Integrated multilayered microwave circuit

• US 5,400,039 A
• Filed: 12/17/1992
• Issued: 03/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Endo, Akira, Araki, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US07/992,108
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700 MS, 343/846, 342/422, 342/359, 342/355, 257/700, 257/774, 29/830, 174/266, 455/269, 455/276, 455/297, 455/312, 455/293
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/32 Adaptation for use in or on road or rail vehicles
• 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 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/16 incorporating printed electric components, e.g. printed resistor, capacitor, inductor

Abstract

An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit includes a substrate which is constituted by dielectric layers and conductive layers laminated alternately. The conductive layer disposed at one major surface of the substrate forms a micro strip line which constitutes an antenna portion. The conductive layer disposed at the other major surface of the substrate forms a circuit pattern including a grounding line and a power source line, and then the circuit pattern forms a communication portion together with discrete parts incorporated in the circuit pattern. One of the intermediate conductive layers of the substrate constitutes a grounding layer and the other thereof constitutes a power source layer. In the substrate, a feeding via hole, a via hole for a power source, and a grounding via hole are formed so as to penetrate the substrate. Conductors are formed on the inner walls of the substrate forming the feeding via hole, the via hole for the power source, and the grounding via hole by the plating technique, respectively, whereby the antenna portion, the power source layer and the grounding layer are electrically connected to the communication portion, the power source line and the grounding line, respectively. The antenna portion is provided with a feeding land connected to the conductors of the feeding via hole, three radiators each having a circular configuration formed by the micro strip line, and a phase shifter formed by the micro strip line for connecting the respective radiators to the feeding land.

Claims

1. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit for use in a radio communication terminal for a mobile station of a mobile radio communication system, comprising:

antenna circuit formed by a micro strip line of conductive material;

communication circuit for controlling a radio wave which can be received and transmitted by and from said antenna circuit;

at least two dielectric layers laminated between said antenna circuit and said communication circuit;

at least one conductive layer disposed between said dielectric layers;

further comprising a feeding portion disposed between said antenna circuit and said communication circuit, signals being transmitted between said antenna circuit and said communication circuit; and

wherein said communication circuit includes a circuit pattern constituted by conductive material, a receiving portion for demodulating a received radio wave and converting it into information data, a transmitting portion for modulating the information data into a radio wave to be transmitted, a shared portion connected to said feeding portion for separating the received radio wave from the radio wave to be transmitted, an oscillating portion for supplying an oscillation signal to said receiving portion and said transmitting portion, and an interface portion for exchanging the information data obtained by said receiving portion and the information data to be transmitted from said transmitting portion with an external circuit.

2. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit according to claim 1, wherein said feeding portion includes conductors formed by using a plating technique on an inner surface of said dielectric layers which forms a feeding via hole penetrating said dielectric layers between said antenna circuit and said communication circuit.

3. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit according to claim 1, wherein said conductive layer serves as a grounding layer.

4. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit according to claim 3, further comprising conductors formed by using the plating technique on an inner surface of said dielectric layer which forms a grounding via hole penetrating said dielectric layer between said grounding layer and said communication circuit, wherein said grounding layer and said communication circuit are electrically connected through said conductor.

5. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit according to claim 1, wherein said conductive layer serves as a power source layer.

6. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit according to claim 5, further comprising conductors formed by using the plating technique on an inner surface of said dielectric layer which forms a via hole for a power source penetrating said dielectric layer between said power source layer and said communication circuit, wherein said power source layer and said communication circuit are electrically connected through said conductor.

7. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit according to claim 1, further comprising another conductive layer, wherein one of said conductive layers serves as a grounding layer and the other serves as a power source layer.

8. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit according to claim 1, wherein said antenna circuit includes at least one radiator for at least one of transmitting and receiving a radio wave, and a phase shifter connected between said radiator and said feeding portion for changing a phase of the radio wave which can be transmitted and received by said radiator.

9. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit according to claim 8, wherein said phase shifter is constituted by a micro strip line, and a length of said micro strip line is adjusted depending on a location of a mobile where said radiator is mounted so that a desired radiation directivity of said antenna circuit is obtained.

10. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit according to claim 1, wherein said shared portion includes a filter.

11. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a microcomputer controlling devices mounted on at least one of a mobile based on received information and information to be transmitted.

12. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit according to claim 11, wherein said microcomputer outputs control data to a centralized control means for controlling the devices mounted on the mobile.

13. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit according to claim 1, further comprising another conductive layer and another dielectric layer, wherein said conductive layers and said dielectric layers are laminated alternately, and wherein at least an adjacent pair of said conductive layers and said dielectric layer sandwiched therebetween constitute a capacitor which constitutes at least a part of a shared portion or a filter for separating the received radio wave from the radio wave to be transmitted.

14. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit according to claim 1, wherein at least a side wall of said microwave circuit is covered by conductive material.

15. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit, comprising:

communication means for controlling reception and/or transmission of a radio wave at and/or from an antenna layer which is provided at one major surface of at least one dielectric layer, said communication portion being provided at the other major surface of said dielectric layer;

a feeding portion for electrically connecting said antenna layer and said communication means; and

wherein said communication circuit includes a circuit pattern constituted by conductive material, a receiving portion for demodulating a received radio wave and converting it into information data, a transmitting portion for modulating the information data into a radio wave to be transmitted, a shared portion connected to said feeding portion for separating the received radio wave from the radio wave to be transmitted, an oscillating portion for supplying an oscillation signal to said receiving portion and said transmitting portion, and an interface portion for exchanging the information data obtained by said receiving portion and the information data to be transmitted from said transmitting portion with an external circuit.

16. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit for use in a radio communication terminal for a mobile station of a mobile radio communication system, comprising:

antenna means formed by a micro strip line of conductive material;

communication means for controlling a radio wave which can be received and transmitted by and from said antenna means;

at least two dielectric layers laminated between said antenna means and said communication means;

at least one conductive layer disposed between said dielectric layers;

further comprising a feeding portion disposed between said antenna means and said communication means, signals being transmitted between said antenna means and communication means; and

wherein said communication means includes a circuit pattern constituted by conductive material, a receiving portion for demodulating a received radio wave and converting into information data, a transmitting portion for modulating the information data into a radio wave to be transmitted, a shared portion connected to said feeding portion for separating the received radio wave from the radio wave to be transmitted, an oscillating portion for supplying an oscillation signal to said receiving portion and said transmitting portion, and an interface portion for exchanging the information data obtained by said receiving portion and the information data to be transmitted from said transmitting portion with an external circuit.

17. An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit for use in a radio communication terminal for a mobile station of a mobile radio communication system, comprising:

a dielectric layer;

antenna formed by a microstrip of conductive material on one surface of said dielectric layer;

a transmitting receiving circuit formed on the other surface of said dielectric layer;

a grounding layer and a power source layer formed in said dielectric layer arranged between said antenna and said transmitting receiving circuit;

a feeding via hole connecting said antenna and said transmitting receiving circuit;

a grounding via hole connecting said transmitting receiving circuit and said grounding layer;

a via hole for a power source connecting said transmitting receiving circuit and said power source layer.