WO2019043764A1

WO2019043764A1 - Antenna, stadium antenna system, theater antenna system, exhibition hall antenna system, and vehicle guide antenna system

Info

Publication number: WO2019043764A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/030812
Authority: WO
Inventors: 純小関; 真清北川; めぐみ川田; 央丸山; 弘樹萩原; 智之曽我
Original assignee: 日本電業工作株式会社
Priority date: 2017-08-28
Filing date: 2017-08-28
Publication date: 2019-03-07
Also published as: JPWO2019043764A1; JP6777344B2

Abstract

This antenna 100 is provided with: a plurality of antenna units 110 (antenna elements 111) each of which tranceives radio waves; an optical waveguide 120 for propagating signals to allow the plurality of antenna elements 111 to transceive radio waves; and a first flexible film 140 and a second flexible film 150 between which the plurality of antenna elements 111 and the optical waveguide 120 are sandwiched and held.

Description

Antenna, stadium antenna system, theater antenna system, exhibition site antenna system, and vehicle induction antenna system

The present invention relates to an antenna, a stadium antenna system, a theater antenna system, an exhibition site antenna system, and a vehicle induction antenna system.

As prior art described in the publication, an antenna element formed by pasting a conductor foil or applying a conductive paint, a feed line connected to the antenna element, a power generation unit connected to the feed line, and the antenna device There exists a sheet-like antenna device provided with an adhesion part which adheres removably to a fixed side which attaches a sheet (refer to patent documents 1).

As a prior art described in the official gazette, in a crossing moving body detection system for detecting a moving body crossing a passable passage of a vehicle, a plurality of belts laid substantially parallel on a road surface of the pass at intervals. A pedestrian crossing marked by the symbol, a mobile tag attachable to a moving object crossing the pedestrian crossing and capable of non-contact data communication and capable of storing identification information, and the mobile tag A plurality of antenna elements that can communicate with each other in a non-contact manner and are integrally formed with each of the plurality of band members, and the plurality of antenna elements are respectively electrically connected and stored in the moving tag There is a traversing vehicle detection system comprising a plurality of stationary readers for reading identification information (see Patent Document 2).

JP 2012-090223 A JP, 2005-050161, A

By the way, in the mobile communication which is communication with a mobile, a sector antenna is provided on the roof of a building, a steel tower or the like, and a communication area for communicating with the mobile has been constructed. In such a method, as the frequency of radio waves used for communication in the future increases, the propagation loss increases, and the power increases in both transmission and reception.
The present invention provides, for example, an antenna with low power as compared to the case of using an antenna that covers a wide communication area.

The invention according to claim 1 comprises a plurality of antenna elements each transmitting and receiving radio waves, an optical waveguide for propagating a signal for transmitting and receiving radio waves of the plurality of antenna elements, a plurality of the antenna elements and the light guide It is an antenna provided with a flexible 1st film and a flexible 2nd film which sandwiches and holds a waveguide.
The invention according to claim 2 is the antenna according to claim 1, wherein adjacent antenna elements in the plurality of antenna elements transmit and receive radio waves of different frequencies.
In the invention according to claim 3, a plurality of the antenna elements are arrayed in a predetermined direction, and frequencies are cyclically set so that the frequencies of radio waves are different between adjacent antenna elements along the array. The antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that:
The invention according to claim 4 is the antenna according to

claim

2 or 3, wherein a cell in which communication is performed for each of the antenna elements is configured by radio waves transmitted and received by a plurality of the antenna elements. .
The invention according to claim 5 is the antenna according to claim 1, further comprising an interface circuit for converting an optical signal and an electrical signal between the optical waveguide and the antenna element.
The invention according to claim 6 is the antenna according to claim 5, characterized in that power is supplied to the interface circuit via the optical waveguide.
In the invention according to claim 7, the first film and the second film are both long members, and can be wound in the long direction in a state in which the antenna element and the optical waveguide are sandwiched. The antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that:
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the antenna according to the seventh aspect, the optical waveguide is provided along the longitudinal direction of the first film and the second film. is there.
In the invention according to claim 9, the optical waveguide is provided with a connection portion for input / output of a signal on the end side of the first film and the second film in the longitudinal direction. It is an antenna of Claim 8 characterized by the above-mentioned.
In the invention according to claim 10, the optical waveguide is provided with connection portions for signal input and output on both end sides in the longitudinal direction of the first film and the second film. It is an antenna of Claim 8 characterized by the above-mentioned.
In the invention according to claim 11, the antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is provided in at least a part of a competition area in which a competition is performed and a spectator area for accommodating a spectator of the competition. It is a stadium antenna system characterized by things.
The invention according to claim 12 is any one of claims 1 to 10 in at least a part of the stage on which the performance, performance or lecture is performed and the audience area for accommodating the performance, performance or lecture audience. The present invention is a theater antenna system characterized in that an antenna of
The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 10 has an antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 10 in at least a part of a display area for displaying an exhibit and a spectator area through which a spectator who views the display passes. It is an exhibition hall antenna system characterized by being provided.
The invention according to claim 14 is a vehicle induction antenna system in which the antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is provided along a road surface through which a vehicle passes.

