DE202022002816U1 - Multilayer patch antenna device, antenna module and vehicle with a multilayer patch antenna device - Google Patents

Abstract

Patch antenna device (21), in particular for a motor vehicle (24), the multilayer patch antenna device (21)
a lower dielectric substrate layer (6) with a lower antenna (5) and an upper dielectric substrate layer (2) with an upper antenna (1),
wherein the dielectric substrate layers (2, 6;) are stacked,
and wherein the dielectric substrate layers (2, 6) each contain a plastic.

Description

The invention relates to a multilayer patch antenna device, an antenna module and a vehicle with a multilayer patch antenna device.

According to the state of the art, multi-layer, ceramic patch antennas are increasingly being used in antenna devices for providing e.g. telephone services (2G-5G) etc., particularly in the automotive sector.

DE 10 2022 200 018.8 discloses such a multilayer ceramic patch antenna.

It is an object of the invention to improve antennas, in particular for motor vehicles. The object is achieved in each case by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Some particularly advantageous configurations of the invention are specified in the subclaims and the description. Embodiments of the invention can enable advantageous multi-layer patch antennas as alternatives to existing solutions.

Regarding some configurations of the invention according to the dependent claims:

According to one embodiment of the invention, the multilayer patch antenna device comprises a lower dielectric substrate layer with a lower antenna, a middle dielectric substrate layer with a middle antenna, and an upper dielectric substrate layer with an upper antenna, wherein these at least three dielectric substrate layers are stacked, and wherein the dielectric substrate layers each contain a plastic.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, an antenna is arranged on a dielectric substrate layer, in particular in the form of a continuous or interrupted upper metal layer to form an antenna structure (in particular on the side of the respective dielectric substrate layer remote from the motor vehicle when mounted on a motor vehicle).

According to a further embodiment of the invention, a dielectric substrate layer has an antenna (or several) on one side, and on the side of the dielectric substrate layer opposite this antenna a conductive, in particular metallic surface as a ground layer.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, on a ground layer of one or more of the dielectric substrate layers and/or on one or more dielectric substrate layers or on an antenna there is an adhesive layer (made in particular of adhesive or a double-sided adhesive tape) and/or an insulating layer which is on a Printed circuit board or another dielectric substrate layer or an antenna arranged or can be arranged.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the patch antenna device is arranged or can be arranged on a printed circuit board, which has at least one, in particular metallic, conductive contact area, with (at least) one feed pin being connected, in particular capacitively, to a conductive contact area in order to be connected to a Feed pin (each) to contact either exactly one or more of the antennas.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the patch antenna device has one or two or four or more feed pins, each of which makes contact with exactly one or more of the antennas, in particular capacitively (or inductively or galvanically).

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the patch antenna device has one or two or three or four or six or more feed pins, each of which has angled or flat areas (running parallel to at least one antenna) at their ends, of which areas each have at least one the antennas are contacted capacitively or inductively and one is provided for contacting a printed circuit board, in particular capacitively (or galvanically or inductively).

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the patch antenna device has feed pins, which are connected through openings in one or more of the dielectric substrate layers and/or through openings in one or more of the antennas and/or through openings in one or more of the ground planes and/or through openings in one or more of the adhesive layers.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, one or more of the dielectric substrate layers each contain one or more additives in the plastic to adjust their permittivity.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, two or more than two of the dielectric substrate layers have either the same or a different relative permittivity ΣR.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the patch antenna device has at least at least one antenna or at least two antennas, which is or are designed for transmission/reception frequency ranges for the transmission and/or reception of radio signals to or from cellular mobile radio networks, in particular with antenna dimensions (including geometries) and thus transmission/reception frequency ranges for the transmission and/or reception of cellular mobile radio signals in one or more 2G/3G/4G/5G/6G frequency bands.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, one or more or all of the dielectric substrate layers and/or the antennas have a rectangular outer structure.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the antenna structures of the antennas are produced by chemical-galvanic coating, with the areas on the surfaces not to be coated being covered by a tampon or screen printing method or a spraying method.

Further features and advantages of some advantageous configurations of the invention result from the following description of some exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawing, all the configurations of the invention mentioned also forming configurations of the invention in any combination(s).

