JP6820813B2 - Antenna device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an antenna device.

For high-speed wireless access systems using electromagnetic waves in the 5 GHz band, IEEE802. Some are based on the standard of a. IEEE802. The high-speed wireless access system based on the standard a stabilizes the characteristics in a multipath fading environment by using an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) modulation method, and achieves a maximum throughput of 54 Mbit / s. It has been realized.

In addition, a high-speed wireless access system based on the 802.11n standard uses MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output), which performs space division multiplexing on the same wireless channel using multiple antennas, and two 20 MHz frequency channels at the same time. A maximum transmission speed of 600 Mbits / s is realized by using a channel bonding technology that utilizes a frequency channel of 40 MHz.

Further, in a high-speed wireless access system based on the IEEE802.11ac standard, a channel bonding technology that simultaneously uses four 20 MHz frequency channels and uses them as 80 MHz frequency channels, or a multi-user MIMO is used in the same wireless channel. By using the transmission technology of Spatial Division Multiple Access (SDMA) that simultaneously transmits to a plurality of wireless stations, wireless communication that is faster and more efficient than the IEEE802.11n standard is realized.

Further, in order to improve the transmission characteristics of the high-speed wireless access system, it is being studied to switch the directivity of the antenna used in the system. For example, a technique has been proposed in which an antenna device having a dipole antenna and a plurality of non-feeding elements is arranged in a base station and the directivity of the antenna device is switched by controlling the non-feeding elements (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). ). Then, the reception power of the mobile communication terminal can be increased by switching the directivity of the antenna device according to the communication environment of the mobile communication terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal that wirelessly communicates with the base station.

J. Cheng, M. Hashiguchi, K. Iigusa, T. Ohira, “Electronically steerable parasitic array radiator antenna for omni- and sector pattern forming applications to wireless ad hoc networks,” IEEE Proceedings Microwaves, antennas and propagation, vol.150, no.4, Aug. 2003.

In recent years, base stations have been installed at a high density in order to provide high communication quality. In such a communication environment, depending on the mobile communication terminal that wirelessly communicates with the base station, omnidirectional characteristics such as omnidirectional characteristics are suitable, and directional characteristics represented by sector characteristics (horizontal plane and vertical plane) are suitable. There is. However, in the prior art, it is difficult to control the directivity of the vertical plane at the same time as switching the directivity of the horizontal plane between the omni characteristic and the sector characteristic according to the communication environment.

An object of the present invention is to provide an antenna device capable of switching the directivity of a horizontal plane between omni characteristics and sector characteristics and controlling the directivity of a vertical plane.

The first invention relates to an antenna portion in which an antenna element and a plurality of non-feeding elements are arranged on a plane on a circumference having a predetermined radius centered on a position where the antenna element is arranged, and a non-feeding element. A first adjusting unit that is arranged and adjusts the length of the non-feeding element, and a second adjusting unit that adjusts the position of the non-feeding element in the direction perpendicular to the plane by the elevating part arranged on the non-feeding element. it shall be the feature of the provided.

In the second invention, in the first invention, the elevating part adjusts the position of the non-feeding element in the direction perpendicular to the plane in the range of 0.02 wavelength to 0.42 wavelength of the radio frequency used. It is characterized by.

According to the third invention, in the first invention or the second invention, when the directivity of the horizontal plane in the antenna portion is set to the omni characteristic, the length of the non-feeding element is set to the length of the other non-feeding element. When adjusting to the same length and making the directivity of the horizontal plane in the antenna part a sector characteristic, adjust the length of the non-feeding element according to the position of the non-feeding element and the direction in which the gain is maximized in the sector characteristic. It is characterized by that.

In the fourth invention, in the third invention, the second adjusting unit sets the position of at least one non-feeding element arranged in the direction in which the gain of the sector characteristic is maximized from the position of the other non-feeding element. It is characterized by adjusting to a position.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, a receiving unit that receives electromagnetic wave signals from each of a plurality of communication terminals via an antenna element, and a plurality of received communication terminals. The directivity of the measuring unit for measuring the received power of each signal and the antenna unit are sequentially set for each of the plurality of first directivities, and the measurement is performed by the measuring unit for each of the set plurality of first directivities. The first directivity to be set in the antenna unit is determined based on the received power received, and the first adjustment unit and the second adjustment unit are controlled so as to have the determined first directivity. It is characterized by further including a control unit.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, a receiving unit that receives electromagnetic wave signals from each of a plurality of communication terminals via an antenna element, and a plurality of received communication terminals. The directivity of the measuring unit for measuring the received power of each signal and the antenna unit are sequentially set for each of the plurality of first directivities, and the measurement is performed by the measuring unit for each of the set plurality of first directivities. The first directivity to be set in the antenna unit among the plurality of first directivities is determined based on the received power and the cell identifier indicating the cell in which the communication terminal is located included in each signal of the plurality of communication terminals. However, it is characterized by further including a first adjusting unit and a control unit that controls the second adjusting unit so as to have the determined first directivity.