According to the invention of claim 1, power can be reduced compared to the case of using an antenna that covers a wide communication area.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, interference between adjacent antenna elements is suppressed as compared to the case where different frequencies are not used.
According to the invention of claim 3, the frequency can be made common as compared with the case where the frequency is not set cyclically.
According to the invention of claim 4, the power consumption is further reduced as compared to the case where the cell is not set for each antenna element.
According to the invention of claim 5, the power consumption is further reduced as compared with the case where the interface circuit for converting the optical signal and the electric signal is not provided.
According to the invention of claim 6, it is not necessary to provide a path for supplying power, as compared to the case of supplying power without passing through the optical waveguide.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the construction is easier than in the case where it can not be taken up.
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the propagation of a long distance signal is facilitated as compared with the case where it is not provided along the long direction.
According to the invention of claim 9, transmission and reception of signals can be performed in a concentrated manner as compared with the case where they are not provided on the end side in the longitudinal direction.
According to the invention of claim 10, the reliability is improved as compared with the case where it is not provided on both end sides in the longitudinal direction.
According to the inventions of

claims

11, 12, 13 and 14, power can be reduced compared to the case of using an antenna which covers a wide communication area.

It is a figure which shows an example of the stadium antenna system to which 1st Embodiment is applied. It is a figure which shows an example of the cell provided in the audience area. It is a figure explaining an example of the stadium antenna system to which a 1st embodiment is not applied. It is a figure explaining an example of the stadium antenna system to which a 1st embodiment is not applied. It is a figure explaining an example of an antenna. (A) is a plan view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VB-VB in (a). It is a figure which shows an example of the theater antenna system to which 2nd Embodiment is applied. It is a figure which shows an example of the exhibition place antenna system to which 3rd Embodiment is applied. It is a figure which shows an example of the vehicle guidance antenna system to which 4th Embodiment is applied.

In recent years, the development of mobile communication between an antenna and a mobile unit has been tremendous. Here, a mobile body is a device that is movable as well as having a function of communicating wirelessly. These include an information communication terminal equipped with a function (information processing function) for processing information in addition to the communication function, such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a watch, a camera, etc., a sensing function in addition to the communication function and the information processing function Portable sensors (wearable sensors), objects having a communication function used in the so-called IoT (Internet of Things), aircrafts having a communication function and an information processing function, trains, cars, etc. are included.

In mobile communication, an antenna is installed on the roof of a building or on a steel tower, and a range where radio waves reach from the antenna has been set as a communication area (cell). In the future, when the frequency of radio waves used to improve the transmission speed (transmission capacity) increases from the current maximum of 3.5 GHz, for example, from 20 GHz to 60 GHz, the propagation loss increases. Therefore, in the method of installing an antenna on the roof of a building or on a steel tower, it is necessary to increase both the power for transmitting from the antenna to the moving body and the power for transmitting from the moving body to the antenna It will In addition, if the frequency of the radio wave is further increased, the rectilinearity becomes high, and it becomes difficult for the radio wave to reach a place blocked by an obstacle such as a building shadow.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the antenna is installed on the roof of a building, on a steel tower, etc., and a plurality of antenna elements are arranged in the vicinity (familiarity) of a mobile body instead of using a wide range as a communication area By reducing the communication area (cell) of each antenna element, both the power for transmitting from the antenna element to the mobile body and the power for transmitting from the mobile body to the antenna element are reduced. In addition, since the plurality of antenna elements are disposed in the vicinity of the moving body, the arrival of radio waves is less likely to be impeded even in a place blocked by an obstacle such as a building shade. Furthermore, by providing the function of an access point (AP) which is a master unit or a base station together with an antenna element, high-speed, always-on connection and low-delay communication can be performed between the AP and a mobile. An apparatus having an access point function may be called an edge device.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a stadium antenna system 1 to which the first embodiment is applied. FIG. 1 is a view of the stadium 10 as viewed from above. The stadium 10 includes a competition area 11 in which a ground on which a game is played is provided, and a spectator area 12 in which a spectator seat for accommodating a spectator who views the game is provided. In FIG. 1, a spectator area 12 is provided to surround the competition area 11. The spectator area 12 may be provided opposite to a part of the competition area 11. The competition area 11 and the spectator area 12 are provided with a plurality of cells 13 for transmitting and receiving radio waves. The cells 13 are represented by circles. As described later, the cell 13 includes an antenna element (an antenna element 111 in FIG. 5 described later), which is a range in which radio waves are received from the antenna element and the radio waves are transmitted to the antenna element. The cells 13 are set so that interference of radio waves is unlikely to occur between adjacent cells 13. Then, in the competition area 11 and the spectator area 12, there are moving objects 14 possessed by a competitor (player) and a spectator. Although one mobile unit 14 is shown in FIG. 1, there may be many.

Here, in the competition area 11, the cells 13 are provided along the track on which the track competition is conducted, and a plurality of cells 13 are two-dimensionally provided so as to cover the field on which soccer or the like is conducted. By doing this, player information such as player's biological data (such as heart rate) from the moving object 14 carried by the player, for example, a wearable sensor carried by the player, a camera attached to the player's face or glasses, etc. Or, an image of the player's eyes is transmitted toward the antenna element of the cell 13. Although one mobile unit 15 is shown in FIG. 1, there may be a large number.

