Multi-beam antenna device

摘要

Provided is a multi-beam antenna device capable of achieving two independent multi-beam characteristics using a single antenna unit, and enhanced gain. The multi-beam antenna device comprises a first antenna section, a second antenna section, a first Rotman lens section and a second Rotman lens section, which are laminated together in this order to form a planar antenna module. A first multi-beam characteristic is achieved by the first antenna section and the first Rotman lens section, and a second multi-beam characteristic is achieved by the second antenna section and the second Rotman lens section, independently. A Rotman lens in each of the Rotman lens sections is designed such that: β with respect to α is set to satisfy the following relation: β<α, where β is a spatial beam-forming angle of an array antenna, and α is an elevation angle between a center line (208), and a line segment which connects one of an input port and an intersecting point S2; and a shape of a Rotman lens is set to satisfy the following relation: η=(β/α)·(Ln/F)<1, and reduce G to less than a basic value of G when designed under a defined condition of β=α, where: F is a distance between the input port and S2; G is a size of the Rotman lens; and 2 Ln is the aperture length of an array antenna.

主权项

1. A multi-beam antenna device comprising a first antenna section, a second antenna section, a first Rotman lens section and a second Rotman lens section, which are laminated together in this order to form a planar antenna module, characterized in that:
the first antenna section includes a first antenna substrate, a first ground conductor, a second ground conductor, a third ground conductor and a fourth ground conductor, wherein:
the first antenna substrate has a plurality of first radiation elements and a plurality of first parasitic elements, which are located at positions corresponding to respective ones of a plurality of second radiation elements of the second antenna section, in such a manner that a plurality of antenna groups is formed therein in combination with a first feeder line connected to the first radiation elements and a first connection portion electromagnetically coupled to the second Rotman lens section;the first ground conductor has a plurality of first slots located at positions corresponding to respective ones of the first radiation elements and the first parasitic elements;the second ground conductor has a first dielectric located between the first antenna substrate and the first ground conductor, and a first coupling hole-defining portion located at a position corresponding to the first connection portion;the third ground conductor has a second dielectric located between the first antenna substrate and the fourth ground conductor, and a second coupling hole-defining portion located at a position corresponding to the first connection portion; andthe fourth ground conductor has a first slit located at a position corresponding to the first connection portion, and a plurality of second slits located at positions corresponding to the respective ones of the first radiation elements and the first parasitic elements; the second antenna section includes a second antenna substrate, the fourth ground conductor, a fifth ground conductor, a sixth ground conductor and a seventh ground conductor, wherein:
the second antenna substrate has a plurality of antenna groups formed in combination with a second feeder line connected to the second radiation elements and a second connection portion electromagnetically coupled to the first Rotman lens section;the fifth ground conductor has a third dielectric located between the second antenna substrate and the fourth ground conductor, a third coupling hole-defining portion located at a position corresponding to the second connection portion, and a third slit located at a position corresponding to the first connection portion;the sixth ground conductor has a fourth dielectric located between the second antenna substrate and the seventh ground conductor, a fourth coupling hole-defining portion located at a position corresponding to the second connection portion, and a fourth slit located at a position corresponding to the first connection portion; andthe seventh ground conductor has a fifth slit located at a position corresponding to the second connection portion, and a sixth slit located at positions corresponding to the first connection portion; the first Rotman lens section includes a first Rotman lens substrate, the seventh ground conductor, an eighth ground conductor, a ninth ground conductor and a tenth ground conductor, wherein:
the first Rotman lens substrate has a first Rotman lens, a third feeder line, a third connection portion electromagnetically coupled to the second connection portion of the second antenna section, and a fourth connection portion electromagnetically coupled to a first waveguide opening portion of the tenth ground conductor;the eighth ground conductor has a fifth dielectric located between the first Rotman lens substrate and the seventh ground conductor, a fifth coupling hole-defining portion located at a position corresponding to the third connection portion, a sixth coupling hole-defining portion located at a position corresponding to the fourth connection portion, and a seventh slit located at a position corresponding to the first connection portion;the ninth ground conductor has a sixth dielectric located between the first Rotman lens substrate and the tenth ground conductor, a seventh coupling hole-defining portion located at a position corresponding to the third connection portion, an eighth coupling hole-defining portion located at a position corresponding to the fourth connection portion, and an eighth slit located at a position corresponding to the first connection portion; andthe tenth ground conductor has the first waveguide opening portionlocated at a position corresponding to the fourth connection portion, and a ninth slit located at a position corresponding to the first connection portion; and the second Rotman lens section includes a second Rotman lens substrate, the tenth ground conductor, an eleventh ground conductor, a twelfth ground conductor and a thirteenth ground conductor, wherein:
the second Rotman lens substrate has a second Rotman lens, a fourth feeder line, a fifth connection portion electromagnetically coupled to the first connection portion of the first antenna section, and a sixth connection portion electromagnetically coupled to a second waveguide opening portion of the thirteenth ground conductor;the eleventh ground conductor has a seventh dielectric located between the second Rotman lens substrate and the tenth ground conductor, a ninth coupling hole-defining portion located at a position corresponding to the fifth connection portion, a tenth coupling hole-defining portion located at a position corresponding to the sixth connection portion, and a third waveguide opening portion located at a position corresponding to the fourth connection portion;the twelfth ground conductor has an eighth dielectric located between the second Rotman lens substrate and the thirteenth ground conductor, an eleventh coupling hole-defining portion located at a position corresponding to the fifth connection portion, a twelfth coupling hole-defining portion located at a position corresponding to the sixth connection portion, and a fourth waveguide opening portion located at a position corresponding to the fourth connection portion; andthe thirteenth ground conductor has the second waveguide opening portion located at a position corresponding to the sixth connection portion, and a fifth waveguide opening portion located at a position corresponding to the fourth connection portion, wherein the first ground conductor, the second ground conductor with the first dielectric, the first antenna substrate, the third ground conductor with the second dielectric, the fourth ground conductor, the fifth ground conductor with the third dielectric, the second antenna substrate, the sixth ground conductor with the fourth dielectric, the seventh ground conductor, the eighth ground conductor with the fifth dielectric, the first Rotman lens substrate, the ninth ground conductor with the sixth dielectric, the tenth ground conductor, the eleventh ground conductor with the seventh dielectric, the second Rotman lens substrate, the twelfth ground conductor with the eighth dielectric, and the thirteenth ground conductor, are laminated together in this order.