According to the present invention, the directivity of the horizontal plane can be switched between the omni-characteristics and the sector characteristics, and the directivity of the vertical plane can be controlled.

It is a figure which shows one Embodiment of an antenna device. It is a figure which shows an example of the directivity of the antenna device shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows another example of the directivity of the antenna device shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows another example of the directivity of the antenna device shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows another example of the directivity of the antenna device shown in FIG. The relationship between the angle α between the direction of the beam showing the maximum gain of the directivity of the vertical plane in the antenna device shown in FIG. 1 and the positive X-axis direction and the amount of sliding by the elevating portion shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example. It is a figure which shows another embodiment of the antenna device. It is a figure which shows another embodiment of the antenna device. It is a figure which shows another embodiment of the antenna device. It is a figure which shows an example of the control device shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the measurement table shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the directivity setting process in the antenna device shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an antenna device.

The antenna device 100 shown in FIG. 1 is arranged in a base station, for example, and receives electromagnetic waves transmitted from a mobile communication terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal, and transmits electromagnetic waves of signals including data to the mobile communication terminal. To do. The antenna device 100 includes an antenna element 10, four non-feeding elements 20 (20 (1) -20 (4)), four elevating portions 30, and a coupling portion 40.

The antenna element 10 is, for example, a sleeve antenna and has an element length of half a wavelength in the Z-axis direction. Then, the antenna element 10 is arranged so as to extend in the Z-axis direction perpendicular to the XY plane of the horizontal plane. The antenna element 10 transmits a signal including data from the base station to the mobile communication terminal by electromagnetic waves via the coupling unit 40. Further, the antenna device 100 receives the electromagnetic wave transmitted from the mobile communication terminal and outputs the signal of the electromagnetic wave received via the coupling unit 40 to the base station. The antenna device 100 may be a dipole antenna or the like.

The non-feeding element 20 is arranged in the XY plane at equal intervals on the circumference of the radius R with the position where the antenna element 10 is arranged as the center. That is, the positions of the non-feeding elements 20 (1) -20 (4) are (R, 0), (0, R), (-R,) when the position of the antenna element 10 is the origin of the XY plane. 0) and (0, -R). The radius R is a free space wavelength that can reduce the influence of mutual coupling with the antenna element 10, and is set to a distance of one-eighth or more. Further, a plurality of non-feeding elements 20 other than four may be arranged. The antenna element 10 and the non-feeding element 20 operate as an antenna unit.

As shown in FIG. 1, the non-feeding element 20 (1) has, for example, metal members 21 and 22 such as columnar copper and a diode 23. The metal member 21 and the metal member 22 are connected to each other via a diode 23, and the non-feeding element 20 (1) has an element length according to a voltage applied from a power source included in the antenna device 100 or a base station. It will be adjusted. For example, the non-feeding element 20 (1) has an element length of the length of the metal member 21 when no voltage is applied to the diode 23, and operates as a director of the antenna element 10. On the other hand, the non-feeding element 20 (1) has an element length of the length of the metal member 21 and the metal member 22 when a voltage is applied to the diode 23, and operates as a reflector of the antenna element 10.

The element length (length of the metal member 21) of the non-feeding element 20 when operating as a director is adjusted to 0.4 wavelength in the free space wavelength. When the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is 5 GHz, the 0.4 wavelength is about 24 mm. Further, the element length of the non-feeding element 20 when operating as a reflector is adjusted to 0.58 wavelength in the free space wavelength. When the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is 5 GHz, the 0.58 wavelength is about 32 mm. It is preferable that the lengths of the metal members 21 and 22 are appropriately determined according to the communication environment in which the base station is arranged, the location where the base station is installed, and the like.

