JP7684376B2 - Systems, specific devices, programs, and components - Google Patents

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act On May 4, 2023, the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE) published a study on "systems, specific devices, programs, and components" (observations on millimeter wave band (30-300 GHz) reflected wave measurements). On May 12, 2023, the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (General Incorporated Association) published a study on "systems, specific devices, programs, and components" (observations on millimeter wave band (30-300 GHz) reflected wave measurements). On September 5, 2023, the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE) published a study on "systems, specific devices, programs, and components" (evaluation of the distribution of the direction of arrival of terahertz waves by continuous measurements outdoors). On September 12, 2023, the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE) Society Conference (General Incorporated Association) published a study on "systems, specific devices, programs, and components" (evaluation of the distribution of the direction of arrival of terahertz waves by continuous measurements outdoors).

The present invention relates to a system, a specific device, a program, and a component.

Non-Patent Documents 1, 2 and 3 describe methods for measuring the reflective properties of materials.
[Prior art documents]
[Non-Patent Literature]
[Non-Patent Document 1] Takayuki Sasamori, Fundamentals and Applications of Antenna Measurement Using Network Analyzers, 54th Workshop on Design and Analysis Methods for Antennas and Propagation, Antenna and Propagation Research Committee, June 2016
[Non-Patent Document 2] Yuto Kato, "Research on measurement technology and standard supply of material constants such as dielectric constant," AIST Metrology Standards Report, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 99-116, 2014.
[Non-Patent Document 3] Keysight Technologies, "Agilent Dielectric Measurement Fundamentals," Application note, 5989-2589JA, 2014.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system is provided. The system may include a housing that is at least partially open and has an inner surface that reflects radio waves. The system may include a transmitting antenna disposed within the housing. The system may include a receiving antenna disposed within the housing. The system may include a reflection characteristic determination unit that determines the reflection characteristics of the radio waves of the measurement target based on the radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna and received by the receiving antenna when the measurement target is disposed in the open portion of the housing.

In the system, the housing may be a polyhedron having multiple faces with at least one side open, and the inner surfaces of two or more of the multiple faces may be radio wave reflecting surfaces. The housing may be a rectangular parallelepiped with one side open and having a first face, a second face opposing the first face, a third face, a fourth face opposing the third face, and a fifth face opposing the open first face, and the inner surfaces of the first face and the second face may be radio wave reflecting surfaces, and the inner surfaces of the third face and the fourth face may be radio wave absorbing surfaces. The inner surface of the fifth face may be a radio wave absorbing surface.

In any of the above systems, the distance between the first surface and the second surface may be configured to be changeable.

In any of the above systems, the housing may be a rectangular parallelepiped with one side open and having a first surface, a second surface, a third surface opposite the first surface, a fourth surface opposite the second surface, and a fifth surface opposite the open first surface, and the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface may be configured to be switchable between a state in which the first surface and the second surface are radio wave reflecting surfaces and the third surface and the fourth surface are radio wave absorbing surfaces, and a state in which the first surface and the second surface are radio wave absorbing surfaces and the third surface and the fourth surface are radio wave reflecting surfaces.

In any of the above systems, the reflection characteristic determination unit may determine the reflection characteristics of the measurement target using delay time-incident angle relationship data indicating the relationship between the delay time until the radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna are reflected by a reflector placed in the open portion of the housing and reach the receiving antenna, and the incident angle when the radio waves are incident on the reflector. The reflection characteristic determination unit may determine the reflection characteristics of the measurement target using the time-based reception level of the radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna and received by the receiving antenna in a state where a reflector with a known reflection coefficient is placed in the open portion of the housing, the time-based reception level of the radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna and received by the receiving antenna in a state where the measurement target is placed in the open portion of the housing, and the delay time-incident angle relationship data.

