IP Library Granted Patent US 12665317
Granted Patent B2
US 12665317 · App. 18/723,699 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Antenna and circuit board

Inventors: Hirotoshi Mizuno (Gunma, JP); Kazuhiro Kowaita (Gunma, JP)
Assignee: YOKOWO CO., LTD.
H01Q21/065H01P5/08H01P5/16H03H7/32
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12665317
App. No.
18/723,699
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is an antenna that suppresses increase in passing loss when phase-shifting signals input from an antenna element throughout a wide frequency band. The antenna includes a power feeding circuit 20 that converts four input signals input with phase differences different by 90 degrees from an antenna element so that the four input signals have a same phase and outputs them as one combined signal from an output terminal s 31 . The power feeding circuit 20 includes a first phase circuit portion 200 A that phase-shifts the four input signals and combines them two by two to output two first combined signals, and a second phase circuit portion 200 B that phase-shifts each of the two first combined signals by 90 degrees by reversing a shift direction to combine the two first combined signals. The second phase circuit portion 200 B includes cascade-type phase shifters 241, 242 in which two 45 degrees phase-shifters or three 30 degrees phase shifters are connected in series.

Claims (33)

1 . A circuit board that converts a plurality of input signals input from an antenna element with mutually different phase differences so that the plurality of input signals have a same phase and outputs the input signals as one combined signal, comprising:

a phase circuit portion configured to phase-shift each of the plurality of input signals so that a shift direction of each input signal is opposite to a shift direction of an adjacent input signal and combines the plurality of input signals that are phase-shifted,

wherein the phase circuit portion includes a cascade phase shifter in which a plurality of single phase shifters respectively performing phase shift by predetermined amounts are connected in series.

2 . The circuit board according to claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of input signals are a first input signal, a second input signal having a phase different by 90 degrees with respect to the first input signal, a third input signal having a phase different by 90 degrees with respect to the second input signal, and a fourth input signal having a phase different by 90 degrees with respect to the third input signal, and

wherein the phase circuit portion comprises:

a first phase circuit portion that phase-shifts the first input signal by A degrees, phase-shifts the second input signal by B degrees, phase-shifts the third input signal by C degrees, phase-shifts the fourth input signal by D degrees, and outputs a first combined signal obtained by combining the first input signal phase-shifted by A degrees and the second input signal phase-shifted by B degrees, and a second combined signal obtained by combining the third input signal phase-shifted by C degrees, and the fourth input signal phase-shifted by D degrees (provided that A+B+C+D=0); and

a second phase circuit portion comprises the cascade phase shifter which includes a first cascade phase shifter that phase-shifts the first combined signal output from the first phase circuit portion by E degrees, and a second cascade phase shifter that phase-shifts the second combined signal output from the first phase circuit portion by F degrees (provided that E+F=−10 or more to +10 or less).

3 . The circuit board according to claim 2 , wherein the first phase circuit portion directly combines the first input signal and the second input signal that are each phase-shifted, and/or the third input signal and the fourth input signal that are each phase-shifted.

4 . The circuit board according to claim 2 , wherein the second phase circuit portion directly combines the two combined signals that are each phase-shifted.

5 . The circuit board according to claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of input signals are a first input signal, a second input signal having a phase different by 90 degrees with respect to the first input signal, a third input signal having a phase different by 90 degrees with respect to the second input signal, and a fourth input signal having a phase different by 90 degrees with respect to the third input signal, and

wherein the phase circuit portion comprises:

a first phase circuit portion that phase-shifts the first input signal by A degrees, phase-shifts the second input signal by B degrees, phase-shifts the third input signal by C degrees, phase-shifts the fourth input signal by D degrees, and outputs a first combined signal obtained by combining the first input signal phase-shifted by A degrees and the second input signal phase-shifted by B degrees, and a second combined signal obtained by combining the third input signal phase-shifted by C degrees and the fourth input signal phase-shifted by D degrees (provided that A+B+C+D≠0); and

a second phase circuit portion comprises the cascade phase shifter which includes a first cascade phase shifter that phase-shifts the first combined signal output from the first phase circuit portion by E degrees, and a second cascade phase shifter that phase-shifts the second combined signal output from the first phase circuit portion by F degrees (provided that E+F=−10 or more to +10 or less).

6 . An antenna, comprising:

the circuit board according to claim 1 ; and

the antenna element,

wherein the antenna element has a patch electrode.

7 . The antenna according to claim 6 , wherein a plurality of sets of the antenna element and the circuit board are disposed on a same surface of an antenna base.

8 . An antenna, comprising:

the circuit board according to claim 1 ; and

the antenna element,

wherein the antenna element has a patch electrode, and

wherein, in the patch electrode, two or more power feeding terminals having power feeding phases different by 90 degrees are formed.

9 . A circuit board that converts four input signals input with mutually different phase differences from an antenna element so that the four input signals have a same phase and outputs the four input signals as one combined signal, comprising:

a first phase circuit portion that phase-shifts each of the four input signals by making a shift direction opposite to that of the adjacent input signal, and combines the four phase-shifted input signals two by two to output two first combined signals; and

a second phase circuit portion that phase-shifts the respective two first combined signals by making shift directions opposite to each other, and combines the two phase-shifted first combined signals to output the one signal,

wherein at least one of the first phase circuit portion and the second phase circuit portion includes a cascade phase shifter in which a plurality of single shifters respectively performing phase shift of predetermined amounts are connected in series.

10 . An antenna, comprising:

the circuit board according to claim 9 ; and

the antenna element,

wherein the antenna element has a patch electrode.