The non-feeding element 20 (2) -20 (4) also has the same elements as the non-feeding element 20 (1) and operates in the same manner as the non-feeding element 20 (1).

Further, instead of the diode 23, a switch device for switching the element length of the non-feeding element 20 may be used. The diode 23 is an example of the first adjusting unit.

The elevating unit 30 is an elevator or the like, and moves the position of the non-feeding element 20 with respect to the antenna element 10 in the Z-axis direction based on a control instruction from a control unit such as a processor included in the antenna device 100 or the base station. Let me. For example, the elevating unit 30 moves the non-feeding element 20 in a slide amount range of 0.02 wavelength to 0.42 wavelength (when the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is 5 GHz, about 1 mm to about 25 mm). As a result, the antenna device 100 can control the directivity in the vertical direction as well as the directivity in the horizontal plane. The elevating part 30 is an example of the second adjusting part.

The coupling portion 40 is an antenna connector or the like, and connects the antenna device 100 and the base station with a coaxial cable or the like. Then, the coupling unit 40 outputs the signal of the electromagnetic wave received by the antenna device 100 to the base station, and outputs the signal including the data from the base station to the antenna device 100.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the directivity of the antenna device 100 shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows a case where the directivity of the horizontal plane of the antenna device 100 becomes an omni characteristic by operating all the non-feeding elements 20 as waveguides without applying a voltage to the diodes 23 of each non-feeding element 20. The result of the simulation is shown. In the simulation of FIG. 2, the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is set to 5 GHz, and the slide amount by the elevating unit 30 is set to 0 mm.

FIG. 2A shows the directivity in the vertical plane (XZ plane) with a broken line. FIG. 2B shows the directivity in the horizontal plane (XY plane) with a broken line. As shown in FIG. 2A, the directivity of the vertical plane of the antenna device 100 shows a beam pattern similar to that of a sleeve antenna, that is, a half-wave dipole antenna. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2B, the directivity of the vertical plane of the antenna device 100 shows omnidirectionality, that is, omni-characteristics.

FIG. 3 shows another example of the directivity of the antenna device 100 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows the directivity of the horizontal plane of the antenna device 100 by operating all the non-feeding elements 20 as directors without applying a voltage to the diode 23 of each non-feeding element 20 as in the case of FIG. The result of the simulation when the sex becomes the omni characteristic is shown. In the simulation of FIG. 3, the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is set to 5 GHz, and the slide amount by the elevating unit 30 is set to 10 mm. That is, the non-feeding element 20 moves 10 mm in the positive Z-axis direction.

FIG. 3A shows the directivity in the vertical plane with a broken line, and FIG. 3B shows the directivity in the horizontal plane with a broken line. As shown in FIG. 3A, the directivity of the vertical plane of the antenna device 100 is compared with the directivity shown in FIG. 2A by moving the non-feeding element 20 by 10 mm in the positive Z-axis direction. Therefore, the angle α (about 25 degrees) decreases in the negative Z-axis direction with respect to the positive X-axis direction. That is, the antenna device 100 can control the directivity of the vertical surface by moving the position of the non-feeding element 20 in the Z-axis direction by the elevating unit 30. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the directivity of the vertical plane of the antenna device 100 shows omni-characteristics similar to the directivity shown in FIG. 2 (b).

FIG. 4 shows another example of the directivity of the antenna device 100 shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, the non-feeding element 20 (1) operates as a director without applying a voltage to the diode 23, and the non-feeding element 20 (2) -20 (4) applies a voltage to the diode 23. The result of the simulation in the case where the directivity of the horizontal plane of the antenna device 100 becomes the sector characteristic oriented in the positive X-axis direction by operating as a repeater is shown. In the simulation of FIG. 4, the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is set to 5 GHz, and the slide amount by the elevating unit 30 is set to 0 mm.

FIG. 4A shows the directivity in the vertical plane with a broken line, and FIG. 4B shows the directivity in the horizontal plane with a broken line. As shown in FIG. 4A, the antenna device 100 has a beam pattern showing the maximum gain in the positive X-axis direction as the directivity of the vertical plane. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, the antenna device 100 has a sector characteristic of a beam pattern showing the maximum gain in the positive X-axis direction as the directivity of the horizontal plane.