Further, in the spectator area 12, a plurality of cells 13 are provided so as to cover the seats of the spectators (audience seats). By doing this, the spectator in the spectator seat or the coach of the player can grasp the player information from the moving object 14 possessed by the player in real time by the moving object 15 possessed by the player, or To see

In FIG. 1, the cells 13 are schematically shown. Therefore, the cell 13 is not necessarily limited to the size shown in FIG. For example, in a track in the competition area 11, cells 13 may be provided along lanes for each lane of the track, and a plurality of lanes may be set and cells 13 may be provided along a set of lanes for each set of lanes. May be Also, the cell 13 may be provided to span all the lanes. Note that providing the cell 13 along the track includes all the cases described above. Further, in the field in the competition area 11, the cell 13 may be provided to cover the field. In addition, the cell 13 may be provided not only in the field where the competition, for example, soccer is performed, but also around the pitch.

In the spectator area 12, a plurality of spectator seats may be set as a block, and the cell 13 may be provided for each block, or the cell 13 may be provided for each spectator seat.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the cell 13 provided in the spectator area 12. Here, one cell 13 is provided for two audience seats 16.

As described above, the cell 13 in the first embodiment is a very small (minimal) cell as compared to the conventional cell. That is, the cell 13 here is a cell smaller than so-called nanocell, picocell or the like, which is used to mean a small cell. For example, the pitch of the cells 13 may be every 1 m, every 10 m, or the like. The height is an area of 2 to 3 m and may cover an individual.
The size of the cell 13 may be set in consideration of the frequency of the radio wave, the power necessary for transmission and reception of the radio wave, and the like.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of the stadium antenna system 2 to which the first embodiment is not applied. The stadium antenna system 2 shown in FIG. 3 is a stadium antenna system currently used. The competition area 11 of the stadium 10, the spectator area 12 and the moving

bodies

14 and 15 are the same as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the same reference numerals are given and the description is omitted.

Here, the players and spectators in the stadium 10 communicate with radio waves leaked from the cells 21 of the existing base station antenna 20 provided around the stadium 10 or temporarily or permanently in the stadium 10 Communication will be performed with the provided base station antenna 30. Here, since the frequency of radio waves used for communication is as low as 3.5 GHz at the maximum, the transmission speed (transmission capacity) is small.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of the stadium antenna system 3 to which the first embodiment is not applied. The stadium antenna system 3 shown in FIG. 4 is a stadium antenna system using a super multi-element antenna 40 considered as the fifth generation mobile communication system (5G). The competition area 11 of the stadium 10, the spectator area 12 and the moving

bodies

The super multi-element antenna 40 is a base station antenna used for Massive MIMO, which is a communication technology for performing communication using a plurality of antennas. The super multi-element antenna 40 uses several tens or 100 or more antenna elements to reduce interference between base station antennas and increase transmission speed (transmission capacity) using high frequency radio waves with large propagation loss. It is said that. However, as shown in FIG. 4, only by providing a plurality of super multi-element antennas 40 in the spectator area 12 of the stadium 10, the power for transmitting from the antenna to the moving body, and from the moving body to the antenna The power to be transmitted must be increased. That is, it is difficult to set the cell 41 having a large communication area by using the super multi-element antenna 40.

As described above, when radio waves of high frequency with large propagation loss are used, it is preferable to reduce the communication area of the cell 13 as shown in the first embodiment of FIG. Further, by providing the function as an AP together with the antenna element provided in the cell 13, the transmission speed (transmission capacity) is increased.

(Antenna 100)
The antenna 100 used to construct the cell 13 will be described.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the antenna 100. As shown in FIG. 5 (a) is a plan view, and FIG. 5 (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VB-VB of FIG. 5 (a).

As shown in FIG. 5A, the antenna 100 is provided with a plurality of antenna units 110 each including an antenna element 111, an optical waveguide 120 for propagating a signal, and the optical waveguide 120 of the antenna 100 and devices provided outside the antenna 100. And a connector 130 provided at the end of the optical waveguide 120 to connect the two. Here, it is assumed that the cell 13 is configured for each antenna unit 110. The connector 130 is an example of a connection unit.

In FIG. 5A, six antenna units 110 (in the case of distinction, referred to as antenna units 110-1 to 110-6) are arranged in a predetermined direction. The arrangement direction of the antenna units 110 is the x direction, and the directions orthogonal to this are the y direction and the z direction. More antenna units 110 may be arranged in the x direction. Note that arranging in a predetermined direction means that some of the antenna units 110 are deviated from the direction perpendicular to the straight line, in addition to the case where the antenna units 110 are arranged on a straight line in a predetermined direction. When arranged in a straight line, the case where some antenna units 110 are arranged with respect to a straight line so as to be different in inclination from other antenna units 110 is included.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, the antenna 100 is provided with a first film 140 and a second film 150 which sandwich and hold the antenna unit 110 and the optical waveguide 120. And the 1st film 140 and the 2nd film 150 are constituted by the material which has flexibility (flexibility). Then, the first film 140 and the second film 150 are pasted with an adhesive so as to sandwich and hold the antenna unit 110 and the optical waveguide 120. Thus, the antenna 100 as a whole is a film (sheet) having flexibility.

The first film 140 and the second film 150 are made of a material that easily transmits radio waves, and have flexibility (flexibility) when processed into a film (sheet) shape or a plate shape. Good. For the first film 140 and the second film 150, for example, a vinyl-based resin such as polyvinyl chloride, a polystyrene-based, a polyethylene-based, a polypropylene-based, an acrylic-based, a polyamide nylon-based, or an ABS can be applied. The film thickness of the first film 140 and the second film 150 may be set appropriately, and the second film 150 may function as a protective film. Also, the first film 140 and the second film 150 may be transparent or opaque.

