WO1991003846A1

WO1991003846A1 - Microstrip antenna system

Info

Publication number: WO1991003846A1
Application number: PCT/JP1990/000881
Authority: WO
Inventors: Toshikiyo Hirata; Yujiro Taguchi
Original assignee: Toyo Communication Equipment Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 1989-09-08
Filing date: 1990-07-09
Publication date: 1991-03-21
Also published as: AU5937190A; GB9107099D0; GB2243492B; CA2037911C; JPH0396105A; CA2037911A1; AU637119B2; GB2243492A; JP2939561B2

Abstract

When the beams are to be formed in the directions of switching points of the microstrip array plates, two microstrip array plates associated with the switching points are used, and deviation in the phase caused by the arrangement of the two is corrected using a half-fixed phase shifter. Therefore, sufficiently large gain is obtained in all directions inclusive of boundary directions in each of the portions of the antenna array in which the gain was very small so far.

Description

Satsuki Itoda ¾

Microstrip antenna system

Technical field

The present invention relates to a microstrip antenna system capable of obtaining a substantially uniform antenna gain in all directions.

ft landscape technology

For communication systems mounted on airplanes and land vehicles, research has been conducted on systems that communicate using artificial satellites as relays J3.Microstrip antennas are used as antennas for this purpose. Small and light S: Promising for its advantages.

Figure 9 shows the microstrip antenna used in such a system.

-It is a perspective view which shows an example.

The micro-street and sable antenna shown in this figure are used, for example, mounted on the fuselage of an aircraft, and are arranged in a fairing (radome) 102 mounted on the base 101. It has a frame 103 and two microstrip array plates 104, 105 mounted on the frame 103.

Each microstrip array plate 104, 105 is composed of a substrate 106 made of a low dielectric material, and a ground surface 107 formed on the back surface of the substrate 106. And a plurality of excitation elements 08 formed on the surface of the substrate 106.

Then, each microstrip array plate is supplied to each of the excitation elements 108 or the phase received by the excitation elements 108 is phase-shifted by a predetermined amount by a phase shifter (not shown). The directivity is reduced in the range of 180 degrees in the facing direction, and two micro strips on the left and right allow communication in all directions. ing.

However, in such a microstrip antenna in which the two array antennas are centered, as shown in Fig. 10, the scanning angle from the vertical direction of each microstrip array plate 104, 105 is determined. Although a gain of + min can be obtained in an area where the scanning angle is small, the gain cannot be sufficiently secured when the scanning angle is large, so that there is a disadvantage that communication in the direction becomes difficult.

Accordingly, the present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional microstrip antenna, and provides a microstrip antenna system capable of securing a sufficient gain in each direction. It is an object.

Disclosure of the invention

In order to achieve the above object, in the microstrip antenna system according to the present invention, a plurality of microstrip array plates arranged to face each other in at least four directions of front, rear, left and right, and each of these microstrip array plates. A selection circuit for selecting and operating one or more of a story and a sub array plate.

Therefore, according to the present invention, a substantially uniform and sufficient antenna gain can be obtained in all directions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a side view showing one embodiment of a microstrip antenna system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the microstrip antenna system shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing details of the frame shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing details of the microstrip array plate shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a circuit example of the embodiment. Fig. 6 shows the radiation characteristics of each microstrip array plate used in the ^^ embodiment, Fig. 7 shows the calibration diagram for explaining the radiation characteristics of the protruding embodiment, and Fig. 8 FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventionally known microstory and Sop antenna, and FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the characteristics of the microstrip antenna shown in FIG. '

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment.

The microstrip antenna shown in these figures is mounted on the upper surface of the body rest of an aircraft, for example, and is used by being stored between the base 1 and the fitting 2 mounted thereon. I, a triangular prism-shaped frame 3, two microstrip array plates 4 and 5 fixed to the sides of the frame 3, and microstrips fixed to the front and rear portions of the frame 3. It has a tri-array and a so-called array plate 6 and 7.

As shown in FIG. 3, the frame 3 has a front frame 8 fixed to the upper body 1 and four mounting frames 9 to 12 projecting obliquely upward on the bottom frame. The microstrip array plates 4 to 7 are mounted on the mounting frames 9 to 12, respectively, and fixed. The mounting frames 9 and 10 located on the side have trapezoids with punched insides, and the mounting frames 11 and 12 located in front and back have a triangular shape with punched insides.

