Antenna device, wireless communication apparatus using the same, and control method of controlling wireless communication apparatus

• US 20070001924A1
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hirabayashi, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,656,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/893
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/32 the primary active element being end-fed and elongated
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/44 varying the electric or magnetic characteristics of reflecting, refracting, or diffracting devices associated with the radiating element

Abstract

An antenna device has semi-conductive antenna bodies each having a predetermined length, which are positioned on a dielectric substrate, and control electrodes that are respectively connected with the semi-conductive antenna bodies. Direct-current biased voltage applied across each of the control electrodes is controlled to switch each of the antenna bodies between their insulation state and their conductive state.

Claims

1. An antenna device comprising:

semi-conductive antenna bodies each having a predetermined length, said antenna bodies being positioned on a dielectric substrate; and

control electrodes that are respectively connected with the semi-conductive antenna bodies,

wherein direct-current biased voltage that is applied across each of the control electrodes is controlled to switch each of the semi-conductive antenna bodies between their insulation state and their conductive state.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1 wherein forward biased voltage is applied across each of the control electrodes if making the semi-conductive antenna bodies conductive, thereby allowing ion to be moved from the dielectric substrate to the semi-conductive antenna bodies;

and

wherein reverse biased voltage is applied across each of the control electrode if making the semi-conductive antenna bodies insulated, thereby allowing ion to be moved from each of the semi-conductive antenna bodies to the dielectric substrate.

3. The antenna device according to claim 1 wherein the semi-conductive antenna bodies are switched between their insulation state and their conductive state to adjust directivity, radiated polarization, and radiation direction of the antenna device to desired ones.

4. The antenna device according to claim 1 wherein each of the semi-conductive antenna bodies has a length corresponding to a wavelength of a frequency within any one of a millimeter wave band, a micrometer wave band, and an ultra-high frequency band.

5. The antenna device according to claim 1 further comprising a conductive antenna body;

wherein the semi-conductive antenna bodies include two line antenna bodies having different lengths, said line antenna bodies being positioned on both sides of the dielectric substrate;

wherein the conductive antenna body is arranged on a middle of the substrate, said conductive antenna body being away from each of the line antenna bodies by a predetermined distance;

wherein the conductive antenna body is fed; and

wherein any one of the forward and reverse biased voltages is applied across each of the control electrodes.

6. The antenna device according to claim 1 further comprising a base plate for grounding, wherein the dielectric substrate is positioned on the base plate with them being intersected with each other.

7. The antenna device according to claim 1 further comprising a conductive antenna plate that is positioned on the dielectric substrate, said conductive antenna plate having two slots that expose two semi-conductive antenna bodies, and one slot acting as an excited antenna element, said one slot being arranged with it being positioned between the two slots with a predetermined distance,

wherein the one slot is fed;

and

wherein any one of the forward and reverse biased voltages is applied across each of the control electrodes.

8. The antenna device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a semi-conductive antenna plate that is positioned on the dielectric substrate; and

control electrodes that are positioned at the semi-conductive antenna plate,

wherein the semi-conductive antenna plate includes three line antenna bodies on the dielectric substrate, the line antenna bodies having different lengths from each other;

wherein the semi-conductive plate has three slots that expose the three semi-conductive antenna bodies, respectively, said slots also acting as antenna bodies;

wherein a middle one of the three slots is fed;

wherein any one of the forward and reverse biased voltages is applied across each of the control electrodes that are connected with the semi-conductive antenna bodies and the control electrodes that are positioned at the semi-conductive antenna plate; and

wherein the line antenna bodies and the slots are switched as the antenna bodies based on an application of the forward and reverse biased voltages.

9. The antenna device according to claim 8 wherein the three line antenna bodies are switched between their insulation state and their conductive state to adjust directivity, radiated polarization, and radiation direction of the antenna device to desired ones.

10. The antenna device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a semi-conductive antenna plate that is positioned on the dielectric substrate, the semi-conductive antenna plate including three line antenna bodies on the dielectric substrate, the middle line antenna body having a predetermined length, the side line antenna bodies each having a length-adjusting portion for adjusting each of the side line antenna bodies to two divided lengths;

control electrodes that are positioned at the semi-conductive antenna plate; and

control electrodes that are positioned on the length-adjusting portions of the side line antenna bodies;

wherein the semi-conductive antenna plate has three slots that expose the three line antenna bodies, respectively, said slots also acting as antenna bodies;

wherein the middle one of the three slots is fed;

wherein any one of the forward and reverse biased voltages is applied across each of the control electrodes that are connected with the semi-conductive antenna bodies, the control electrodes that are positioned at the semi-conductive antenna plate, and the control electrodes that are positioned on the length-adjusting portions of the side line antenna bodies; and

wherein the line antenna bodies and the slots are switched as the antenna bodies based on an application of the forward and reverse biased voltages.

