in one electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100E. Then, using the connection interface device 400, a plurality of electromagnetic wave propagation sheets can be connected one-dimensionally as shown in FIG.

  In addition, as described with reference to FIGS. 12A and 12B of the first embodiment, the coupling portion may be provided on the back surface side in the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet. Then, as shown in FIG. 20, the dead space when the plurality of electromagnetic wave propagation sheets 100F are connected is reduced, and almost the entire front surface of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100F can be used as the surface communication unit.

Further, as shown in FIG. 21, when the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100G is rectangular, coupling portions 120, 120, 120, 120 may be provided on each of the four sides.
As described above, if the four coupling portions 120, 120, 120, 120 are provided in the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100G, a large number of electromagnetic wave propagation sheets 100G can be two-dimensionally arranged as shown in FIG.

In addition, the polygon which spreads a plane has a triangle, a hexagon, etc. other than a square.
Accordingly, the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet may be appropriately devised, for example, by making the shape of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet triangular or hexagonal, and providing a plurality of coupling portions at the edge portion.

  Also in this case, as shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B, if the coupling portion 120 is arranged on the back side of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet, it is easy to reduce dead space when a plurality of electromagnetic wave propagation sheets are connected. You can understand.

(Modification 4)
As shown in FIG. 24, two interface devices 200 and 200 described in the first embodiment may be prepared and connected by a coaxial cable 500. Then, as shown in FIG. 24, even when the first electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100C and the second electromagnetic wave propagation sheet 100D are not on the same plane, the two electromagnetic wave propagation sheets 100C and 100D can be electrically connected.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 25, a plurality of strip-shaped electromagnetic wave propagation sheets 100E having coupling portions 120 and 120 at both ends can be electrically coupled in a state where a plurality of strips are arranged in parallel.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
In the interface device 200, a plurality of vias are provided so as to surround the microwave waveguide (waveguide slot, waveguide line) and the second resonant antenna (second coupling slot, second coupling line).
This shields the microwave waveguide and the second resonant antenna.
Since the microwave waveguide and the second resonant antenna need only be shielded, the microwave waveguide and the second resonant antenna are surrounded by an EBG (Electromagnetic Band Gap) structure such as a mushroom-type EBG structure or a vialess EBG structure, as well as vias. Of course, it may be shielded.

In the above description, the means for fixing the interface device and the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet in a coupled state was not particularly mentioned. However, as such a fixing means, the engaging means can be engaged and disengaged with each other. Alternatively, it may be screwed with a screwing means or may be attached with an adhesive tape, and the means is not particularly limited.
Further, positioning marks, fitting means, and the like may be provided as appropriate so that the first resonance antenna and the second resonance antenna are appropriately opposed when the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet and the interface device are overlapped.

In the description of the above embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the interface device 200 of the first embodiment is mainly used as a power supply interface, and the interface device 400 of the third embodiment is mainly used as a connection interface.
However, the electromagnetic waves for power supply and the electromagnetic waves for communication are essentially the same in terms of electromagnetic waves. For example, the interface device 200 (for power supply) described in the first embodiment is used as a medium for electromagnetic waves for communication. Of course, the interface device 400 (for connection) described in the third embodiment is used for mediating electromagnetic waves for power supply, and it is not necessary to distinguish between the two.

  This application claims the priority on the basis of Japanese application Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-132008 for which it applied on June 11, 2012, and takes in those the indications of all here.

100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E, 100F, 100G, ... Electromagnetic wave propagation sheet, 101 ... Dielectric layer, 102 ... Back conductor layer, 103 ... Short conductor, 110 ... Surface communication unit, 120 ... coupling unit, 120B ... coupling unit, 130 ... surface conductor layer, 140 ... mesh portion, 141 ... vertical wiring, 142 horizontal wiring, 143 ... plane Part, 145... Plane plate part, 150, 150B, 150C... First resonance antenna, 151, 151B... First coupling slot, 152, 152B .. first coupling line, 200, 200C. Interface device 210: first conductor layer 220: microwave waveguide 221: waveguide slot 222: waveguide line 23 ... Second resonant antenna, 231,231C ... Second coupling slot, 232,232C ... Second coupling line, 233 ... Matching stub, 240 ... Via, 260 ... Dielectric layer 270 ... second conductor layer, 271 ... third slot, 280 ... connector, 400 ... connection interface device, 410 ... first conductor layer, 420 ... microwave waveguide, 421 ... Guide slot, 422 ... Guide line, 430A, 430B ... Second resonant antenna, 431A, 431B ... Second coupling slot, 432A, 432B ... Second coupling line, 440 ..Via, 460 ... dielectric layer, 470 ... second conductor layer, 471A ... third slot, 500 ... coaxial cable, 900 ... proximity coupler, 910, 91 A, 910B ··· electronic devices.