• 1 perspektivisch eine erste erfindungsgemäße Patchantennenvorrichtung mit zwei Substratschichten und mit Antennen und mit Kontaktierungen von jeweils mehreren der Antennen,
• 2 im Querschnitt diese erste erfindungsgemäße Patchantennenvorrichtung,
• 3 die erste erfindungsgemäßen Patchantennenvorrichtung, aber mit alternativen Kontaktierungen der Antennen,
• 4 im Querschnitt kapazitive Kopplung in der ersten erfindungsgemäßen Patchantennenvorrichtung,
• 5 perspektivisch eine zweite erfindungsgemäße Patchantennenvorrichtung mit zwei Substratschichten und Antennen und mit separater (Einzel-)Kontaktierung der Antennen verschiedener Substratschichten, hier mit zwei Kontaktierungen je Antenne,
• 6 im Querschnitt die zweite erfindungsgemäße Patchantennenvorrichtung,
• 7 perspektivisch eine dritte erfindungsgemäße Patchantennenvorrichtung mit drei Substratschichten und Antennen,
• 8 im Querschnitt die dritte erfindungsgemäße Patchantennenvorrichtung,
• 9 in Draufsicht ein weiteres Beispiel für eine Antenne in einer Patchantennenvorrichtung,
• 10 perspektivisch die Kontaktierung einer Antenne wie in 9,
• 11 in Seitenansicht schematisch ein Kraftfahrzeug mit einem Antennenmodul mit einer erfindungsgemäßen Patchantennenvorrichtung.

In order to illustrate some configurations of the invention, it shows, in a simplified, schematic and exemplary manner:

• 1 perspectively a first patch antenna device according to the invention with two substrate layers and with antennas and with contacts of several of the antennas,
• 2 in cross section this first patch antenna device according to the invention,
• 3 the first patch antenna device according to the invention, but with alternative contacting of the antennas,
• 4 in cross-section capacitive coupling in the first patch antenna device according to the invention,
• 5 perspective of a second patch antenna device according to the invention with two substrate layers and antennas and with separate (individual) contacting of the antennas of different substrate layers, here with two contacts per antenna,
• 6 in cross section the second patch antenna device according to the invention,
• 7 in perspective a third patch antenna device according to the invention with three substrate layers and antennas,
• 8th in cross section the third patch antenna device according to the invention,
• 9 in plan view another example of an antenna in a patch antenna device,
• 10 in perspective the contacting of an antenna as in 9 ,
• 11 in a schematic side view a motor vehicle with an antenna module with a patch antenna device according to the invention.

1-10 show some exemplary embodiments of the invention, a patch antenna device 21 with a substrate layer made of plastic with a predetermined (relative) permittivity ε _R , in particular for the arrangement, e.g. in a (e.g. shark fin) antenna module 22 on the roof 23 of an in 11 motor vehicle 24 shown as an example.

The patch antenna devices according to the invention 21 in 1-11 are multi-layered, i.e. have, for example, two, three or more than three layers, which, for example, each have at least one antenna 1 or 5 or 12, and/or a substrate layer 2 or 5 or 13, and/or a ground layer 3 or 7 or 14 and/or an adhesive layer 4 or 8 or 15 (all four layers mentioned here).

The patch antenna devices according to the invention 21 in 1-11 have one another or (e.g. in the installed position on top of each other / one above the other / next to each other) stacked layers, while EP2721690 discloses a patch antenna device for a satellite solution with plastic and ceramic dielectric substrate layers placed one inside the other.

For reasons of simplification, the elements in the patch antenna devices 21 are referred to as upper/middle/lower according to their position in an assembled state shown by way of example, it also being possible for them to be installed at an angle or next to one another.

In 1 and 2 a patch antenna device 21 according to the invention is arranged on a circuit board (=PCB) 10 . A lower adhesive layer 8 (eg adhesive or a double-sided adhesive tape) lies on the printed circuit board 10 here, which lower adhesive layer 8 also bears on the lower substrate layer 5 . (Alternatively, instead of an adhesive layer, a different mounting of the patchants would be possible ing device 21 on the printed circuit board 10, e.g. with pins/screw(s) etc. possible.)

The patch antenna device 21 in 1 and 2 comprises an upper dielectric substrate layer 2 with an upper antenna 1 and a lower dielectric substrate layer 6 with a lower antenna 5, wherein the dielectric substrate layers 2, 6 (here each comprising antennas and/or ground planes and/or adhesive layers) are attached to one another (e.g. depending on the position one on top of the other) are arranged stacked, and wherein the dielectric substrate layers 2, 6, 13 each contain a plastic with a (same or different) predetermined (relative) permittivity ε _R .