Then, if an adhesive material covered with release paper or the like is provided on the back surface of the first film 140 in the antenna 100, the antenna 100 can be installed simply by peeling off the release paper. In addition, on the surface of the second film 150 in the antenna 100, display of characters, figures, signs, and the like may be provided. The display may be, for example, a seat number, an evacuation route, a transmission / reception method, or the like. Thus, the antenna 100 serves as a display medium.

In addition, as shown to Fig.5 (a), the 1st film 140 and the 2nd film 150 are long in the x direction in which the antenna unit 110 is arranged. The antenna 100 can be wound in the longitudinal direction (x direction) due to the flexibility of the first film 140 and the second film 150.

Next, the optical waveguide 120 will be described. Here, the optical waveguide 120 includes six main optical waveguides (referred to as optical waveguides 120-1 to 120-6 in the case of distinction) and a plurality of optical waveguides as branches (in the case of distinction). And optical waveguides 120-11, 120-21, etc.). That is, the optical waveguides (optical waveguides 120-1 to 120-6) serving as the trunk and the optical waveguides (optical waveguides 120-11, 120-21, etc.) serving as the branches are collectively referred to as an optical waveguide 120.

Of the optical waveguides 120-1 to 120-6 serving as the trunk, the optical waveguides 120-1, 120-3, and 120-5 whose indices (numbers after-) are odd number are the antenna elements 111 of the antenna unit 110. Is an optical waveguide that propagates the received signal (received signal). On the other hand, the optical waveguides 120-2, 120-4, and 120-6 whose subscripts (numbers after-) are even numbers are optical waveguides that propagate signals (transmission signals) to be transmitted to the antenna element 111 of the antenna unit 110. It is. The optical waveguides 120-1 to 120-6 are provided along the longitudinal direction (x direction) of the first film 140 and the second film 150.

On the other hand, the optical waveguides 120-11 and 120-21 as branches are optical waveguides through which light branched from the optical waveguides 120-1 to 120-6 as trunks propagates. In addition, as for the subscript (2-digit number after-), 10 digits are connected with the suffixes of the optical waveguides 120-1 to 120-6 as the trunk (number after-) and 1 digit is connected. Of the antenna unit 110 (the antenna units 110-1 to 110-6 in FIG. 15). Here, as shown in FIG. 5B, the optical waveguides 120-11 and 120-21 as branches are provided to straddle the optical waveguides 120-1 to 120-6 as trunks. The optical waveguides 120-11, 120-21 and the like to be branches will be described in detail in the description of the antenna unit 110. The configuration of the optical waveguide 120 is an example, and any other configuration may be used as long as signals can be transmitted to and received from the antenna units 110.

As described above, the main optical waveguides 120-1 to 120-6 transmit and receive three sets of the transmission signal and the reception signal. By setting different frequencies among the three antenna units 110 adjacent in the x direction, this prevents the occurrence of interference even when the cells 13 overlap between the adjacent antenna units 110. If only the x direction is considered, the frequencies may be made different between two antenna units 110 adjacent to each other in the x direction. However, when the cells 13 are arranged two-dimensionally as in the competition area 11 of the stadium 10 shown in FIG. 1, the cells in the horizontal direction of FIG. Although the frequency is different between 13, the frequency does not become different between cells 13 in the diagonal direction. Therefore, the frequencies are set to be different among the three antenna units 110 here. That is, the centers of adjacent cells 13 are arranged to form an equilateral triangle. Further, by setting the frequency cyclically in units of three antenna units 110, the frequency is made common. And, like the optical waveguides 120-1 to 120-6, the number of optical waveguides for transmitting and receiving signals can be reduced.

And two connectors 130 (in the case of distinction, it describes with

connectors

130a and 130b.) Are provided in the both ends of the lengthwise direction (x direction) of optical waveguides 120-1-120-6 used as a trunk. It is done. The connector 130 is an optical connector for connecting an optical signal. It is good to be able to desorb easily. By doing this, transmission and reception of signals can be concentrated (collectively) at both ends. Also, it is possible to transmit signals simultaneously from the

connectors

130a and 130b at both ends. In addition, when propagation of the signal is not possible in one of the

connectors

130a and 130b, if propagation of the signal is possible in the other, propagation of the signal is continued using the other. This improves the reliability against failure.
In FIG. 5A, the connectors 130 are provided on both ends of the antenna 100 on the ± x direction side of the first film 140 and the second film 150. The connector 130 may be provided on both end sides (near the both ends) of the antenna 100 on the −y direction side of the first film 140 and the second film 150. In this case, the optical waveguide 120 may be configured to be bent in the −y direction on both end sides of the antenna 100. The connector 130 may be provided on one end of the antenna 100 (near the end).

The optical waveguide 120 may be configured using an optical fiber, and may be configured on the first film 140 using a light transmitting dielectric material. In addition, the propagating light may be in a multimode or a single mode. In particular, if single mode is used, long distance propagation of several kilometers is also possible. Thus, the longitudinal direction of the antenna 100 can be made longer.