In any of the above systems, the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna may be misaligned within the housing.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a determination device is provided. The determination device may include a storage unit that stores delay time-incident angle relationship data indicating a relationship between a delay time until a radio wave transmitted from a transmitting antenna disposed in a housing is reflected by the reflector and reaches a receiving antenna disposed in the housing, and an incident angle when the radio wave is incident on the reflector, in a state in which a measurement target is disposed in the open portion of the housing. The determination device may include an analysis result acquisition unit that acquires an analysis result of an analysis of the radio wave transmitted from the transmitting antenna and received by the receiving antenna, in a state in which a measurement target is disposed in the open portion of the housing. The determination device may include a reflection characteristic determination unit that determines the reflection characteristic of the radio wave of the measurement target based on the analysis result and the delay time-incident angle relationship data.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a program is provided for causing a computer to function as the specific device.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a member is provided. The member may include a housing having at least a portion that is open and at least a portion of an inner surface that reflects radio waves. The member may include a transmitting antenna disposed within the housing. The member may include a receiving antenna disposed within the housing.

Note that the above summary of the invention does not list all of the necessary features of the present invention. Also, subcombinations of these features may also be inventions.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a system 10. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a system 10. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a system 10. An example of a mirror image space 302 is shown diagrammatically. 4 shows a schematic diagram of an example delay profile 400. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a reflection coefficient incident angle characteristic 410. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example delay profile 500. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example delay profile 500. 6 shows a schematic diagram of an example of a reflection coefficient versus angle of incidence 600 . 2 illustrates an example of a functional configuration of a specific device 300. 2 shows another example of the configuration of the system 10. 1 shows an example of a measurement process flow in the system 10. An example of the hardware configuration of a computer 1200 functioning as the specific device 300 is shown in schematic form.

The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

In the next generation of mobile communications, the use of high frequencies in the millimeter wave band (30-300 GHz) is being considered. However, since the medium characteristics of materials in this band are not clear, simulations are forced to use medium constants below 100 GHz. Alternatively, users are forced to use estimated values calculated from their own experimental values. On the other hand, even if the medium constants of the reflection characteristics in the millimeter wave band can be specified, the reflection itself has a strong element of diffuse scattering, so it is not necessarily possible to apply them as is. In this situation, the inventor considered an approach that emphasizes experimental values, but it is difficult to efficiently measure the reflection and scattering characteristics of materials. There is a method that uses an angle setting arm to measure the angular characteristics of regular reflection, but it requires mechanical setting and scanning, and requires a huge amount of measurement time. In consideration of the above problems, a simultaneous measurement method of angular characteristics using multiple mirror image wave sources was considered as a method that does not require angle scanning in principle. As a specific example, in the system 10 according to this embodiment, a delay profile is obtained from the transmission characteristics of a transmitting/receiving omni-antenna installed in an open anechoic box, and the incident angle is calculated from the delay time to simultaneously measure the incident angle dependency of the reflection characteristics. This, in principle, eliminates the need for mechanical scanning and setting to set the incident angle, potentially enabling faster measurements.

Figures 1, 2, and 3 are explanatory diagrams for explaining the system 10. The system 10 includes a member 100 and a specific device 300. The system 10 may include an analysis device 200.

The member 100 has a housing 110, a transmitting antenna 150 arranged inside the housing 110, and a receiving antenna 160 arranged inside the housing 110. The housing 110 has an inner surface that is at least partially open and at least partially reflects radio waves.

In this embodiment, the case where the housing 110 is a rectangular parallelepiped is mainly described as an example, but the housing 110 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped. As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, for the purpose of explanation, the respective faces of the housing 110 are described as E face 111, W face 112, C face 113, F face 114, S face 115, and N face 116, using east-west-north-south (E, W, S, N), ceiling (C), and floor (F). In this example, the N face 116 is an open face. That is, the N face 116 side is open. In addition, the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 are connected to the analysis device 200 by wiring that penetrates the F face 114. The transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 may be connected to the analysis device 200 by wiring that penetrates other faces.