The patch antenna devices according to the invention 21 in 1-11 are multi-layered here, i.e. they have, for example, two, three or more than three (antenna) layers, which, for example, each have an antenna 1 or 5 or 12, a substrate layer 2 or 5 or 13, a ground layer 3 or 6 and 14 and an adhesive layer 4 and 8 and 15, respectively.

In the patch antenna device 21 in 1 and 2 there is an upper antenna 1 on one (upper) side of the upper substrate layer 2 and an upper ground layer 3 on an e.g 4 for connection to the lower substrate layer 6 (or to its lower antenna 5).

In principle, the antennas can be contacted galvanically and/or inductively and/or capacitively.

In 1 and 2 a capacitive contacting of the antennas 1, 5 is shown. The antenna 1 is capacitively contacted by, for example, one or here two feed pins 9a, 9b.

At least one feed pin 9a, 9b can, for example, capacitively couple antenna 1 (non-conductive) via a contacting area located at its (9a, 9b) end (20a-h) (e.g. running angled parallel to the antenna surface).

The (e.g. angled or flat) areas 20a-I located at the ends of the feed pins 9a-9d shown below are each provided for inductive or galvanic or, in particular, as shown here, capacitive contacting of one contacting area 11 of the circuit board 10. A contacting area 11 of the printed circuit board 10 can, for example, be a conductive and/or metallic surface or track, for example parallel to the angled (or alternatively, for example, flat) area of a feed pin 9a-9d.

A feed pin 9a, 9b can, for example, capacitively couple several antennas 1, 5 as in FIG 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 or capacitively couple only one antenna 1 as in 5 or 7 .

while in 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 two feed pins 9a, 9b are provided, which each couple two antennas (here capacitive), are in 5 and 6 four feed pins 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d are provided, each of which only couples one antenna (here capacitive), and in 7 Six feed pins 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d are provided, each of which only couples one antenna (here capacitive).

In 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 For example, the feed pins 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d each run (out of a dielectric substrate layer 2) through recesses 17a, 17b in the upper ground layer 3, through recesses 17c, 17d in the upper adhesive layer 4, through recesses 17e, 17f in the lower antenna 5, through recesses 17g, 17h in the lower dielectric substrate layer 6 and/or through recesses 17i, 17j in the lower ground layer 7 and/or into recesses 17k, 17I in the lower adhesive layer 8.

For example, if other than shown, one or some or all of the feed pins 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d etc. are to the side (e.g. to the right in the figures) of some or all of the antennas 1, 5, if applicable 12 and/or to the side of some or all of them Ground layers 3, 7, possibly 14 run, and/or run laterally from some or all adhesive layers 4, 8, 15, no recesses for 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d etc. need to be provided in these.

4 Figure 1 shows a zone 18 of capacitive feed of the upper antenna 1 by an upper angled or flat portion of a feed pin 9 (valid for e.g. each of the feed pins 9a-9f) and a zone of capacitive feed of the lower angled or flat portion a feed pin 9 from the oblong or flat contact area 20 of the printed circuit board 10.

7 and 8th show a patch antenna device 21 according to the invention, which does not have two antenna layers (as in 1-4 ) but is designed with three antenna layers.

The patch antenna device 21 in 7 and 8th thus comprises an upper dielectric substrate layer 2 with an upper antenna 1, a middle dielectric substrate layer 13 with a middle antenna 12 and a lower dielectric substrate layer 6 with a lower antenna 5,
wherein the dielectric substrate layers 2, 13, 6 are arranged stacked on top of one another, and wherein the dielectric substrate layers 2, 13, 6 each contain a plastic with a predetermined (relative) permittivity ε _R (the same or different for the substrate layers).

The patch antenna device 21 in 7 and 8th comprises feed pins 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d, 9e, 9f, of which two feed one of the antennas 1, 12, 5, for example.

instead of as in 1-8 shown two feed pins per (e.g. satellite/location) antenna, one feed pin per antenna (or for several antennas) is also possible, e.g. also for cellular mobile radio antennas (telephone antennas) for e.g. 2G/3G/4G/5G/6G.