As shown in FIG. 4, the microstrip array plates 4, 5, 6, and 7 are composed of a substrate 13 made of a low dielectric material or the like, and a ground surface formed on the top surface of the substrate 13. And a plurality of excitation elements 15 formed on the surface of the substrate 13.

Note that the front and rear microstrip array plates 6 and 7 are different from the front-side microstrip array plates 4 and 5 in area and number of excitation elements. These microstory and soffary plates are, for example, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 described above. As shown in the figure, it is arranged on the roof of the house in a sloping manner in all directions.

Each excitation element 15 and ground plane 14 of each of the microstrip array plates 4 to 7 is connected to the distribution / combination circuit shown in FIG.

The distribution and synthesis circuits shown in the figure correspond to the left and right distribution coupling circuits 18 and 19, the front distribution coupling circuit 20 and the front distribution coupling circuit 19, respectively, corresponding to the microstrip array plates 4 to 7 respectively. A rear distribution / coupling circuit 22 is provided, and these are connected to a transceiver (not shown) via the selection circuit 22.

The distributing / coupling circuits 18 to 21 include a plurality of phase shifters 23 connected to each excitation of the microstrip array plate, and a distributing coupler 2 connected to each of these phase shifters 23. 4, a fixed phase shifter 25 for adjusting the phase shift of the input / output ^ of the distribution coupler 24, and a switching switch 26 connected to the semi-fixed phase shifter 25. It has a distribution coupler 27 connected to the switching switch 26 and the selection circuit 22. Each of the phase shifters 23 is a part for controlling the directivity of the entire antenna by adjusting the phase of the transmission / reception signal input / output with respect to each excitation element of the microstrip array plate. When a plurality of transmissions are supplied from the exciter 24, the phases are adjusted and supplied to the respective excitation elements 15 and the phases of the β ′ signals received from the respective excitation elements 15 are adjusted. _Ηする Feeds to distribution coupler 24.

When a transmission signal is supplied from the semi-fixed phase shifter 25, the distribution coupler 24 distributes the transmission signal to each of the phase shifters 23 and receives the transmission signal from each of the phase shifters 23. Are supplied and supplied to the semi-fixed phase shifter 25 as one receiver β -3.

In this embodiment, the directivity is run to the left and right around the direction orthogonal to each other using each microstrip antenna above II. From the top view of Fig. 7, from the bottom square center In each vertex angle direction, adjacent antennas are used, and both directional characteristics are combined and used.

: In this case, the fixed phase shifter 25 compensates for the phase shift due to the difference in the directions of the two antennas, etc., and the phase of the micro strip array plate and the micro strip array plate adjacent thereto are set. For example, by adjusting the phase of 4 or 5) for the array 6 and synthesizing the signals received by each excitation element 1 B of each micro strip plate, the phase The shift of the phase of this transmission when the transmission is supplied from the switching switch 26 is supplied to the distribution coupler 24 when the transmission is supplied from the switching switch 26. When a reception signal is supplied from the distribution coupler 24, the phase of the reception signal is shifted and supplied to the front switch 26.

The switching switch 26 has a common terminal 26a connected to the semi-fixed phase shifter 25, a terminal 26b connected to the selection circuit 22 and, for example, a front distribution coupling circuit 20. An end connected to the splitter / coupler 27: F26c and a terminal 26d connected to the splitter 27 in the right splitter / coupling circuit 19, depending on the directivity direction of the antenna Connect the common terminal 26a to any one of the terminals -26b to 26d.

Further, the distribution coupler 27 is a part that performs distribution coupling of transmission and reception signals when directing the directivity to the adjacent directions of the two microstrip array plates, and combines input and output signals of adjacent arrays. It is for distribution.

Further, the selection circuit 22 is connected to the common terminal 72 2a connected to the transmitter / receiver and to the switching switch 26 of the front / left / front and front / rear division coupling circuits 18 to 21. Terminals 30, 32, 34, 36, and selection terminals 31, 33, 35, 37 connected to distribution coupler 27 are provided.Common terminal 22 a according to the direction of the finger To any of the terminals 30 to 37. Next, the operation principle of this embodiment and the β-body operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.

First, each of the microstrip array plates 4 to 7 has the largest gain in the direction facing the excitation element F〗 5, as shown in the beam scanning characteristics in FIG. 6, and in the direction (lateral direction) perpendicular to this direction. It has the characteristic that the gain is low for beam scanning.

Therefore, when any one of the microstrip array plates 4 to 7 is selectively used, as shown in FIG. 7, the direction adjacent to the microstrip array plates 4 to 7, that is, the switching point direction Gain is reduced.