11. The antenna device according to claim 10 wherein the three line antenna bodies are switched between their insulation state and their conductive state to adjust directivity, radiated polarization, and radiation direction of the antenna device to desired ones.

12. The antenna device according to claim 1 wherein the semi-conductive antenna bodies are made of resin material selected from the group consisting of polyacetylene, polythiophene, polyaniline, polypyrrol, and polyazulene.

13. The antenna device according to claim 1 wherein the dielectric substrate is made of solid electrolyte material selected from the group consisting of silicon gel, acrylonitrile gel, and polysaccharide polymer.

14. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

an antenna device;

a reception-and-transmission circuit that transmits and receives a signal according to a predetermined communication system, said reception-and-transmission circuits being connected to the antenna device; and

a communication control unit that controls the antenna device based on a signal received from the reception-and-transmission circuit,

wherein the antenna device including;

semi-conductive antenna bodies each having a predetermined length, said antenna bodies being positioned on a dielectric substrate; and

control electrodes that are respectively connected with the semi-conductive antenna bodies,

wherein the communication control unit controls direct-current biased voltage applied across each of the control electrodes to switch each of the semi-conductive antenna bodies between their insulation state and their conductive state.

15. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the predetermined communication system includes carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) according to IEEE802.11 wireless LAN standard.

16. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 14 wherein forward biased voltage is applied across each of the control electrodes if making the semi-conductive antenna bodies conductive, thereby allowing ion to be moved from the dielectric substrate to the semi-conductive antenna bodies;

and

wherein reverse biased voltage is applied across each of the control electrode if making the semi-conductive antenna bodies insulated, thereby allowing ion to be moved from each of the semi-conductive antenna bodies to the dielectric substrate.

17. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the semi-conductive antenna bodies are switched between their insulation state and their conductive state to adjust directivity, radiated polarization, and radiation direction of the antenna device to desired ones.

18. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the antenna device further comprises a conductive antenna body;

wherein the semi-conductive antenna bodies include two line antenna bodies having different lengths, said line antenna bodies being positioned on both sides of the dielectric substrate;

wherein the conductive antenna body is arranged on a middle of the substrate, said conductive antenna body being away from each of the line antenna bodies by a predetermined distance;

wherein the conductive antenna body is fed; and

wherein any one of the forward and reverse biased voltages is applied across each of the control electrodes.

19. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the antenna device further comprises a base plate for grounding, and wherein the dielectric substrate is positioned on the base plate with them being intersected with each other.

20. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the antenna device further comprises a conductive antenna plate that is positioned on the dielectric substrate, said conductive antenna plate having two slots that expose two semi-conductive antenna bodies having different lengths, and one slot acting as an excited antenna element, said one slot being arranged with it being positioned between the two slots with a predetermined distance,

wherein the one slot is fed;

and

wherein any one of the forward and reverse biased voltages is applied across each of the control electrodes.

21. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the antenna device further comprises:

a semi-conductive antenna plate that is positioned on the dielectric substrate; and

control electrodes that are positioned at the semi-conductive antenna plate,

wherein the semi-conductive antenna plate includes three line antenna bodies on the dielectric substrate, the line antenna bodies having different lengths from each other;

wherein the semi-conductive plate has three slots that expose the three semi-conductive antenna bodies, respectively, said slots also acting as antenna bodies;

wherein a middle one of the three slots is fed;

wherein any one of the forward and reverse biased voltages is applied across each of the control electrodes that are connected with the semi-conductive antenna bodies and the control electrodes that are positioned at the semi-conductive antenna plate; and

wherein the line antenna bodies and the slots are switched as the antenna bodies based on an application of the forward and reverse biased voltages.

22. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 21 wherein the three line antenna bodies are switched between their insulation state and their conductive state to adjust directivity, radiated polarization, and radiation direction of the antenna device to desired ones.

23. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the antenna device further comprises:

a semi-conductive antenna plate that is positioned on the dielectric substrate, the semi-conductive antenna plate including three line antenna bodies on the dielectric substrate, the middle line antenna body having a predetermined length, the side line antenna bodies each having a length-adjusting portion for adjusting each of the side line antenna bodies to two divided lengths;

control electrodes that are positioned at the semi-conductive antenna plate; and

control electrodes that are positioned on the length-adjusting portions of the side line antenna bodies;

wherein the semi-conductive antenna plate has three slots that expose the three line antenna bodies, respectively, said slots also acting as antenna bodies;

wherein the middle one of the three slots is fed;

wherein any one of the forward and reverse biased voltages is applied across each of the control electrodes that are connected with the semi-conductive antenna bodies, the control electrodes that are positioned at the semi-conductive antenna plate, and the control electrodes that are positioned on the length-adjusting portions of the side line antenna bodies; and

wherein the line antenna bodies and the slots are switched as the antenna bodies based on an application of the forward and reverse biased voltages.

24. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the three line antenna bodies are switched between their insulation state and their conductive state to adjust directivity, radiated polarization, and radiation direction of the antenna device to desired ones.

25. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the semi-conductive antenna bodies are made of resin material selected from the group consisting of polyacetylene, polythiophene, polyaniline, polypyrrol, and polyazulene.

26. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the dielectric substrate is made of solid electrolyte material selected from the group consisting of silicon gel, acrylonitrile gel, and polysaccharide polymer.

27. A control method of controlling a wireless communication apparatus that has an antenna device, said antenna device including:

semi-conductive antenna bodies each having a predetermined length, said antenna bodies being positioned on a dielectric substrate; and

control electrodes that are respectively connected with the semi-conductive antenna bodies,

wherein direct-current biased voltage applied across each of the control electrodes is controlled to switch each of the semi-conductive antenna bodies between their insulation state and their conductive state, the method comprising the steps of;

setting the direct-current biased voltage to be applied across each of the control electrodes;

performing a carrier sense by using an omnidirectional antenna that has been formed by the set direct-current biased voltage that is applied across each of the control electrodes;

setting feedback on the direct-current biased voltage that is applied across each of the control electrodes by guiding the carrier sense and a wireless communication condition to a wireless communication apparatus of a destined node; and

adaptively switching directivity, radiated polarization, and radiation direction of the antenna formed by the feedback direct-current biased voltage that is applied across each of the control electrodes.

28. The control method according to claim 27 wherein the wireless communication condition includes at least one of transmission rate, throughput, bit error rate (BER), packet error rate (PER), received signal strength indicator (RSSI), and Eb/NO.

29. A program product allowing a computer to carry out a control method of controlling a wireless communication apparatus that has an antenna device, said antenna device including:

semi-conductive antenna bodies each having a predetermined length, said antenna bodies being positioned on a dielectric substrate; and

control electrodes that are respectively connected with the semi-conductive antenna bodies,

wherein direct-current biased voltage applied across each of the control electrodes is controlled to switch each of the semi-conductive antenna bodies between their insulation state and their conductive state, the method comprising the steps of;

setting the direct-current biased voltage to be applied across each of the control electrodes;

performing a carrier sense by using an omnidirectional antenna that has been formed by the set direct-current biased voltage that is applied across each of the control electrodes;

setting feedback on the direct-current biased voltage that is applied across each of the control electrodes by guiding the carrier sense and a wireless communication condition to a wireless communication apparatus of a destined node; and

adaptively switching directivity, radiated polarization, and radiation direction of the antenna formed by the feedback direct-current biased voltage that is applied across each of the control electrodes.

30. Computer-readable storage medium that stores a program product allowing a computer to carry out a control method of controlling a wireless communication apparatus that has an antenna device, said antenna device including:

semi-conductive antenna bodies each having a predetermined length, said antenna bodies being positioned on a dielectric substrate; and

control electrodes that are respectively connected with the semi-conductive antenna bodies,

wherein direct-current biased voltage applied across each of the control electrodes is controlled to switch each of the semi-conductive antenna bodies between their insulation state and their conductive state, the method comprising the steps of;

setting the direct-current biased voltage to be applied across each of the control electrodes;

performing a carrier sense by using an omnidirectional antenna that has been formed by the set direct-current biased voltage that is applied across each of the control electrodes;

setting feedback on the direct-current biased voltage that is applied across each of the control electrodes by guiding the carrier sense and a wireless communication condition to a wireless communication apparatus of a destined node; and

adaptively switching directivity, radiated polarization, and radiation direction of the antenna formed by the feedback direct-current biased voltage that is applied across each of the control electrodes.