ANTENNA, ANTENNA MODULE, AND VEHICLE

• US 20170085011A1
• Filed: 12/01/2015
• Published: 03/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Dongjin
• Granted Patent: US 10,644,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3233 particular used as part of a sensor or in a security system, e.g. for automotive radar, navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/18 the slot being backed by, or formed in boundary wall of, a resonant cavity longitudinally slotted cylinder H01Q13/12 ; Open cavity antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/064 using horn or slot aerials slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/002 providing at least two patterns of different beamwidth; Variable beamwidth antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching

Abstract

An antenna includes first and second conductive plates disposed to face each other, a dielectric disposed between the first and second conductive plates, and a plurality of via holes which penetrate the first and second conductive plates and the dielectric. A first emission cavity and a plurality of second emission cavities which emit radio waves are formed by the plurality of via holes and the first and second conductive plates.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

first and second conductive plates disposed to face each other;

a dielectric disposed between the first and second conductive plates; and

a plurality of via holes which penetrate the first and second conductive plates and the dielectric,

wherein a first emission cavity and a plurality of second emission cavities which emit radio waves are formed by the plurality of via holes and the first and second conductive plates,

wherein the first conductive plate comprises a first feeder circuit which transmits an RF signal to the first emission cavity and a first ground plate which forms the first emission cavity and the plurality of emission cavities, and

wherein the second conductive plate comprises a second feeder circuit which transmits an RF signal to the plurality of second emission cavities and a second ground plate which forms the first emission cavity and the plurality of emission cavities.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the plurality of via holes comprise:

a plurality of sidewall via holes arranged in a direction in which the radio waves are emitted; and

a plurality of leak prevention via holes adjacent to the first and second feeder circuits to prevent leaking of the radio waves.

3. The antenna of claim 2, wherein distances between the plurality of via holes are shorter than 0.1 times a wavelength of the radio waves emitted through one of the first emission cavity and the plurality of emission cavities.

4. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the first emission cavity shares the sidewall via holes with at least two of the plurality of second emission cavities.

5. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the first feeder circuit comprises:

a first feeder line which transmits the RF signal to the first emission cavity; and

a first emission hole which emits radio waves corresponding to the RF signal to the first emission cavity.

6. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the second feeder circuit comprises:

a second feeder line which transmits the RF signal to the plurality of second emission cavities; and

a plurality of second emission holes which emit radio waves corresponding to the RF signal to the second emission cavities.

7. The antenna of claim 6, wherein, in the second feeder circuit, distances from one end of the second feeder line to the plurality of second emission holes are identical.

8. The antenna of claim 1, wherein, when the RF signal is supplied through the first feeder circuit, the first emission cavity emits radio waves corresponding to the RF signal, and

wherein, when the RF signal is supplied through the second feeder circuit, the plurality of second emission cavities emit radio waves corresponding to the RF signal.

9. The antenna of claim 1,

wherein the radio waves emitted by the first emission cavity form a first beam pattern, and

wherein the radio waves emitted by the plurality of second emission cavities form a second beam pattern.

10. An antenna module comprising:

an antenna structure in which first and second antennas which emit radio waves into free air space are provided;

an antenna selection switch which activates one of the first and second antennas; and

an antenna selection controller which provides an antenna selection signal for activating one of the first and second antennas depending on the strength of a reception signal received through one of the first and second antennas to the antenna selection switch.

11. The antenna module of claim 10,

wherein the first antenna emits radio waves having a first beam pattern, and

wherein the second antenna emits radio waves having a second beam pattern.

12. The antenna module of claim 10, wherein, when the strength of the reception signal is below a predetermined first reference strength while the first antenna is activated, the antenna selection controller activates the second antenna.

13. The antenna module of claim 10, wherein, when the strength of the reception signal is below a predetermined second reference strength while the second antenna is activated, the antenna selection controller activates the first antenna.

14. The antenna module of claim 10, wherein the antenna structure comprises:

first and second conductive plates disposed to face each other;

a dielectric disposed between the first and second conductive plates; and

a plurality of via holes which penetrate the first and second conductive plates and the dielectric, and

wherein a first emission cavity and a plurality of second emission cavities which emit radio waves are formed by the plurality of via holes and the first and second conductive plates.

15. The antenna module of claim 14,

wherein the first conductive plate comprises a first feeder circuit which transmits a signal with an RF to the first emission cavity and a first ground plate which forms the first emission cavity and the plurality of emission cavities, and

wherein the second conductive plate comprises a second feeder circuit which transmits a signal with an RF to the plurality of second emission cavities and a second ground plate which forms the first emission cavity and the plurality of emission cavities.

16. The antenna module of claim 14,

wherein, when the first antenna is activated, the first emission cavity emits radio waves, and

wherein, when the second antenna is activated, the plurality of second emission cavities emit radio waves.

17. A vehicle comprising:

a transmission data processor which outputs a low frequency (LF) transmission signal corresponding to transmission data;

a transmitter which modulates the LF transmission signal into an RF transmission signal;

an antenna module which emits the RF transmission signal into free air space or receives an RF reception signal RF from the free air space;

a receiver which demodulates the RF reception signal into an LF reception signal; and

a reception data processor which outputs reception data corresponding to the LF reception signal,

wherein the antenna module comprises;

first and second antennas which emit radio waves into the free air space; and

an antenna selection controller which activates one of the first and second antennas depending on the strength of the reception signal with the RF.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the first antenna emits radio waves having a first beam pattern, and

wherein the second antenna emits radio waves having a second beam pattern.

19. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein, when the strength of the reception signal with the RF is below a predetermined first reference strength while the first antenna is activated, the antenna selection controller activates the second antenna.

20. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein, when the strength of the reception signal with the RF is below a predetermined second reference strength while the second antenna is activated, the antenna selection controller activates the first antenna.

21. A method of controlling a vehicle which comprises first and second antennas which emit radio waves having mutually different beam patterns, the method comprising:

activating one of the first and second antennas; and

activating another of the first and second antennas depending on the strength of a reception signal received by the one antenna,

wherein the first antenna emits radio waves having a first beam pattern, and

wherein the second antenna emits radio waves having a second beam pattern.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the activating of the other of the first and second antennas comprises activating the second antenna when the strength of the reception signal is less than a predetermined first reference strength while the first antenna is activated.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the activating of the other of the first and second antennas comprises activating the first antenna when the strength of the reception signal is less than a predetermined second reference strength while the second antenna is activated.