Here, the antenna units 110 are arranged in a line in the x direction, but may be arranged in a plurality of lines in the x direction. Also, the antenna unit 110 may be provided not along a straight line but along a curve. Furthermore, the antenna unit 110 may be provided along a circle or arc. In the case where the antenna unit 110 is annularly provided along a circle, the optical waveguide 120 may be drawn out from one annular portion and the connector 130 may be provided. Also in this case, one portion of the ring is expressed as an end.

Also, each antenna unit 110 constitutes the cell 13. By doing this, the cell 13 of each antenna unit 110 is set smaller. Therefore, less power is required. However, one cell 13 may be configured by a plurality of antenna units 110. At this time, the plurality of antenna units 110 may have directivity with respect to the cells 13 by giving a phase difference to the signals given to the respective antenna units 110 constituting one cell 13.

(Antenna unit 110)
Next, the configuration of the antenna unit 110 will be described. Here, the antenna unit 110 will be described using the antenna unit 110-2. Therefore, in FIG. 5A, the antenna unit 110-2 (110) is described.
The antenna unit 110 includes an antenna element 111 that transmits and receives radio waves, a wireless device 112 that functions as an AP, a photoelectric conversion device 113 that supplies power to the wireless device 112 from an optical signal for power, and an optical signal for transmitting radio waves. A Tx optical transceiver 114 for converting into signals and an Rx optical transceiver 115 for converting electric signals obtained by receiving radio waves into optical signals are provided. Here, the Tx optical transceiver 114 and the Rx optical transceiver 115 are an example of an interface circuit that converts an optical signal and an electrical signal.
The reference numerals of the antenna element 111, the wireless device 112, the photoelectric conversion device 113, the Tx optical transceiver 114, and the Rx optical transceiver 115 are described only for the antenna unit 110-2, and the other antenna units 110-1 and 110-3 and so on Description to 110-6 is omitted.
Here, the antenna unit 110 may be used synonymously with the antenna element 111.

The antenna element 111 is selected according to the frequency of the radio wave, directivity, and the like. For example, a dipole antenna, a patch antenna, or the like can be used as the antenna element 111. When the antenna element 111 is a dipole antenna, the flexibility as the antenna 100 is not impaired if it is formed of a thin metal plate, a metal foil, a metal film provided on a flexible insulating substrate, or the like. Even if the antenna element 111 is a patch antenna, a flexible patch antenna is configured by configuring a ground plate on one surface of a flexible insulating substrate and configuring a patch on the other surface. . Further, even if an insulating substrate having no flexibility is used, the flexibility of the entire antenna 100 is not impaired if the area is small.

The wireless device 112 is a circuit for causing the antenna unit 110 to function as an AP. The wireless device 112 is configured as a CPU, a memory, and the like as one integrated circuit.

The photoelectric conversion device 113 includes an optical input unit to which an optical signal for power is input, a conversion unit to convert the optical signal into electric power, and a power output unit to supply electric power. The conversion unit is configured of a photoelectric device that converts light into electricity. As such an optoelectronic device, a photodiode using a semiconductor such as silicon, germanium, indium gallium arsenic or the like can be used. The material may be selected according to the wavelength. Here, the wavelength (frequency) of the optical signal for communication and the wavelength (frequency) of the optical signal for power are transmitted to one optical waveguide 120 with different wavelengths. For example, the wavelength of the optical signal for communication is 1310 nm, and the wavelength of the optical signal for power is 1480 nm. By doing this, the number of optical waveguides 120 is reduced. The photoelectric conversion device 113 is configured as an integrated circuit.
The optical waveguide 120 may be used as an optical waveguide for transmitting an optical signal for communication, and an optical waveguide for transmitting an optical signal for power may be separately provided. In this way, it is not necessary to set the optical signal for communication and the optical signal for power to different wavelengths (frequencies).

The Tx optical transceiver 114 includes a light receiving unit that converts an optical signal into an electric signal, an amplification unit that amplifies the converted electric signal, and an electric signal output unit that outputs an electric signal. For example, similarly to the photoelectric conversion device 113, the light receiving unit is configured by a photodiode. The amplification unit is a driver circuit configured by a CMOS or the like. The electrical signal output unit is a terminal. The Tx optical transceiver 114 is configured as an integrated circuit.

The Rx optical transceiver 115 includes a light source, a modulation unit that modulates the light from the light source with an electrical signal, and a light output unit that outputs an optical signal. The light source is, for example, a light emitting diode (LED) or a semiconductor laser. The modulation unit may directly modulate the intensity of light output from, for example, an LED or a semiconductor laser using an electrical signal. In addition, the modulator may be one that performs indirect modulation using a crystal material having an electro-optical effect. The crystalline material having an electro-optical effect, may be used and LiNbO _3. The light output unit is a light terminal (light pin). The Rx optical transceiver 115 is configured as an integrated circuit.

The integrated circuits constituting the wireless device 112, the photoelectric conversion device 113, the Tx optical transceiver 114, and the Rx optical transceiver 115 have terminals soldered to the wiring provided on the flexible first film 140. It can be easily mounted by connecting using ball grid array (BGA) technology or the like. Then, if the size of the LSI is set to a sub-mm square to several tens of square, flexibility of the antenna 100 as a whole is not lost.
In the wireless device 112, the photoelectric conversion device 113, the Tx optical transceiver 114, and the Rx optical transceiver 115, two or more circuits may be configured as one integrated circuit.