As shown in FIG. 3, a measurement object 20, which is an object for measuring the reflection characteristics of radio waves, is placed in the open portion of the housing 110. The measurement object 20 may be any object. The measurement object 20 has a planar portion that is placed in the open portion of the housing 110. The entire measurement object 20 may be planar.

The inner surfaces of the surfaces other than the open portion of the housing 110 may be selected from total reflection surfaces, radio wave absorbing surfaces, and open surfaces depending on the case. In the example shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the inner surfaces of the E surface 111, the W surface 112, and the S surface 115 are total reflection surfaces, and the inner surfaces of the C surface 113 and the F surface 114 are radio wave absorbing surfaces. In this example, the housing 110 forms a closed system by placing the measurement target 20 on the N surface 116. Note that the housing 110 may be open except for the N surface 116. For example, in addition to the N surface 116, the S surface 115 may be open. Also, for example, in addition to the N surface 116, the C surface 113 and the F surface 114 may be open. Also, for example, in addition to the N surface 116, the E surface 111 and the W surface 112 may be open.

The transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 arranged in the housing 110 are connected to the analysis device 200. The antenna directivity of the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 may be omnidirectional.

The analysis device 200 has a function of measuring the reception level of radio waves received by the receiving antenna 160 over time. The analysis device 200 may be a VNA (Vector Network Analyzer). The analysis device 200 may have a so-called time domain function.

The analysis device 200 analyzes radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 150 and received by the receiving antenna 160 while the measurement target 20 is placed on the N face 116 of the housing 110, and provides the analysis results to the specific device 300. The analysis device 200 may analyze millimeter wave band radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 150 and received by the receiving antenna 160, and provide the analysis results to the specific device 300.

The identification device 300 identifies the reflection characteristics of the measurement target 20 based on the analysis results obtained from the analysis device 200. Note that, although the case where the analysis device 200 and the identification device 300 are separate has been exemplified here, this is not limiting, and the analysis device 200 and the identification device 300 may be integrated. In other words, the identification device 300 may have the functions of the analysis device 200.

The method for identifying the reflection characteristics of the measurement object 20 using the identification device 300 will be explained using an example in which the component 100 illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 is used.

Figure 4 shows an example of a mirror image space 302 realized by the housing 110. Since the housing 110 is a rectangular parallelepiped, the two-dimensional mirror image space seen from the +z-axis direction is as shown in the mirror image space 302 in Figure 4. (0, 0) in the figure is the ID of the mirror image space and represents the mirror image order on the x and y planes. The mirror image order corresponds to the number of reflections, and for example, in the case of two reflections, it is 2. The origin o in the figure is set to the real space (0, 0), and the negative direction of each axis coordinate is expressed as minus. In the example shown in Figure 4, the x axis is ±2nd order, and the y axis is ±3rd order, representing a total of 35 mirror image spaces. The solid white circle indicating the transmitting source is placed in each mirror image space. The dashed white circle indicating the receiving antenna only exists in the real space (0, 0) as a function, but exists in each mirror image space as an obstacle blocking the path from each mirror image wave source. In principle, there are an infinite number of mirror image wave sources, so it is desirable to limit the target range to a finite distance. In this example, it is limited to the distance of the long delay cut 304. The system 10 may perform this limitation by using a time gate function of the analysis device 200.

In the mirror image space 302, a thick black line indicates the reflection surface of the measurement target 20. As shown in FIG. 4, a reflection surface appears every two spaces in the x-axis direction. In the mirror image space 302, there are two layers of the measurement target surface 0 reflection layer ((-1, y), (0, y)) and three layers of the measurement target surface 1 reflection layer ((-2, y), (1, y) and (2, y)) for the reflection surface of the measurement target 20. In FIG. 4, the mirror image space corresponding to the measurement target surface 2 reflections is omitted. In this example, there are 14 wave sources of the measurement target surface 0 reflections and 21 wave sources of the measurement target surface 1 reflection. In the mirror image space 302, if there is one reflection surface of the measurement target 20 in the path between the mirror image wave source and the receiving antenna (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 4), there is a loss of one reflection, if there are two reflections, there is a loss of two reflections, and if there are n reflections, there is a loss of n reflections. On the other hand, since the other surfaces are total reflection surfaces, the reflection coefficient is 1 and there is no loss due to reflection. Therefore, in a 0-times reflection layer, the received level ( _S21 ) corresponds to the free space radio wave loss, and in an n-times reflection layer, the signal is received with a loss equal to the reflection coefficient according to the number of times.