The antennas according to the invention can in particular be (one or more) antennas for one or more of the following applications: telephony, for MIMO, for RKE, for WiFi; for GNSS, in preparation for autonomous driving, for distance measurements (of a motor vehicle to other objects when parking or driving), SDARS, DAB, V2X.

9 shows an example of one of the antennas 1, 12, 5 (e.g., which can be configured differently) for a patch antenna device 21.

The antenna 5 in 9 has two radiators 5a, 5b.

The two radiators 5a, 5b of the antenna 5 in 9 are arranged one inside the other.

The two radiators 5a, 5b of the antenna 5 in 9 are each flat. The two radiators 5a, 5b are closed annular surfaces.

10 shows a perspective example of a capacitive feed of an antenna radiator of the antenna 5 in 9 .

The two radiators 5a, 5b of the antenna 5 in 9 can be excited separately, for example, by one of the supply pins 9e, 9f each, and/or a radiator can be excited with two supply pins 9e, 9f.

The (relative) permittivity ε _R of the dielectric substrate layers made of plastic can be adjusted to a desired value
by, for example, choosing a plastic or mixing several plastics (such as polyethylene PE, PP, PVC, PTFE, PVdF, PA, ABS, polystyrene PS, PMMA) with a desired permittivity ε _R and/or
by mixing several plastics and/or
by choosing a plastic with additives (such as germanium) which produce the desired permittivity ε _R and/or
by coating (a top or bottom or intermediate level of at least one substrate dielectric layer) with a higher permittivity material.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permittivit%C3%A4t gives the (relative) permittivity ε _R for some materials.

Plastic patch antenna devices 21 can have a comparatively low weight.

Plastics can be manufactured or modified using special additives in such a way that it is possible to precisely define the permittivity ε _R of the material and achieve a tolerance of, for example, ±0.5%. With such a method, the value for ε _R of the plastic can be set, for example, in a range from 2 to 50 and a repeat accuracy with other batches of, for example, ±2% can be achieved.

With the plastic patch antennas from known injection molding processes, the process can be simplified and the weight reduced.

The required antenna structures can be produced, for example, by chemical-galvanic coating, whereby the areas on the surfaces that are not to be coated can be covered, for example, by a pad or screen printing process. In a preferred embodiment, the covers are applied by a pressure or spraying process during the injection molding process.

The metallic structures can be applied either by a pure chemical deposition process, preferably with copper. Optionally, the copper layer can be combined with a chemically applied thin silver layer (exchange silver). In a preferred form, the coating is carried out by a chemical-galvanic process, in which, after a first nickel layer, copper and optionally galvanic silver are deposited galvanically.

Punched and bent parts for feeding/exciting the antenna can be placed in a tool and overmoulded in a plastic body. These can then generate a signal flow via a capacitive coupling to the copper surfaces of the PCB (printed circuit board).

In this method, so-called stacked patch antennas (stacked substrate layers with antennas and/or ground planes and/or adhesive layers) with different ε _R and different geometries can be manufactured in one manufacturing process, for example using staggered 2K injection molding tools.

The ground planes between the individual patches can be placed in a mold beforehand as sheet metal/foil inserts and then overmoulded. The antenna structures can, for example, also be introduced into the base body from structured sheet metal foil inserts and also overmoulded.

It is possible to influence and set the permittivity ε _R of a plastic with special additives so precisely that it achieves, for example, the ε _R value of ceramics or another desired ε _R value of a material. It is also possible to implement several different permittivities ΣR in one antenna using a multi-component tool, in particular for mapping several frequency bands in the antenna.

Another possible advantage is the connection to the printed circuit board, which now takes place via a new capacitive coupling and no longer has to be realized via soldered connections to the supply pins. This can save an additional manufacturing step in the manufacture of a connectivity module. A punched and bent insert can be inserted into the plastic injection molding tool, which is then overmoulded and can be coupled to copper surfaces on the printed circuit board for feeding.

It is possible, for example, to use it in trucks, trains, cars and commercial vehicles, in which the installation space for the antennas can be limited and weight can play a major role.

In addition to the mentioned dielectric substrate layers made of plastic, a patch antenna device can also contain further antennas and/or substrate layers without plastic.