The connection relation and operation in the antenna unit 110 will be described. Hereinafter, the antenna unit 110-2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b).
In the antenna unit 110-2, the antenna element 111 is electrically connected to the wireless device 112. The wireless device 112 is electrically connected to the Tx optical transceiver 114 and the Rx optical transceiver 115. The Tx optical transceiver 114 is optically connected to the optical waveguide 120-4 via the optical waveguide 120-42. Also, the Rx optical transceiver 115 is optically connected to the optical waveguide 120-3 via the optical waveguide 120-32. As shown in FIG. 5B, the optical waveguide 120-32 is branched from the optical waveguide 120-3, and is connected to the Rx optical transceiver 115 across the optical waveguides 120-1 and 120-2 in a three-dimensional manner. It is done. The same applies to the optical waveguides 120-42.

Furthermore, the photoelectric conversion device 113 is electrically connected to the wireless device 112, the Tx optical transceiver 114, and the Rx optical transceiver 115. Further, the photoelectric conversion device 113 is connected by light to the optical waveguide 120-4 via the optical waveguide 120-42.

In the antenna unit 110-1, the Tx optical transceiver 114 is optically connected to the optical waveguide 120-2 via the optical waveguide 120-21, and the Rx optical transceiver 115 is an optical waveguide via the optical waveguide 120-11. It is connected by light to 120-1. In the antenna unit 110-3, the Tx optical transceiver 114 is optically connected to the optical waveguide 120-6 via the optical waveguide 120-63, and the Rx optical transceiver 115 is connected to the optical waveguide 120- via the optical waveguide 120-53. Connected to 5 by light. In the antenna unit 110-4, the Tx optical transceiver 114 is optically connected to the optical waveguide 120-2 via the optical waveguide 120-24, and the Rx optical transceiver 115 is connected to the optical waveguide 120- via the optical waveguide 120-14. Connected to 1 by light. In the antenna unit 110-5, the Tx optical transceiver 114 is optically connected to the optical waveguide 120-4 via the optical waveguide 120-45, and the Rx optical transceiver 115 is connected to the optical waveguide 120- via the optical waveguide 120-35. Connected to 3 by light. Furthermore, in the antenna unit 110-6, the Tx optical transceiver 114 is optically connected to the optical waveguide 120-6 via the optical waveguide 120-66, and the Rx optical transceiver 115 is an optical waveguide via the optical waveguide 120-56. It is connected by light to 120-5.

That is, the antenna units 110-1 and 110-4 are connected to the optical waveguides 120-1 and 120-2, and the antenna units 110-2 and 110-5 are connected to the optical waveguides 120-3 and 120-4, The antenna units 110-3 and 110-6 are connected to the optical waveguides 120-5 and 120-6. Thus, the antenna units 110 are cyclically connected to the optical waveguide 120 in a unit of three as a repeating unit. If the frequencies of the adjacent antenna units 110 are different by making the frequencies of the signals of the optical waveguides 120-1 and 120-2, the optical waveguides 120-3 and 120-4, and the optical waveguides 120-5 and 120-6 different. You Here, the number of antenna units 110 is six, but in the case of more antennas, the antenna units 110 may be similarly connected every three.

By doing this, the transmission signal propagating through the optical waveguide 120-2 is common to the plurality of antenna units 110 (here, the antenna units 110-1 and 110-4). The transmission signal propagating through the optical waveguide 120-4 is common to the plurality of antenna units 110 (here, the antenna units 110-2 and 110-5). The transmission signal propagating through the optical waveguide 120-6 is common to the plurality of antenna units 110 (here, the antenna units 110-3 and 110-6). Therefore, the wireless device 112 provided in each antenna unit 110 selects a transmission signal for each antenna unit 110 and controls the antenna element 111.

In the antenna unit 110-2, when the optical signal propagated through the optical waveguide 120-4 is input via the optical waveguide 120-42, the Tx optical transceiver 114 converts the optical signal into an electrical signal and transmits the electrical signal to the wireless device 112. Output. Then, the wireless device 112 generates an electric signal (transmission signal) to be transmitted by the antenna element 111 based on the electric signal input from the Tx optical transceiver 114, and outputs the electric signal to the antenna element 111. The antenna element 111 emits a radio wave by the transmission signal generated by the wireless device 112.

Further, the antenna element 111 converts the received radio wave into an electric signal (reception signal) and outputs the electric signal to the wireless device 112. The wireless device 112 generates an electrical signal (output signal) based on the reception signal input from the antenna element 111, and outputs the electrical signal to the Rx optical transceiver 115. The Rx optical transceiver 115 converts the input output signal into an optical signal, and outputs the optical signal to the optical waveguide 120-3 via the optical waveguide 120-32.

The photoelectric conversion device 113 propagates the optical waveguide 120-4 and further converts the optical signal for power input via the optical waveguide 120-42 into electric power, and the wireless device 112, the Tx optical transceiver 114, and the Rx light The signal is supplied to the transceiver 115. The wireless device 112, the Tx optical transceiver 114, and the Rx optical transceiver 115 operate by the power supplied by the photoelectric conversion device 113.

At this time, if the power of the radio wave transmitted by the antenna element 111 is small, the power supplied by the photoelectric conversion device 113 may be small. That is, by making the cell 13 smaller, the antenna unit 110 can be driven by light feeding. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide a path (electrical wiring) for supplying power. Further, even when power can not be supplied due to a disaster or the like, the antenna 100 can be operated when the optical signal can be supplied.