Figure 5 shows an example of a delay profile 400. In Figure 5, the vertical axis indicates the reception level, and the horizontal axis indicates time. The delay profile 400 shows the reception level for each time of radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 150 and received by the receiving antenna 160 in a state where a total reflector with a reflection coefficient of 1 is placed on the N-face 116. In other words, the delay profile 400 shows the reception level for each delay time from when the transmitting antenna 150 transmits the radio waves to when the receiving antenna 160 receives them. The delay time reception level characteristic 401 shows the relationship between the delay time and the reception level.

The longer the path from when the transmitting antenna 150 transmits the radio wave until when the receiving antenna 160 receives it, the greater the delay time. In other words, there is a dependency between the path and the delay time. For this reason, the path can be identified from the delay time. By identifying the path, it is possible to identify the angle of incidence when the radio wave is incident on the measurement target 20. In other words, the angle of incidence can be identified from the delay time. The identification device 300 may store in advance delay time angle of incidence relationship data indicating the relationship between the delay time and the angle of incidence, and a delay profile 400.

Figure 6 shows the reflection coefficient incident angle characteristic 410. In Figure 6, the vertical axis indicates the reflection coefficient, and the horizontal axis indicates the incident angle. The reflection coefficient incident angle characteristic 410 is determined using total reflection (reflection coefficient 1) as a reference value. The determination device 300 may store the reflection coefficient incident angle characteristic 410 in advance.

Figures 7 and 8 show an example of a delay profile 500. The delay profile 500 shown in Figure 7 shows the delay time reception level characteristic 401 and the profiles of two layers of the 0-fold reflection layer ((-1, y), (0, y)) on the measured surface (solid line), the 1-fold reflection layer ((1, y)) on the measured surface (dashed line), and the 2-fold reflection layer (3, y) on the measured surface (dashed line). When the long delay cut 304 is applied, the long delay cut 502 shown in Figures 7 and 8 is applied.

As shown in FIG. 8, the identification device 300 calculates the reflection coefficient for each delay time based on the level difference with respect to the delay time reception level characteristic 401. The identification device 300 identifies the characteristics of the reflection coefficient and the incident angle from the calculation result and the delay time incident angle relationship data.

Figure 9 shows an example of the reflection coefficient incident angle characteristic 600. In the system 10 according to the present embodiment, the path of the radio wave from the transmitting antenna 150 to the receiving antenna 160 can be changed by changing the position of at least one of the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160, or by changing the position of the reflecting surface without changing the positions of the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160, and the reflection coefficient for different incident angles can be identified. Figure 9 shows a case where the delay profile is generated three times (#1, #2, #3) by changing the position of the receiving antenna 160. In addition, in the system 10 according to the present embodiment, the characteristics of both TE incidence and TM incidence can be identified by changing the orientation of at least one of the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 to change the polarization.

