Millimeter wave transmission device, millimeter wave transmission method, and millimeter wave transmission system

• US 9,608,683 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2014
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawasaki, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilodeau, David
• Application Number:
  US14/309,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20160197630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 455/73, 455/81, 455/178.1, 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/121 integrated in a substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/20 Reducing echo effects or singing; Opening or closing transmitting path; Conditioning for transmission in one direction or the other
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/46 Monitoring; Testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides

Abstract

The device includes: a signal generating unit generating a millimeter wave signal by signal processing of an input signal; a coupling circuit transmitting an electromagnetic wave from the millimeter wave signal generated by the signal generating unit to one end of a circuit board; a coupling circuit receiving the electromagnetic wave from the millimeter wave signal from the other end of the circuit board; and a signal generating unit that generates an output signal by signal processing of the millimeter wave signal from the electromagnetic wave received by the coupling circuit. Preferably, the circuit board is constituted by a dielectric material whose the dielectric loss tangent is relatively large, and a transmission line functioning as a millimeter wave transmission path is constituted within this circuit board. With this construction, extremely high-speed signals can be transmitted through a circuit board having a prescribed dielectric constant representing a large loss.

Claims

1. A millimeter wave transmission device comprising:

a circuit board comprising a base made of a dielectric material and a wiring layer with a conductive portion on a major surface of the base, the circuit board including a millimeter wave transmission path structure in the base that provides a millimeter wave transmission path;

a first unit on the wiring layer at a first end of the millimeter wave transmission path, the first unit comprised of a modulating circuit, and a first coupling circuit, and a first frequency converting unit between the modulating circuit and the first signal coupling circuit; and

a second unit on the wiring layer at a second end of the millimeter wave transmission path, the second unit comprising a demodulating unit, a second coupling circuit, and a second frequency converting circuit between the demodulating unit and the second signal coupling circuit wherein,

each of the first and second coupling circuits is in millimeter wave communication with the millimeter wave transmission path.

2. The millimeter wave transmission device according to claim 1,

wherein each of the first signal coupling circuit and the second signal coupling circuit includes an antenna.

3. The millimeter wave transmission device according to claim 2, wherein the antenna member of the second signal coupling circuit can receive an electromagnetic wave based on a millimeter wave signal transmitted within the millimeter waver transmission path by the antenna of the first signal coupling circuit.

4. The millimeter wave transmission device according to claim 2, comprising:

a first electronic component including the first unit; and

a second electronic component including the second signal coupling unit,

wherein the first electronic component and the second electronic component are mounted on the same circuit board.

5. The millimeter wave transmission device according to claim 2, wherein an electronic component used for signal processing in baseband region of the input signal and the output signal is mounted on the circuit board between a first region of the circuit board including the first signal generation unit and the first signal coupling unit and a second region of the circuit board including the second signal generation unit and the second signal coupling unit.

6. The millimeter wave transmission device according to claim 1, wherein

the first unit includes a modulating circuit for modulating the input signal and a first frequency converting circuit for performing frequency conversion on the signal modulated by the modulating circuit and generating the millimeter wave signal, and

the second signal generation unit includes a second frequency converting circuit for performing frequency conversion on the millimeter wave signal and a demodulating circuit for demodulating the signal output from the second frequency converting circuit and generating the output signal.

7. The millimeter wave transmission device according to claim 6, wherein each of the first unit and the second unit has an amplifier for amplifying a millimeter wave signal.

8. The millimeter wave transmission device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a signal quality determination circuit for determining a signal quality by monitoring the output signal provided by the demodulating circuit;

a direct current or low frequency transmission line for transmitting a quality determination signal output from the signal quality determination circuit; and

a gain control circuit for controlling a gain of the amplifier of the second unit based on the quality determination signal transmitted via the direct current or low frequency transmission line.

9. The millimeter wave transmission device according to claim 1, wherein a millimeter wave signal transmitted via the millimeter wave transmission path is shielded within the millimeter waver transmission path.

10. The millimeter wave transmission device according to claim 9, wherein the millimeter waver transmission path structure includes a plurality of hollow cylindrical opening portions penetrating through the circuit board or a plurality of cylindrical conductive members connecting conductive portions on opposite surfaces of the base.

11. The millimeter wave transmission device according to claim 1, wherein dielectric materials is a glass epoxy resin, an acrylic resin, a polyethylene resin, or a combination of them.

12. A millimeter wave transmission method, using the millimeter wave transmission device of claim 1, wherein the millimeter wave transmission method comprises the steps of:

causing the first unit to generate the millimeter wave signal by performing frequency conversion on t4ae-an input signal to be transmitted;

transmitting the millimeter wave signal to the second end of the millimeter wave transmission path,

receiving the millimeter wave signal with the second unit; and

causing the unit to demodulate the received millimeter wave signal and generating an output signal corresponding to the input signal.

13. The millimeter wave transmission method according to claim 12, wherein when the millimeter wave signal is generated, the method includes the steps of:

modulating the input signal; and

performing frequency conversion on the modulated signal, and when the output signal is generated, the method includes the steps of;

performing frequency conversion on the received millimeter wave signal; and

demodulating the signal having been subjected to the frequency conversion, and generating the output signal.

14. A millimeter wave transmission system comprising:

a circuit board comprising a base made of a dielectric material and a wiring layer with a conductive portion on a major surface of the base, the circuit board including a first millimeter wave transmission path structure in the base that provides a first millimeter wave transmission path, the circuit board including a second millimeter wave transmission path structure in the base that provides a second millimeter wave transmission path;

a first millimeter wave transmission body on the wiring layer, the first millimeter wave transmission body including a first signal generation unit for generating a millimeter wave signal by performing frequency conversion on a first input signal to be transmitted, a second signal generation unit for demodulating the received millimeter wave signal and generating a first output signal corresponding to the first input signal to be transmitted, the first signal generation unit and the second signal generation unit located at opposite ends of the first millimeter wave transmission path;

a second millimeter wave transmission body on the wiring layer, the second millimeter wave transmission body including a third signal generation unit for generating a millimeter wave signal by performing frequency conversion on a second input signal to be transmitted, a fourth signal generation unit for demodulating the received millimeter wave signal and generating a second output signal corresponding to the second input signal to be transmitted, the third signal generation unit and the fourth signal generation unit located on opposite ends of the second millimeter wave transmission path; and

a coupling medium in the circuit board connecting the first and second millimeter wave transmission paths so that an electromagnetic wave can propagate between them.

15. The millimeter wave transmission system according to claim 14, wherein:

the coupling medium is in the circuit board base.

16. The millimeter wave transmission system according to claim 14, wherein the coupling medium includes a dielectric material different from that of the base of the circuit board.

17. The millimeter wave transmission system according to claim 14, wherein the coupling medium is constituted by a waveguide structure for propagating the electromagnetic wave.

18. The millimeter wave transmission system according to claim 14, comprising:

a plurality of first millimeter wave transmission bodies; and

an adder circuit for adding millimeter wave signals generated by the plurality of first millimeter wave transmission bodies.

19. The millimeter wave transmission system according to claim 14, wherein:

an electronic component used for signal processing in a baseband region of the input signal and the output signal is mounted on the circuit board between a first region of the circuit board including the first millimeter wave transmission body and a second region of the circuit board including the second millimeter wave transmission body.