In addition, by providing the Tx optical transceiver 114 and the Rx optical transceiver 115 in the vicinity of the antenna element 111, power can be further reduced.

By installing the antenna 100 described above in the competition area 11 and the spectator area 12 of the stadium 10, the stadium antenna system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is realized. In addition, since the antenna 100 has flexibility as a whole as mentioned above, it can be wound up in a long direction. Therefore, the antenna 100 can be easily taken up in the long direction at the time of manufacturing, transported to the stadium 10 in that state, and spread easily in the competition area 11 and the spectator area 12 of the stadium 10. That is, construction of the antenna 100 is facilitated.

Then, the antenna 100 performs input and output of optical signals from one end (or both ends) of the long length, so that the length of the antenna 100 can be long as long as light can be transmitted by the optical waveguide 120. The length of the direction can be several hundred meters to several kilometers. This makes the installation of the antenna 100 easier.

In addition, since the antenna 100 has flexibility, the antenna 100 can be easily installed on a floor surface, a wall surface, a ceiling, or the like. Furthermore, it can be installed also on a portion having unevenness, a portion having a curved surface and a bent portion. The antenna 100 can be installed not only on the surface such as a floor surface, a wall surface, and a ceiling, but also below the floor, inside the wall, and in the ceiling.
And since the cell 13 which comprises the antenna 100 is small and it can install easily, it can be limited and installed only to the place which wants to transmit / receive a electromagnetic wave. In other words, the design of the radio wave space can be made flexible as needed.

As described above, when the frequency of the radio wave is increased, the area (communication area) of the cell 13 is reduced to reduce power compared to the case of using an antenna that covers a wide communication area.
Although the stadium antenna system 1 has been described here, the antenna 100 can also be applied to outdoor facilities such as an amusement park and a park.

Second Embodiment
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a theater antenna system 4 to which the second embodiment is applied. FIG. 6 is a view of the inside of the theater 50 as viewed from above. The theater 50 includes a stage 51 on which performance, performance, lecture and the like are performed, and a spectator area 52 in which a spectator seat for accommodating a performance, performance, lecture and the like audience is provided. In FIG. 6, the spectator area 52 faces one side of the square stage 51, but the spectator area 52 may be provided so as to face many sides of the stage 51. A plurality of cells 53 for transmitting and receiving radio waves are provided in the stage 51 and the audience area 52. The cells 53 are represented by circles. The cell 53 is set in the radio wave transmission / reception range of the antenna element 111 of the antenna 100 similar to that described in the first embodiment. In the stage 51, there are moving objects 54 owned by a performer who performs performance, performance, lecture and the like, and in the spectator area 52, there are a plurality of moving objects 55 owned by the spectator.

Here, in the stage 51, the cells 53 are provided on one side. Here, the cells 53 are arranged such that the centers of the adjacent cells 53 constitute an equilateral triangle so as to fill up the stage 51. By doing this, the antenna element of the cell 53 is the image of the performer's eyes from the moving body 54 possessed by the performer who performs the performance, the performance, the lecture, etc., for example, the camera attached to the performer's face or glasses. (Antenna element 111 shown in FIG. 5) is transmitted. Also, the performer can receive an instruction from a producer or the like by a small display (wearable display) or the like that he / she holds.

Further, in the spectator area 52, a plurality of cells 53 are provided so as to cover the seats of the spectators (audience seats). Here, as an example, one cell 53 is provided in six audience seats. By doing this, the spectators in the spectator seat can see the image of the performer's eyes by the moving object 55 possessed by them.

The cell 53 is configured by the antenna 100 described in the first embodiment. In the antenna 100 described in the first embodiment, the cell 13 may be the cell 53. Therefore, the detailed description is omitted.

As described above, when the frequency of the radio wave is increased, by reducing the area (communication area) of the cell 53, power consumption is reduced compared to the case of using an antenna that covers a wide communication area.

Third Embodiment
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the exhibition site antenna system 5 to which the third embodiment is applied. FIG. 7 is a view of the inside of the exhibition hall 60 as viewed from above. The exhibition hall 60 is an exhibition hall for industry such as a trade fair, and an art museum that displays paintings, crafts, and the like.

The exhibition hall 60 includes an exhibition area 61 where exhibitions and the like are displayed, and an audience area 62 where a spectator watching the exhibition passes. In FIG. 7, a plurality of cells 63 for transmitting and receiving radio waves are provided in the exhibition area 61 and the audience area 62. The cells 63 are represented by circles. The cell 63 is set in the transmission / reception range of radio waves of the antenna element 111 of the antenna 100 similar to that described in the first embodiment. And, the exhibit has a moving body 64 that transmits information for explaining the exhibit. Then, the spectator has a mobile unit 65 capable of receiving information.

Here, a cell 63 is provided on one side so as to cover the exhibition area 61 and the spectator area 62. By doing this, the spectator can see the information by receiving the information transmitted from the moving object 64 provided in the exhibit by the moving object 65 possessed by the spectator.

The cell 63 is configured by the antenna 100 described in the first embodiment. In the antenna 100 described in the first embodiment, the cell 13 may be the cell 63. Therefore, the detailed description is omitted.

As described above, when the frequency of the radio wave is increased, by reducing the area (communication area) of the cell 63, power consumption is reduced compared to the case of using an antenna that covers a wide communication area.