FIG. 5 shows another example of the directivity of the antenna device 100 shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, as in the case of FIG. 4, the non-feeding element 20 (1) operates as a director without applying a voltage to the diode 23, and the non-feeding elements 20 (2) -20 (4) The result of the simulation in the case where the directivity of the horizontal plane of the antenna device 100 becomes the sector characteristic oriented in the positive X-axis direction by applying a voltage to the diode 23 and operating as a reflector is shown. In the simulation of FIG. 5, the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is set to 5 GHz, and the slide amount by the elevating unit 30 is set to 10 mm. That is, the non-feeding element 20 moves 10 mm in the positive Z-axis direction.

FIG. 5 (a) shows the directivity in the vertical plane with a broken line, and FIG. 5 (b) shows the directivity in the horizontal plane with a broken line. As shown in FIG. 5A, in the antenna device 100, the non-feeding element 20 moves 10 mm in the positive Z-axis direction, so that the antenna device 100 moves in the positive X-axis direction as compared with the case of FIG. 4A. The beam pattern showing the maximum gain is provided as the directivity of the vertical plane in the direction in which the angle α (about 10 degrees) is lowered in the negative Z-axis direction. That is, the antenna device 100 can control the directivity of the vertical surface by moving the position of the non-feeding element 20 in the Z-axis direction by the elevating unit 30. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, the antenna device 100 has the same sector characteristics as in FIG. 4B in the horizontal plane.

The elevating unit 30 does not have to move at least one non-feeding element 20 (1) that operates as a director and does not move the non-feeding element 20 (2) -20 (4) that operates as a reflector. Good. That is, the antenna device 100 is the same as in FIG. 5 by moving the non-feeding element 20 (1) arranged in the positive Z-axis direction that maximizes the gain of the sector characteristic shown in FIG. 4 in the Z-axis direction. The directivity of the vertical plane can be controlled.

FIG. 6 shows the angle α formed between the direction of the beam showing the maximum gain of the directivity of the vertical plane in the antenna device 100 shown in FIG. 1 and the positive X-axis direction, and the elevating portion 30 shown in FIG. An example of the relationship with the slide amount is shown. FIG. 6A shows the result of a simulation of the relationship between the angle α and the slide amount when the directivity of the horizontal plane is an omni-characteristic. FIG. 6B shows the result of a simulation of the relationship between the angle α and the slide amount when the directivity of the horizontal plane is a sector characteristic. The vertical axis of FIG. 6 indicates the angle α, and the horizontal axis indicates the slide amount. Further, in the simulation of FIG. 6, the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is set to 5 GHz.

As shown in FIG. 6A, when the directivity of the horizontal plane has an omni-characteristic characteristic, the angle α also increases proportionally as the slide amount increases from 0 mm to 30 mm. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the directivity of the horizontal plane is a sector characteristic, the angle α also increases proportionally as the slide amount increases from 0 mm to 30 mm. As a result, the elevating unit 30 moves the position of the non-feeding element 20 in the Z-axis direction, so that the antenna device 100 can control the directivity of the vertical surface.

As described above, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the antenna device 100 can control the directivity of the horizontal plane to the omni-characteristic or the sector characteristic by controlling the element length of the non-feeding element 20. Further, the antenna device 100 controls the directivity of the horizontal plane to omni characteristics or sector characteristics and controls the directivity of the vertical plane by moving the non-feeding element 20 in the Z-axis direction by using the elevating unit 30. it can.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the antenna device. Elements having the same or similar functions as those described in FIG. 1 are designated by the same or similar reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The antenna device 100A shown in FIG. 7 is arranged in, for example, a base station, receives electromagnetic waves transmitted from a mobile communication terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal, and transmits electromagnetic waves of signals including data to the mobile communication terminal. To do. The antenna device 100A includes an antenna element 10, four non-feeding elements 20a (20a (1) -20a (4)), four elevating portions 30, and a coupling portion 40.

Similar to the non-feeding element 20 shown in FIG. 1, the non-feeding elements 20a are arranged at equal intervals on the circumference of the radius R with the position where the antenna element 10 is arranged as the center. That is, the positions of the non-feeding elements 20a (1) -20a (4) are (R, 0), (0, R), (-R,) when the position of the antenna element 10 is the origin of the XY plane. 0) and (0, -R). The radius R is a free space wavelength that can reduce the influence of mutual coupling with the antenna element 10, and is set to a distance of one-eighth or more. Further, a plurality of non-feeding elements 20a other than the four may be arranged.

