ANTENNA DEVICE, RECEPTION DEVICE, AND RADIO WAVE TIMEPIECE

• US 20100124151A1
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: SOMEYA, Kaoru
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/47
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/04 Resonant antennas

Abstract

An antenna device includes an oscillating body capable of oscillating at a predetermined natural frequency, and being displaceable by external magnetic field, and a converter for converting motion of the oscillating body to an electrical signal. When a radio wave signal of a frequency band at which the oscillating body resonates comes, the oscillating body resonates with a magnetic field component of the radio wave signal, and the converter converts the motion to the electrical signal, whereby an electrical signal corresponding to the radio wave signal is outputted.

Claims

1. An antenna device comprising:

an oscillating body capable of oscillating at a predetermined natural frequency, and being displaceable by external magnetic field; and

a converter for converting motion of the oscillating body to an electrical signal, wherein when a radio wave signal of a frequency band at which the oscillating body resonates comes, the oscillating body resonates with a magnetic field component of the radio wave signal, and the converter converts the motion to the electrical signal, whereby an electrical signal corresponding to the radio wave signal is outputted.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1, further comprising a single chip substrate on which the oscillating body and the converter are formed.

3. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the oscillating body comprises a beam supported at one or a plurality of portions thereof, and a magnetic member fixed to a displaceable portion of the beam, and

the antenna device further comprises:

a magnet for applying magnetic force to the magnetic member.

4. The antenna device according to claim 3, wherein the beam is fixed through a spacer to a substrate so that a longitudinal direction of the beam is along the substrate and the beam is floated from the substrate, and the magnet is a permanent magnet and fixed on the substrate so as to face the beam.

5. The antenna device according to claim 3, wherein the magnet is attached to a module in which the oscillating body is formed after fabrication of the module.

6. The antenna device according to claim 3, wherein the beam is fixed through a spacer to a substrate so that a longitudinal direction of the beam is along the substrate and the beam is floated from the substrate, and the magnet is a coil magnet formed above, below or around the beam.

7. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the converter comprises a first electrode which is either formed on or unified with the oscillating body, and a second electrode formed so as to face the first electrode, and a capacitance of a capacitor comprising the first and second electrodes varies in accordance with variation of a interval between the first and second electrodes, whereby an electrical signal corresponding to variation of the capacitance is outputted.

8. The antenna device according to claim 7, wherein the converter further comprises a third electrode which is formed in a opposite side to the second electrode so as to face the first electrode, and the interval between the first and second, electrodes and a interval between the first and third electrodes vary in positive and negative opposite directions to each other due to a displacement of the oscillating body, whereby the capacitance of the capacitor comprising the first and second electrodes and a capacitance of a capacitor comprising the first and third electrodes vary in the opposite directions to each other, thereby an electrical signal corresponding to variation of the capacitances is outputted.

9. A reception device comprising;

the antenna device according to claim 1;

an amplifier for amplifying the electrical signal outputted from the antenna device; and

a demodulator for demodulating the electrical signal amplified by the amplifier, wherein the antenna device receives a carrier wave of the frequency at which the oscillating body resonates, and the demodulator extracts an information signal from the carrier wave.

10. A reception device comprising;

the antenna device according to claim 3;

an amplifier for amplifying the electrical signal outputted from the antenna device; and

a demodulator for demodulating the electrical signal amplified by the amplifier, wherein the antenna device receives a carrier wave of the frequency at which the oscillating body resonates, and the demodulator extracts an information signal from the carrier wave.

11. A reception device comprising;

the antenna device according to claim 4;

an amplifier for amplifying the electrical signal outputted from the antenna device; and

a demodulator for demodulating the electrical signal amplified by the amplifier, wherein the antenna device receives a carrier wave of the frequency at which the oscillating body resonates, and the demodulator extracts an information signal from the carrier wave.

12. A reception device comprising;

the antenna device according to claim 6;

an amplifier for amplifying the electrical signal outputted from the antenna device; and

a demodulator for demodulating the electrical signal amplified by the amplifier, wherein the antenna device receives a carrier wave of the frequency at which the oscillating body resonates, and the demodulator extracts an information signal from the carrier wave.

13. A reception device comprising;

the antenna device according to claim 7;

an amplifier for amplifying the electrical signal outputted from the antenna device; and

a demodulator for demodulating the electrical signal amplified by the amplifier, wherein the antenna device receives a carrier wave of the frequency at which the oscillating body resonates, and the demodulator extracts an information signal from the carrier wave.

14. A reception device comprising:

the antenna device according to claim 8;

an amplifier for amplifying the electrical signal outputted from the antenna device; and

a demodulator for demodulating the electrical signal amplified by the amplifier, wherein the antenna device receives a carrier wave of the frequency at which the oscillating body resonates, and the demodulator extracts an information signal from the carrier wave.

15. The antenna device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of the oscillating bodies whose natural frequencies are different from one another; and

a plurality of the converters.

16. A reception device comprising:

the antenna device according to claim 15;

a switch unit for selectively sending the electrical signal outputted from the antenna device to a rear stage;

an amplifier for amplifying the electrical signal sent from the antenna device through the switch unit; and

a demodulator for demodulating the electrical signal amplified by the amplifier.

17. The reception device according to claim 9, further comprising a single chip substrate on which the antenna device, the amplifier and the demodulator are formed.

18. The reception device according to claim 16, further comprising a single chip substrate on which the antenna device, the amplifier and the demodulator are formed.

19. A radio wave timepiece comprising:

the reception device according to claim 9, wherein the reception device receives a standard radio wave signal and demodulates the standard radio wave signal into a time code to correct time data.

20. A radio wave timepiece comprising:

the reception device according to claim 16, wherein the reception device receives a standard radio wave and demodulates the standard radio wave signal into a time code to correct time data.