Measurement of the reflection characteristics of materials is classified into direct and indirect methods. In the direct method, a device that changes the angle of two antennas, one for transmission and the other for reception, is used to directly measure the reflection characteristics for each incident angle. A method is used in which plane waves are generated using lenses or the like so that radio waves are appropriately incident on the reflecting surface. Since mechanical angle scanning is required, the measurement time is long and the work is complicated. For this reason, it is difficult to say that this method can be measured casually. On the other hand, in the indirect method, the reflection characteristics are indirectly obtained by measuring the electric constants such as the dielectric constant of the material sample and substituting them for the Fresnel reflection coefficient. This includes a method of determining the material constant by transmitting a plane wave, and a method of filling a coaxial line or a waveguide with material. Since it is known that the roughness of the reflecting surface greatly affects the reflection characteristics in the millimeter wave band, it is desirable to measure actual materials such as walls and features using the direct method. In the system 10 according to this embodiment, as described above, an omni-directional reflected wave is generated from multiple angles using an omni-directional antenna, and the reflection coefficient incident angle characteristics are determined from the delay time, so that the reflection characteristics of the measurement target 20 can be determined very efficiently. In addition, in the system 10 according to this embodiment, the measurement environment is prepared by bringing the member 100 into contact with the actual material, such as a wall or feature, whose reflection characteristics are to be measured. This eliminates the need to cut out the material for measurement or prepare a material whose size is adjusted for measurement, making the measurement more efficient.

Figure 10 shows an example of the functional configuration of the identification device 300. The identification device 300 shown in Figure 10 includes a registration unit 312, a memory unit 314, an analysis unit 316, an analysis result acquisition unit 318, and a reflection characteristic identification unit 320. Here, the identification device 300 has the functions of the analysis device 200, but if the identification device 300 does not have the functions of the analysis device 200, the identification device 300 may not have the analysis unit 316, and the analysis device 200 may have the analysis unit 316.

The member 100 has a housing 110 that is at least partially open and has an inner surface that reflects radio waves, a transmitting antenna 150 disposed within the housing 110, and a receiving antenna 160 disposed within the housing 110.

The housing 110 may be a polyhedron having multiple faces, at least one of which is open. Of the multiple faces, excluding the open face, the inner surface of one or more faces may be a radio wave reflecting surface. Of the multiple faces, excluding the open face, the inner surfaces of two or more faces may be radio wave reflecting surfaces. Of the multiple faces, excluding the open face, the inner surfaces of the faces other than the faces whose inner surfaces are radio wave reflecting surfaces may be radio wave absorbing surfaces. All of the inner surfaces of the multiple faces, excluding the open face, may be radio wave reflecting surfaces.

The housing 110 may be, for example, a hexahedron, with one or more of the six faces being open. For example, the housing 110 may be a rectangular parallelepiped.

As a specific example, the housing 110 is a rectangular parallelepiped with one side open and having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, a third surface, a fourth surface opposite the third surface, and a fifth surface opposite the open first surface. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the E surface 111 may be the first surface, the W surface 112 may be the second surface, the C surface 113 may be the third surface, the F surface 114 may be the fourth surface, and the S surface 115 may be the fifth surface.

Of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth surfaces, the inner surfaces of two surfaces may be radio wave reflecting surfaces, and the inner surfaces of three surfaces may be radio wave absorbing surfaces. For example, the inner surfaces of the first and second surfaces may be radio wave reflecting surfaces, and the inner surfaces of the third, fourth, and fifth surfaces may be radio wave absorbing surfaces. For example, the inner surfaces of the third and fourth surfaces may be radio wave reflecting surfaces, and the inner surfaces of the first, second, and fifth surfaces may be radio wave absorbing surfaces.

Of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth surfaces, the inner surfaces of three surfaces may be radio wave reflecting surfaces, and the inner surfaces of two surfaces may be radio wave absorbing surfaces. For example, the inner surfaces of the first, second, and fifth surfaces may be radio wave reflecting surfaces, and the inner surfaces of the third and fourth surfaces may be radio wave absorbing surfaces. For example, the inner surfaces of the third, fourth, and fifth surfaces may be radio wave reflecting surfaces, and the inner surfaces of the first and second surfaces may be radio wave absorbing surfaces.

Of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth surfaces, the inner surfaces of four surfaces may be radio wave reflecting surfaces and one surface may be a radio wave absorbing surface. The inner surfaces of all of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth surfaces may be radio wave reflecting surfaces.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, the C surface 113 may be the first surface, the F surface 114 may be the second surface, the E surface 111 may be the third surface, the W surface 112 may be the fourth surface, and the S surface 115 may be the fifth surface.