As shown in FIG. 7, the non-feeding element 20a (1) has, for example, metal members 21a, 22a, 22b such as columnar copper, and diodes 23a, 23b. The metal member 21a and the metal member 22a are connected via a diode 23a, and the metal member 21a and the metal member 22b are connected via a diode 23b. Then, the diodes 23a and 23b adjust the element length of the non-feeding element 20a (1) by changing the capacitance according to the voltage applied from the power source of the antenna device 100 or the base station. That is, the diodes 23a and 23b are used as variable capacitance devices. The diodes 23a and 23b are examples of the first adjusting unit.

When the non-feeding element 20a (1) operates as a director, the voltage applied to the diodes 23a and 23b is adjusted so that the element length becomes 0.4 wavelength in the free space wavelength. It will be adjusted. Further, when the non-feeding element 20a (1) operates as a reflector, the voltage applied to the diodes 23a and 23b is adjusted so that the element length becomes 0.58 wavelength in the free space wavelength. Will be done.

The lengths of the metal members 21a, 22a, and 22b are preferably determined as appropriate according to the communication environment in which the base station is arranged, the location where the base station is installed, and the like.

Further, the non-feeding element 20a (2) -20a (4) also has the same elements as the non-feeding element 20a (1) and operates in the same manner as the non-feeding element 20a (1).

The directivity of the antenna device 100A is the same as the directivity of the antenna device 100 shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the antenna device 100A can control the directivity of the horizontal plane to omni-characteristics or sector characteristics by controlling the element length of the non-feeding element 20a. Further, the antenna device 100A controls the directivity of the horizontal plane to omni characteristics or sector characteristics and controls the directivity of the vertical plane by moving the non-feeding element 20a in the Z-axis direction by using the elevating unit 30. it can.

FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the antenna device. Elements having the same or similar functions as those described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 7 are designated by the same or similar reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The antenna device 100B shown in FIG. 8 is arranged in, for example, a base station, receives electromagnetic waves transmitted from a mobile communication terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal, and transmits electromagnetic waves of signals including data to the mobile communication terminal. To do. The antenna device 100B includes antenna elements 10, four non-feeding elements 20b (20b (1) -20b (4)), and a coupling portion 40.

Similar to the non-feeding element 20 shown in FIG. 1, the non-feeding elements 20b are arranged at equal intervals on the circumference of the radius R with the position where the antenna element 10 is arranged as the center. The radius R is set to a distance of one-eighth or more in free space wavelength that can reduce the influence of mutual coupling with the antenna element 10. Further, a plurality of non-feeding elements 20b other than the four may be arranged.

As shown in FIG. 8, the non-feeding element 20b (1) has, for example, metal members 21a, 22a, 22b such as columnar copper, and a diode 23c (23c (1) -23c (6)). The metal member 21a and the metal member 22a are connected via a diode 23c (1) -23c (3) connected in series, and the metal member 21a and the metal member 22b are connected in series with a diode 23c (4). ) -23c (6). Then, the diode 23c adjusts the element length of the non-feeding element 20a (1) by changing the capacitance according to the voltage applied from the antenna device 100B or the power supply of the base station. That is, the diode 23c is used as a variable capacitance device. The diode 23c is an example of the first adjusting unit.

Further, by arranging the six diodes 23c in the Z-axis direction, the diodes 23c operate on and off in response to the application of a voltage from the antenna device 100B or the power supply of the base station, so that the non-feeding element 20b (1) The position of is moved in the Z-axis direction. The diode 23c is an example of the second adjusting unit.

For example, when the non-feeding element 20b (1) is operated as a director having a slide amount of 0 mm, a voltage is applied to each of the diodes 23c (4) and 23c (5) so that the element length is 0.4 wavelength. Is adjusted and applied. Further, when the non-feeding element 20b (1) is operated as a reflector having a slide amount of 0 mm, a voltage is applied to each of the diodes 23c (4) and 23c (5) so that the element length becomes 0.58 wavelength. Adjust and apply. No voltage is applied to at least the diodes 23c (3) and 23c (6). As a result, the effective length of the non-feeding element 20b (1) is set between the diode 23c (3) and the diode 23c (6).