Claims (9)

An electromagnetic wave propagation system comprising a sheet-like electromagnetic wave propagation sheet that propagates electromagnetic waves, and an interface device that supplies electromagnetic waves to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet,
The interface device
A first conductor layer, a second conductor layer disposed opposite to the first conductor layer, and a dielectric layer sandwiched between the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer,
In the first conductor layer,
A transmission line in which both sides are band-shaped waveguide slots, one end of which is a waveguide line serving as an input end for receiving an electromagnetic wave from the outside,
A second coupling line as an antenna connected to the other end of the waveguide line and surrounded by a second coupling slot;
In the second conductor layer,
A third slot is provided at a position facing the second coupling line;
The electromagnetic wave propagation sheet is
A surface conductor layer at least partially meshed, a back conductor layer disposed opposite to the surface conductor layer, a dielectric layer sandwiched between the surface conductor layer and the back conductor layer, With
Either one of the surface conductor layer and the back conductor layer,
A first coupling line as an antenna disposed in the first coupling slot is provided so that when the interface device is overlaid on the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet, the interface device is resonantly coupled with the second coupling line through the third slot. An electromagnetic wave propagation system characterized by that. The electromagnetic wave propagation system according to claim 1,
The electromagnetic wave propagation system, wherein the second coupling line and the first coupling line have a linear shape or an open ring shape and have a length of λ _g / 2 to λ _g / 4.
Here, λ _g is the effective wavelength of the propagated electromagnetic wave. In the electromagnetic wave propagation system according to claim 1 or 2,
The electromagnetic wave propagation system, wherein the interface device is provided with electromagnetic shielding means so as to surround the waveguide slot and the second coupling slot. The electromagnetic wave propagation system according to claim 3,
The electromagnetic wave propagation system, wherein the electromagnetic shielding means is a plurality of vias or an EBG structure provided so as to surround the waveguide slot and the second coupling slot. In the electromagnetic wave propagation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The electromagnetic wave propagation sheet further includes a short conductor that connects the front conductor layer and the back conductor layer at an end of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet,
The electromagnetic wave propagation system, wherein the first coupling line is disposed at a position of approximately λ _f / 4 to λ _f / 2 from an end of the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet.
However, λ _f is an in-tube wavelength when the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet is regarded as a waveguide. The electromagnetic wave propagation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
An electromagnetic wave transmission system comprising: a power supply unit that supplies power to an input terminal of the interface device. The electromagnetic wave propagation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A proximity coupler having an electromagnetic wave coupling portion for transmitting or receiving an electromagnetic wave to the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet;
A two-dimensional communication system comprising: an electronic device electrically connected to the proximity coupler. An interface device that supplies electromagnetic waves to a sheet-like electromagnetic wave propagation sheet that propagates electromagnetic waves,
A first conductor layer;
A second conductor layer disposed opposite to the first conductor layer;
A dielectric layer sandwiched between the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer,
In the first conductor layer,
A transmission line in which both sides are band-shaped slots, one end of which is a waveguide line that serves as an input end for receiving an electromagnetic wave from the outside,
A second coupling line as an antenna connected to the other end of the waveguide line and surrounded by a second coupling slot;
The interface device, wherein the second conductor layer is provided with a third slot at a position facing the second coupling line. An electromagnetic wave propagation sheet that receives supply of electromagnetic waves from the interface device by being connected to the interface device according to claim 8,
A surface conductor layer that is at least partially meshed;
A back conductor layer disposed opposite to the front conductor layer;
A dielectric layer sandwiched between the surface conductor layer and the back conductor layer,
Either one of the surface conductor layer and the back conductor layer,
A first coupling line as an antenna disposed in the first coupling slot is provided so that when the interface device is overlaid on the electromagnetic wave propagation sheet, the interface device is resonantly coupled with the second coupling line through the third slot. An electromagnetic wave propagation sheet characterized by that.

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