Wireless device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10530058-B2
Application number	US-201715691889-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2017
Priority date	Jan 23, 2017
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

A wireless device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an antenna, a focuser, and an absorber. The focuser includes a first and a second region. One of the regions transmits radio waves, and the other blocks them or changes their phase. In a plan view from the antenna, the shape of the first region is a circle and the shape of the second region is an annular ring with an inner diameter equal to the diameter of the first region. The antenna is on the center axis of the circle. A part of the absorber is present between a first plane where the antenna is present and a second plane on which the second region is present. The absorber is present at a position away from the antenna by the outer circumference of the annular ring or longer in a direction perpendicular to the axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wireless device comprising:
an antenna emitting or receiving radio waves;
a focuser including at least a circle region and an annular ring region, one of the circle region and the annular ring region providing a transparent transmission of the radio waves, and the other of the circle region and the annular ring region changing phases of the radio waves, wherein the circle region and the annular ring region form a Fresnel zone plate and are configured to focus the radio waves to improve a gain of the antenna, a shape of the circle region is a circle in a plan view from the antenna, a shape of the annular ring region is an annular ring with an inner diameter equal to a diameter of the circle region in the plan view from the antenna, the circle region and the annular ring region have a common center axis, and the antenna is on the center axis; and
a radio wave absorber present in a region away from the center axis by at least a diameter of an outer circumference of the annular ring region and between a first plane which is perpendicular to the center axis and on which the antenna is present and a second plane which is perpendicular to the center axis and on which the annular ring region is present.

2. The wireless device according to claim 1 , wherein
the radio wave absorber is also present on the second plane, and
on the second plane, a gap is present between the annular ring region and the radio wave absorber.

3. The wireless device according to claim 2 , wherein
on the second plane,
the distance from the center axis to the outer edge of the annular ring of the annular ring region is smaller than the Fresnel zone radius of an n-th Fresnel zone on the second plane, n being a positive integer, and
the distance from the center axis to the radio wave absorber is larger than the Fresnel zone radius of an (n+1)-th Fresnel zone on the second plane.

4. The wireless device according to claim 1 , wherein the radio wave absorber surrounds the outer edge of the annular ring of the annular ring region.

5. The wireless device according to claim 1 , wherein the radio wave absorber is positioned in at least one of the directions in which side lobe occurs due to radio waves emitted or received by the antenna if the radio wave absorber is not provided.

6. The wireless device according to claim 1 , wherein the annular ring region is formed of a metal.

7. The wireless device according to claim 1 , wherein the annular ring region is formed of a dielectric.

8. The wireless device according to claim 7 , wherein the length of the annular ring region in a second direction parallel with the center axis is a length that allows radio waves passing through the annular ring region to be in phase with radio waves passing through the circle first region.

9. The wireless device according to claim 1 , wherein the end surface of the radio wave absorber distal to the antenna in the second direction parallel with the center axis is farther from the antenna than the end surface of the annular ring region distal to the antenna in the second direction.

10. The wireless device according to claim 1 , further comprising a substrate that has the antenna mounted on a surface of the substrate, wherein the radio wave absorber encloses the annular ring region on an outer diameter of the annular ring region and is perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.

11. The wireless device according to claim 10 , wherein the radio wave absorber is in direct contact with the surface of the substrate.

12. The wireless device according to claim 1 , wherein the radio wave absorber is present in a second annular ring region with an inner diameter equal to or longer than the diameter of the outer circumference of the annular ring region in the plan view from the antenna, and the second annular ring region also has the center axis.

13. A wireless device comprising:
an antenna emitting or receiving radio waves;
a focuser including at least a circle region, a first annular ring region, and a second annular ring region, wherein (1) the circle region and the second annular ring region both provide a transparent transmission of the radio waves, and the first annular ring region blocks the radio waves or changes phases of the radio waves, or (2) the circle region and the second annular ring region both block the radio waves or change phases of the radio waves, and the first annular ring region provides a transparent transmission of the radio waves, and wherein the circle region and the first annular ring region form a Fresnel zone plate and are configured to focus the radio waves to improve a gain of the antenna, a shape of the circle region is a circle in a plan view from the antenna, a shape of the first annular ring region is an annular ring with an inner diameter equal to a diameter of the circle region in the plan view from the antenna, a shape of the second annular ring region is an annular ring with an inner diameter equal to a diameter of an outer circumference of the first annular ring region in the plan view from the antenna, and the circle region, the first annular ring and the second annular ring region have a common center axis, and the antenna is on the center axis; and
a radio wave absorber present in a region away from the center axis by at least a diameter of an outer circumference of the second annular ring region and between a first plane which is perpendicular to the center axis and on which the antenna is present and a second plane which is perpendicular to the center axis and on which the second region is present.

14. A wireless device comprising:
an antenna emitting or receiving radio waves;
a focuser including at least a circle region and an annular ring region, one of the circle region and the annular ring region providing a transparent transmission of the radio waves, and the other of the circle region and the annular ring region blocking the radio waves or changing phases of the radio waves, wherein the circle region and the annular ring region form a Fresnel zone plate and are configured to focus the radio waves to improve a gain of the antenna, a shape of the circle region is a circle in a plan view from the antenna, a shape of the annular ring region is an annular ring with an inner diameter equal to a diameter of the circle region in the plan view from the antenna, the circle region and the annular ring region have a common center axis, the antenna is on the center axis, and

the length of the annular ring region in a second direction parallel with the center axis is a length that allows radio waves passing through the annular ring region to be in phase with radio waves passing through the circle region; and
a radio wave absorber present in a region away from the center axis by at least a diameter of an outer circumference of the annular ring region and between a first plane which is perpendicular to the center axis and on which the antenna is present and a second plane which is perpendicular to the center axis and on which the annular ring region is present.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Tsutsumi Yukako
• Akita Koji

Classifications

• H01Q17/001

  for modifying the directional characteristic of an aerial · CPC title

• H01Q17/00

  Devices for absorbing waves radiated from an antenna; Combinations of such devices with active antenna elements or systems · CPC title

• H01Q19/065

  Zone plate type antennas · CPC title

• G11B2007/13722

  Fresnel lenses · CPC title

• H01Q1/48

  Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises · CPC title