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• DE 1020222000188 [0003]
• EP 2721690 [0022]

Claims (17)

Patch antenna device (21), in particular for a motor vehicle (24), the multilayer patch antenna device (21) a lower dielectric substrate layer (6) with a lower antenna (5) and an upper dielectric substrate layer (2) with an upper antenna (1), wherein the dielectric substrate layers (2, 6;) are stacked, and wherein the dielectric substrate layers (2, 6) each contain a plastic. Patch antenna device (21) after claim 1 , characterized in that the multi-layer patch antenna device (21) has a bottom dielectric substrate layer (6) with a bottom antenna (5), a middle dielectric substrate layer (13) with a middle antenna (12), and a top dielectric substrate layer (2) with an upper antenna (1), these at least three dielectric substrate layers (2, 6, 13) being arranged stacked on one another, and the dielectric substrate layers (2, 6, 13) each containing a plastic. Patch antenna device (21) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an antenna (1, 5, 12) is arranged in each case on a dielectric substrate layer (2, 6, 13), in particular in the form of a continuous upper layer or one interrupted to form an antenna structure metal layer. Patch antenna device (21) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a dielectric substrate layer (2, 6, 13) has an antenna (1, 5, 12) on each side and on the side of this antenna (1, 5, 12) opposite side of the dielectric substrate layer (2, 6, 13) has a conductive, in particular metallic surface as a ground layer (3, 7, 14). Patch antenna device (21) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on a ground layer (3, 7, 14) one or more of the dielectric substrate layers (2, 6, 13) and/or on one or more dielectric substrate layers (2, 6, 13) an adhesive layer (4, 8, 15) made in particular of adhesive or a double-sided adhesive tape and/or an insulating layer which is located on a printed circuit board (10) or another dielectric substrate layer (2, 6, 13) or an antenna ( 1, 5, 12) is arranged or can be arranged. Patch antenna device (21) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is arranged or can be arranged on a printed circuit board (10) which has at least one, in particular metallic, conductive contact area (11), with a conductive contact area ( 11) in each case one feed pin (9a-f) is connected, in particular capacitively, in order to contact exactly one or more of the antennas (1, 5, 12). Patch antenna device (21) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has one or two or four or more feed pins (9a-f), each of which has exactly one ( 7 ) or several ( 1 ) of the antennas (1, 5, 12) contact capacitively or inductively. Patch antenna device (21) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has one or two or three or four or six or more feed pins (9a-f), which each have at their ends in particular angled or flat areas (20a-I). , of which areas (20a-I) one in each case makes contact with at least one of the antennas (1, 5, 12) capacitively or inductively and one is provided for galvanically or capacitively contacting a contacting area (11) of a printed circuit board (10). Patch antenna device (21) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises feeding pins (9a-f) which pass through recesses (17a-I) in one or more of the dielectric substrate layers (2, 6, 13) and/or through recesses (17a-I) in one or more of the antennas (1, 5, 12) and/or through recesses (17a-I) in one or more of the ground planes (2, 7, 14) and/or through recesses (17a-I ) run in one or more of the adhesive layers (4, 8, 15). Patch antenna device (21) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more of the dielectric substrate layers (2, 6, 13) each contain in the plastic one or more additives for adjusting their permittivity. Patch antenna device (21) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that two or more than two of the dielectric substrate layers (2, 6, 13) have either the same or a different relative permittivity ε _R . Patch antenna device (21) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the patch antenna device (21) has at least one antenna (1, 5, 12) or at least two antennas (1, 5, 12) which (1, 5, 12) is or are designed for transmission/reception frequency ranges for the transmission (S) and/or reception (R) of radio signals (S,R) to or from cellular mobile radio networks, in particular with antenna dimensions and thus transmission /reception frequency ranges for the transmission and/or reception of cellular mobile radio signals (S,R) in one or more 2G/3G/4G/5G/6G frequency bands. Patch antenna device (21) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more or all of the dielectric substrate layers (2, 6, 13) and/or the antennas (1, 5, 12) have a rectangular outer structure. Patch antenna device (21) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the antenna structures of the antennas (1, 5, 12) are produced by chemical-galvanic coating, the areas (20a-I) not to be coated on the surfaces being in particular covered by a tampon - or a screen printing process or a spray process have been covered. Patch antenna device (21) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ground planes between the individual patches are sheet metal or foil inserts and/or overmoulded. Antenna module, in particular for a motor vehicle (24), with a patch antenna device (21) according to one of the preceding claims. Motor vehicle (24) with a patch antenna device (21) according to one of the preceding claims.

Images