Wireless communication apparatus

1. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a plurality of antennas;

a receiver that performs diversity reception using the plurality of antennas;

a transmitter that outputs a signal;

a selector circuit that is connected to the plurality of antennas;

a divider located in a transmission line which connects the selector circuit to the transmitter, wherein the divider distributes the signal outputted from the transmitter to the plurality of antennas during transmission of the signal;

a phase shifter that is located in at least one of a plurality of transmission lines, each of which connects the divider to a corresponding one of the plurality of antennas, wherein the phase shifter generates a phase difference between the signal distributed to one of the plurality of antennas and the signal distributed to another one of the plurality of antennas through shifting of at least one of a phase of the signal distributed to the one of the plurality of antennas and a phase of the signal distributed to the another one of the plurality of antennas by a corresponding phase shift amount;

a controller that is mounted on a vehicle and controls the corresponding phase shift amount, which is shifted by the phase shifter;

a communication-type determination device that determines which one of vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-road-side communication is performed through the plurality of antennas; and

a memory that stores a preset phase shift amount for the vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and a preset phase shift amount for the vehicle-to-road-side communication, wherein:

when the communication-type determination device determines that the vehicle-to-vehicle communication is performed, the controller reads the preset phase shift amount for the vehicle-to-vehicle communication from the memory and sets the preset phase shift amount for the vehicle-to-vehicle communication as the corresponding phase shift amount; and

when the communication-type determination device determines that the vehicle-to-road-side communication is performed, the controller reads the preset phase shift amount for the vehicle-to-road-side communication from the memory and sets the preset phase shift amount for the vehicle-to-road-side communication as the corresponding phase shift amount.

2. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the memory stores a plurality of phase shift amounts caused by the phase shifter corresponding to a plurality of elevation angles used to transmit a radio wave;

the plurality of antennas is located at different positions in a top-bottom direction of the vehicle, and

the controller sets the phase shift amount caused by the phase shifter by selectively reading one of the plurality of phase shift amounts stored in the memory.

3. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the memory stores a plurality of phase shift amounts capable of providing different horizontal directivities;

the plurality of antennas is located at different positions in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, and

the controller sets the phase shift amount caused by the phase shifter by selectively reading one of the plurality of phase shift amounts stored in the memory.

4. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a road-type determination device configured to determine whether the vehicle moves on an expressway, wherein

the plurality of phase shift amounts stored in the memory includes a phase shift amount for providing a horizontal directivity different from the front-rear direction of the vehicle and a phase shift amount for providing no horizontal directivity,

when the road-type determination device determines that the vehicle moves on the expressway, the controller sets the phase shift amount caused by the phase shifter by reading the phase shift amount for providing the horizontal directivity different from the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and

when the road-type determination device does not determine that the vehicle moves on the expressway, the controller sets the phase shift amount caused by the phase shifter by reading the phase shift amount for providing no horizontal directivity.

5. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the memory stores a plurality of phase shift amounts capable of providing directivities with different elevation angles and stores a plurality of vehicle models corresponding to the plurality of phase shift amounts, and

the wireless communication apparatus comprises an obtaining device configured to obtain a vehicle model of the vehicle, wherein

the controller sets the phase shift amount caused by the phase shifter by reading from the memory the phase shift amount corresponding to the vehicle model obtained by the obtaining device.

6. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an amplifier located between the divider and each of the plurality of antennas.

7. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a plurality of antennas;

a receiver that performs diversity reception using the plurality of antennas;

a transmitter that outputs a signal;

a selector circuit that is connected to the plurality of antennas;

a divider located in a transmission line which connects the selector circuit to the transmitter, wherein the divider distributes the signal outputted from the transmitter to the plurality of antennas during transmission of the signal;

a phase shifter that is located in at least one of a plurality of transmission lines, each of which connects the divider to a corresponding one of the plurality of antennas, wherein the phase shifter generates a phase difference between the signal distributed to one of the plurality of antennas and the signal distributed to another one of the plurality of antennas through shifting of at least one of a phase of the signal distributed to the one of the plurality of antennas and a phase of the signal distributed to the another one of the plurality of antennas by a corresponding phase shift amount;

a controller that is mounted on a vehicle and controls the corresponding phase shift amount, which is shifted by the phase shifter;

a memory that stores:

a plurality of phase shift amounts, which respectively provide directivities for different elevation angles; and

a plurality of vehicle models, which respectively correspond to the plurality of phase shift amounts, and

an obtaining device that obtains a vehicle model of the vehicle, wherein:

the plurality of antennas is located at different positions, respectively, in a top-bottom direction of the vehicle; and

the controller sets the corresponding phase shift amount by reading from the memory a corresponding one of the plurality of phase shift amounts, which corresponds to the vehicle model obtained by the obtaining device.