Fourth Embodiment
FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of a vehicle induction antenna system 6 to which the fourth embodiment is applied. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a road surface 70 on which a vehicle passes. The road surface 70 may be a freeway or a general road.

The road surface 70 includes a vehicle passing area 71 through which the vehicle passes and an antenna area 72 in which the antenna 100 is disposed. In the vehicle passing area 71, a vehicle functioning as a moving body 74 (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle 74) passes. The antenna area 72 is an area outside the vehicle passing area 71 provided along the vehicle passing area 71, that is, a so-called roadside zone. In the antenna area 72, the antenna 100 described in the first embodiment is provided in a band shape. Then, a cell 73 is configured from the antenna area 72 (the antenna unit 110 of the antenna 100 shown in FIG. 5) toward the vehicle passing area 71. The antenna area 72 may be provided on a wall such as a sound insulation wall. Also, the antenna area 72 may be provided in the vehicle passing area 71. That is, the vehicle 74 may travel on the antenna area 72.

By providing the cells 73 along the vehicle passing area 71 and communicating with the cells 73, the vehicle 74 can be guided along the road surface. That is, by advancing while communicating with the cell 73 provided along the vehicle passing area 71, the vehicle 74 can be guided while acquiring information in the direction in which the vehicle 74 travels. That is, automatic operation becomes possible.

According to the fourth embodiment, the vehicle itself recognizes the white line of the vehicle ahead or the road surface by the image, and while acquiring the information in the direction in which the vehicle 74 travels, as compared with the automatic driving that guides the own vehicle. By doing this, the vehicle 74 is more reliably guided. In particular, by providing the wireless device 112 having the function of an access point (AP), which is a master unit or a base station, together with the antenna element 111, between the wireless device 112 and the vehicle 74 which are considered essential for automatic driving of the vehicle 74. Enables high-speed, always-on connection and low-delay communication.

The cell 73 is configured by the antenna 100 described in the first embodiment. In the antenna 100 described in the first embodiment, the cell 13 may be the cell 73. Therefore, the detailed description is omitted.

As described above, when the frequency of the radio wave is increased, by reducing the area (communication area) of the cell 73, power consumption is reduced compared to the case of using an antenna that covers a wide communication area.

The first to fourth embodiments have been described above. However, various modifications may be made as long as the purpose of the present invention is not violated.

1, 2, 3 ... stadium antenna system, 4 ... theater antenna system, 5 ... exhibition antenna system, 6 ... vehicle induction antenna system, 10 ... stadium, 11 ... competition area, 12, 52, 62 ... audience area, 13, 21, 41, 53, 63, 73: cell, 14, 15, 54, 55, 64, 65: moving body, 16: audience seat, 20, 30: base station antenna, 40: super multi-element antenna, 50: theater , 51: stage (stage), 60: exhibition hall, 61: exhibition area, 70: road surface, 71: vehicle traffic area, 72: antenna area, 74: moving body (vehicle), 100: antenna, 110: antenna unit, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 111 ... Antenna element, 112 ... Wireless apparatus, 113 ... Photoelectric conversion apparatus, 114 ... Tx optical transceiver, 115 ... Rx optical transceiver, 120 ... Optical waveguide 130 ... connector 140 ... first film, 150 ... second film

Claims

Multiple antenna elements each transmitting and receiving radio waves;
An optical waveguide for propagating a signal for transmitting and receiving radio waves of the plurality of antenna elements;
A flexible first film and a flexible second film sandwiching and holding a plurality of the antenna elements and the optical waveguide;
Antenna with
The antenna according to claim 1, wherein adjacent antenna elements in the plurality of antenna elements transmit and receive radio waves of different frequencies.
The plurality of antenna elements are arrayed in a predetermined direction, and frequencies are cyclically set so that the frequencies of radio waves are different between adjacent antenna elements along the array. The antenna according to 1.
The antenna according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a cell in which communication is performed for each of the antenna elements is configured by radio waves transmitted and received by a plurality of the antenna elements.
The antenna according to claim 1, further comprising an interface circuit for converting an optical signal and an electrical signal between the optical waveguide and the antenna element.
The antenna according to claim 5, wherein the interface circuit is supplied with power via the optical waveguide.
The first film and the second film are both long members, and can be wound in the long direction in a state in which the antenna element and the optical waveguide are sandwiched. The antenna according to 1.
The antenna according to claim 7, wherein the light guide is provided along the longitudinal direction of the first film and the second film.
9. The optical waveguide according to claim 8, wherein a connecting portion for input and output of a signal is provided on an end side of the first film and the second film in the longitudinal direction. Antenna described.
9. The optical waveguide according to claim 8, wherein connection portions for input and output of signals are provided on both end sides in the longitudinal direction of the first film and the second film. Antenna described.
A stadium antenna system characterized in that the antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is provided in at least a part of a competition area in which a competition is performed and a spectator area for accommodating a spectator of the competition.
The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is provided on at least a part of a stage on which an act, a performance or a lecture is performed and a spectator area accommodating an audience of the performance, the performance or the lecture. A theater antenna system that features.
An antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is provided in at least a part of an exhibition area for displaying an exhibit and an audience area through which an audience watching the exhibition passes. Exhibition site antenna system.
An antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is provided along a road surface through which a vehicle passes.