Further, when the non-feeding element 20b (1) is operated as a director moved in the positive Z-axis direction, for example, the diodes 23c (2) and 23c (3) are arranged so that the element length is 0.4 wavelength. ) Is adjusted and applied to each of them. That is, the non-feeding element 20b (1) moves in the positive Z-axis direction by the amount of two slides of the diodes 23c (5) and 23c (6). Further, when the non-feeding element 20b (1) is operated as a reflector moved in the positive Z-axis direction, the diodes 23c (2) and 23c (3) have a length of 0.58 wavelengths. The voltage is adjusted and applied to each. No voltage is applied to at least the diodes 23c (1) and 23c (4). As a result, the effective length of the non-feeding element 20b (1) is set between the diode 23c (1) and the diode 23c (4).

In addition, a plurality of diodes 23c other than the six may be arranged. As the number of diodes 23c increases, the amount of slide that moves the non-feeding element 20b (1) in the Z-axis direction can be finely controlled.

Further, the non-feeding element 20b (2) -20b (4) also has the same elements as the non-feeding element 20b (1) and operates in the same manner as the non-feeding element 20b (1).

The directivity of the antenna device 100B is the same as the directivity of the antenna device 100 shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the antenna device 100B can control the directivity of the horizontal plane to omni-characteristics or sector characteristics by controlling the element length of the non-feeding element 20b. Further, the antenna device 100B can control the directivity of the horizontal plane to the omni characteristic or the sector characteristic and control the directivity of the vertical plane by moving the non-feeding element 20b in the Z-axis direction by using the diode 23c. ..

FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the antenna device. Elements having the same or similar functions as those described in FIG. 1 are designated by the same or similar reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The antenna device 100C shown in FIG. 9 is arranged at a base station, for example, like the antenna device 100 shown in FIG. 1, and receives electromagnetic waves transmitted from a mobile communication terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, and also receives electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic wave of the signal including the data is transmitted to the mobile communication terminal. The antenna device 100C includes an antenna element 10, four non-feeding elements 20 (20 (1) -20 (4)), four elevating parts 30, a coupling part 40, and a control device 50.

The control device 50 is a computer device having an arithmetic processing unit such as a processor and a storage unit such as a memory. For example, the control device 50 controls each element of the antenna device 100C by the arithmetic processing unit executing a program stored in the storage unit based on a control instruction from the base station.

FIG. 10 shows an example of the control device 50 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the control device 50 includes a receiving unit 60, a measuring unit 70, a control unit 80, and a storage unit 90.

The receiving unit 60 receives, for example, an electromagnetic wave signal from the mobile communication terminal received by the antenna element 10 via the coupling unit 40.

The measuring unit 70 measures the received power of the signal received by the receiving unit 60. In addition, the measuring unit 70 acquires position information indicating the position of the mobile communication terminal added to the received signal. Then, the measuring unit 70 stores, for example, the received power and position information of the mobile communication terminal and the identification information indicating the mobile communication terminal together with the directivity information indicating the directivity set in the antenna device 100C. Is output to and stored in the measurement table MT.

The control unit 80 is a processor or the like, and operates by executing a program stored in the storage unit 90. For example, when setting the directivity of the antenna device 100C, the control unit 80 sequentially sets a plurality of predetermined directivities in the antenna device 100C. The control unit 80 causes the measurement unit 70 to measure the received power of the signal from the mobile communication terminal in each directivity, and stores the measurement table MT. Then, the control unit 80 determines the directivity of the antenna device 100C with reference to the measurement table MT. The control unit 80 outputs a control instruction for setting the determined directivity to the diode 23 of the non-feeding element 20 and the elevating unit 30. The operation of the control unit 80 will be described with reference to FIG.

The storage unit 90 is a memory or the like, and stores a program executed by the processor or the like, a measurement table MT, or the like. The measurement table MT will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 11 shows an example of the measurement table MT shown in FIG. The measurement table MT has a directivity region RA that holds the directivity of the horizontal plane, a slide amount region RB that holds the slide amount, and a terminal region R1- that holds the received power and position of each of the N mobile communication terminals. Has RN.

The directivity region RA stores "omni-characteristics" indicating the directivity of the horizontal plane set by the control unit 80 in the antenna device 100C, and "sector 1" and "sector M" of M sector characteristics. For example, when the control unit 80 refers to the measurement table MT and selects “omni-characteristics” from the directivity region RA, the diode 23 is used to operate each non-feeding element 20 of the antenna device 100C as a director. A control instruction for not applying a voltage to the power supply element 20 is output to the diode 23 of each non-feeding element 20. Further, when "sector 1" is selected from the directivity region RA, the control unit 80 waveguides among the non-feeding elements 20 of the antenna device 100C according to the directivity of the horizontal plane set in "sector 1". It outputs a control instruction that does not apply a voltage to the diode 23 of the non-feeding element 20 that operates as a device. Further, the control unit 80 outputs a control instruction for applying a voltage to the diode 23 of the non-feeding element 20 that operates as a reflector.