Therefore, in this protruding example, the two microstrip array plates involved in each of the switching point direction regions and the microstrip array plate for the β | 5, 6, microstrip array for right rear area 5, Ί, microstrip array for left rear area 4, 7, microstrip array for front left area In combination as shown in 4 and 6, the two antenna arrays involved cooperate to compensate for the gain reduction in these regions as shown in FIG.

Next, the operation of the above-described embodiment will be specifically described.

First, when transmitting or receiving a signal in any direction, for example, the right side direction, the switch in the selection circuit 22 is switched so that the common terminal 22 a and the right terminal The selection terminal 32 is connected, and the switching switch 26 of the right distribution coupling circuit 19 is switched to connect the common terminal 26a and the terminal 26b.

At this time, the phase of each phase shifter 23 in the right distribution coupling circuit 19 is adjusted according to the directivity direction.

This allows the transceiver to switch between the selection circuit 22 and the right distribution coupling circuit 19. It is connected to each excitation element 15 of the microstrip array plate 5 via a path including an switch 26, a semi-fixed phase shifter 25, a distribution coupler 24, and each phase shifter 23.

For example, when transmitting and receiving in the switching point direction (right front direction) of the microstrip array plates 5 and 6, the switch in the selection circuit 22 is switched so that the common terminal 22a and the right front portion are switched. While the selection terminal 3 3 is connected, the switching switch 26 of the right distribution coupling circuit 19 is switched to connect the common terminal 26 a to the terminal 7 26 c, and the front distribution coupling is performed. The switching switch 26 of the circuit 20 is switched so that the common terminal 26a and the terminal 26d are connected.

At this time, the phase of each phase shifter 23 in the right distribution coupling circuit 19 and the phase of each phase shifter 23 in the front distribution coupling circuit 20 correspond to the β direction. Is adjusted.

As a result, in the case of transmission, the transmitter / receiver input signal is supplied to the distribution coupler 27 of the right distribution coupling circuit 19 via the selection circuit 22, where it is branched in two directions and transmitted to the other. The signal passes through the switch 26 of the front splitter / coupling circuit 20, the semi-fixed phase shifter 25, the splitter 24, and each phase shifter 23. It is supplied to the excitation element 15.

The other transmission signal branched by the distribution coupler 27 of the right distribution coupling circuit 19 is connected to the switch 26 of the block 19, the semi-fixed phase shifter 25, and the distribution coupler 24. The microstrip and the sub-array plate 5 are supplied to the respective excitation elements 15 through the path of each phase shifter 23.

Then, radio waves are emitted from the respective excitation elements 15 of the microstrip array plates 5 and 6, and as a result, the directivity is determined by the control phases of the two.

The receiving operation in this state is completely opposite to that in the above-mentioned transmission, and the signals received by the microstrip array plates 5 and 6 are divided by the right distribution coupling circuit Γ9. The signals are combined in the coupler 27 and supplied to the transceiver (not shown) via the selector 22.

As described above, in this embodiment, when a beam is formed in the direction of the switching point of each of the micro strip array plates 4 to 7, two micro stories and a sub array plate relating to the switching point are used. Since the phase shift due to the arrangement of the two is corrected by the semi-fixed phase shifter 25, it is sufficient in all directions including the boundary direction of each part of the antenna array where the gain has been significantly reduced in the past. High gain can be secured.

In the above-described embodiment, the phases of the transmission and reception signals to and from each of the microstrip array plates 4 to 7 are corrected by using the four semi-fixed phase shifters 25. A variable phase shifter may be used in place of the device 25, and fine phase control may be performed in accordance with the communication direction so that the value always becomes an appropriate value.

Therefore, it would be effective to perform control including CPU.

Industrial applicability

As described above, according to the present invention, an area which cannot be covered by one microstrip antenna is divided by two or more antennas adjacent to each other to cooperate with each other. Therefore, a sufficient gain can be secured in each direction.

Claims

The scope of the claims

(1) A plurality of microstrip array plates arranged opposite to each of the front, rear, left and right directions, and a selection circuit for selecting one or more of these microstrip array plates. A micro strip antenna system, characterized in that communication is performed using the micro strip array plate selected by the selection circuit.

(2) The selection circuit selects two adjacent microstrips and subarray plates, and improves the gain in the direction by! 1 with respect to the boundary direction between these microstrip subarray plates. The described microstrip antenna system.