In the slide amount region RB, the slide amount in the positive Z-axis direction set by the control unit 80 with respect to the elevating unit 30 of the antenna device 100C is stored for each directivity stored in the directivity region RA. In the slide amount region RB shown in FIG. 11, for example, the slide amount is stored in a value in the range of 0 mm to 30 mm at a predetermined interval such as 5 mm. Then, the control unit 80 refers to the measurement table MT, selects the directivity of the horizontal plane from the directivity region RA, selects the slide amount from the slide amount region RB, and instructs the movement of the selected slide amount. Is output to each elevating unit 30.

The terminal area RC1-RCN stores the received power and position of signals from each of the N mobile communication terminals measured by the measuring unit 70 in each directivity of the directivity area RA set in the antenna device 100C. Will be done. It should be noted that each of the N mobile communication terminals may remain in the same position while the directivity of the antenna device 100C changes sequentially, and one mobile communication terminal has one directivity of the antenna device 100C. You may move to each of the N positions while it is set to one. Further, the mobile communication terminal may be a mobile communication terminal of a general user, or may be a communication terminal of a communication carrier used for measurement and registered in advance.

FIG. 12 shows an example of the directivity setting process in the antenna device 100C shown in FIG. The process shown in FIG. 12 may be executed when the antenna device 100C is provided in the base station, or may be executed every predetermined period such as one year.

In step S100, the control unit 80 refers to, for example, the measurement table MT shown in FIG. 11 and sets one directivity among a plurality of directivities in which the directivity region RA and the slide amount region RB are combined. Set to 100C. The plurality of directivities in which the directivity region RA and the slide amount region RB are combined are an example of the plurality of first directivities.

In step S110, the measuring unit 70 measures the received power of the signal from each of the N received mobile communication terminals via the antenna device 100C having the directivity set in step S100. Then, the measuring unit 70 outputs the received power and position information of the mobile communication terminal and the identification information indicating the mobile communication terminal to the storage unit 90 together with the directivity information indicating the directivity set in the antenna device 100C. And store it in the measurement table MT.

In step S120, the control unit 80 determines whether or not there is the next directivity to be set in the antenna device 100C among the plurality of directivities in which the directivity region RA and the slide amount region RB are combined. If there is the following directivity, the process of the antenna device 100C moves to step S100. On the other hand, when there is no next directivity, that is, when all of the plurality of directivities are set in the antenna device 100C, the processing of the antenna device 100C proceeds to step S130.

In step S130, the control unit 80 refers to the measurement table MT stored in the storage unit 90 and determines the directivity of the antenna device 100C. For example, the control unit 80 acquires the received power of the communication terminal of the communication carrier registered in advance in the measurement table MT. Then, the control unit 80 extracts the directivity and the slide amount of the horizontal plane when the received power shows the maximum value from the directivity region RA and the slide amount region RB in the communication terminal of the telecommunications carrier. The control unit 80 determines the extracted directivity and the slide amount to be the directivity set in the antenna device 100C.

The control unit 80 may extract the directivity and the slide amount of the horizontal plane when the received power shows the minimum value from the directivity region RA and the slide amount region RB in the communication terminal of the telecommunications carrier. As a result, the control unit 80 can reduce the influence of interference and the like on other adjacent base stations, and can improve the communication quality.

In step S140, the control unit 80 outputs a control instruction for setting the determined directivity to the diode 23 of the non-feeding element 20 and the elevating unit 30.

Then, the antenna device 100C ends the setting process.

The control device 50 can also execute the setting process shown in FIG. 12 for the antenna device 100A shown in FIG. 7 and the antenna device 100B shown in FIG. 8 as in the case of the antenna device 100C.

Further, the control device 50 determines the directivity of the antenna device 100C based on the received power of the signals from the plurality of mobile communication terminals received via the antenna device 100C, but the control device 50 is not limited to this. For example, the base station is IEEE802. When wirelessly communicating with a mobile communication terminal based on a standard such as ax, a cell identifier indicating which base station cell the mobile communication terminal is located in is added to the signal from the mobile communication terminal. In this case, the control device 50 may generate a table in which the received power in each directivity is stored for each cell identifier instead of the mobile communication terminal. Then, for example, the control device 50 uses the generated table to determine the directivity of the antenna device 100C that maximizes or minimizes the received power with respect to the cell identifier added to the signal of the communication terminal of the communication carrier registered in advance. You may decide. As a result, the control device 50 can reduce the influence of interference and the like on other adjacent base stations, and can improve the communication quality.

As described above, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 to 12, the antenna device 100C can control the directivity of the horizontal plane to the omni-characteristic or the sector characteristic by controlling the element length of the non-feeding element 20b. Further, the antenna device 100C controls the directivity of the horizontal plane to omni characteristics or sector characteristics and controls the directivity of the vertical plane by moving the non-feeding element 20b in the Z-axis direction by using the elevating unit 30. it can.

The above detailed description will clarify the features and advantages of the embodiments. It is intended that the claims extend to the features and advantages of the embodiments as described above, without departing from their spirit and scope of rights. Also, anyone with ordinary knowledge in the art should be able to easily come up with any improvements or changes. Therefore, there is no intention to limit the scope of the embodiments having invention to those described above, and it is possible to rely on suitable improvements and equivalents included in the scope disclosed in the embodiments.

10 ... Antenna element; 20 (1) -20 (4), 20a (1) -20a (4), 20b (1) -20b (4) ... Passive element; 21,21a, 22, 22a, 22b ... Metal Members; 23, 23a, 23b, 23c (1) -23c (6) ... Diode; 30 ... Elevating part; 40 ... Coupling part; 50 ... Control device; 60 ... Receiver part; 70 ... Measuring unit; 80 ... Control unit; 90 ... Storage unit; 100, 100A, 100B, 100C ... Antenna device; MT ... Measurement table

Claims (6)

An antenna unit in which an antenna element and a plurality of non-feeding elements are arranged on a plane on a circumference having a predetermined radius centered on a position where the antenna element is arranged.
A first adjusting unit arranged on the non-feeding element and adjusting the length of the non-feeding element,
An antenna device including a second adjusting unit that adjusts the position of the non-feeding element in a direction perpendicular to the plane by an elevating unit arranged on the non-feeding element. In the antenna device according to claim 1,
The elevating part is an antenna device that adjusts the position of the non-feeding element in a direction perpendicular to the plane in the range of 0.02 wavelength to 0.42 wavelength of the radio frequency used . In the antenna device according to claim 1 or 2.
When the directivity of the horizontal plane in the antenna portion is set to the omni characteristic, the first adjusting unit adjusts the length of the non-feeding element to be the same as the length of other non-feeding elements, and directs the horizontal plane in the antenna portion. An antenna device characterized in that the length of the non-feeding element is adjusted according to the position of the non-feeding element and the direction in which the gain is maximized in the sector characteristic when the property is set to the sector characteristic. In the antenna device according to claim 3,
The second adjusting unit is characterized in that the position of at least one of the non-feeding elements arranged in the direction in which the gain of the sector characteristic is maximized is adjusted to a position different from the position of the other non-feeding elements. Antenna device. In the antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
A receiving unit that receives electromagnetic wave signals from each of a plurality of communication terminals via the antenna element, and
A measuring unit that measures the received power of each of the received signals of the plurality of communication terminals,
The directivity of the antenna unit is sequentially set for each of the plurality of first directivity, and the plurality of antenna units are based on the received power measured by the measuring unit in each of the set first directivity. Of the first directivity of the above, the first directivity to be set in the antenna unit is determined, and the control unit that controls the first adjustment unit and the second adjustment unit so as to have the determined first directivity. An antenna device characterized by further providing. In the antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
A receiving unit that receives electromagnetic wave signals from each of a plurality of communication terminals via the antenna element, and
A measuring unit that measures the received power of each of the received signals of the plurality of communication terminals,
The directivity of the antenna unit is sequentially set for each of the plurality of first directivity, and the received power measured by the measuring unit in each of the set first directivity and the plurality of communications. The first directivity to be set in the antenna portion among the plurality of first directivities is determined and determined based on the cell identifier indicating the cell in which the communication terminal is located, which is included in each of the signals of the terminal. An antenna device further comprising a first adjusting unit and a control unit that controls the second adjusting unit so as to have the first directivity.

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