As another example, the housing 110 is a rectangular parallelepiped that is open on two sides and has a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, a third surface, and a fourth surface opposite the third surface. In the example shown in FIG. 2, in addition to the N surface 116, the S surface 115 may be an open surface, the E surface 111 may be a first surface, the W surface 112 may be a second surface, the C surface 113 may be a third surface, and the F surface 114 may be a fourth surface.

Of the first, second, third, and fourth surfaces, two surfaces may be radio wave reflecting surfaces and two surfaces may be radio wave absorbing surfaces. For example, the first and second surfaces may be radio wave reflecting surfaces and the third and fourth surfaces may be radio wave absorbing surfaces. For example, the third and fourth surfaces may be radio wave reflecting surfaces and the first and second surfaces may be radio wave absorbing surfaces.

Of the first, second, third, and fourth surfaces, three may be radio wave reflecting surfaces and one may be a radio wave absorbing surface. The inner surfaces of all of the first, second, third, and fourth surfaces may be radio wave reflecting surfaces.

The housing 110 may be, for example, a seven-sided body with one or more of the seven faces being open. The housing 110 may also be a polyhedron with eight or more faces with one or more of the eight faces being open.

The housing 110 may be configured so that the distance between the faces can be changed. In particular, the housing 110 may be configured so that the distance between the face whose inner surface is a reflective surface and the other faces can be changed. As a specific example, in a case where the inner surfaces of the first and second faces are radio wave reflective surfaces and the inner surfaces of the third, fourth, and fifth faces are radio wave absorbing surfaces, the distance between the first and second faces can be changed. The housing 110 may be configured so that the distance between the faces can be changed, for example, by having a sliding structure. Note that the housing 110 is not limited to a sliding structure, and may have other structures as long as the distance between the faces can be changed. By configuring the distance between the faces of the housing 110 to be changeable, the variation of the reflection environment can be easily increased, and the efficiency of the measurement can be improved.

The housing 110 may be configured so that each of the inner surfaces of the multiple surfaces excluding the open surface can be switched between a state in which the surface is a radio wave reflecting surface and a state in which the surface is a radio wave absorbing surface. As a specific example, the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface are configured so that the first surface and the second surface are radio wave reflecting surfaces, and the third surface and the fourth surface are radio wave absorbing surfaces, and the first surface and the second surface are radio wave absorbing surfaces, and the third surface and the fourth surface are radio wave reflecting surfaces. For example, the housing 110 has a structure in which the inner surfaces of the multiple surfaces excluding the open surface are radio wave absorbing surfaces, and the radio wave reflecting surfaces can be attached and detached to the inner surfaces. The attachment and detachment of the radio wave reflecting surfaces may be realized by magnetic force, or may be realized by adhesive or the like. Also, for example, the housing 110 has a structure in which the inner surfaces of the multiple surfaces excluding the open surface are radio wave reflecting surfaces, and the radio wave absorbing surfaces can be attached and detached to the inner surfaces. The radio wave absorbing surface can be attached and detached by magnetic force, or by adhesive, etc. By configuring the housing 110 in this way, it is possible to increase the number of reflection paths and change the polarization, thereby increasing the variety of reflection environments and improving the efficiency of measurements.

The housing 110 may be a sphere or an ellipsoid that is at least partially open and has at least a portion of an inner surface that reflects radio waves. The housing 110 has, for example, a spherical incision shape formed by cutting a hollow sphere with a single plane. One or more portions of the inner surface of the housing 110 may be radio wave reflecting surfaces, and other portions may be radio wave absorbing surfaces.

The transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 may be arranged without being aligned in the housing 110. The transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 may be arranged, for example, so that they are not symmetrical with respect to the center of gravity of the housing 110. If the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 are arranged in alignment in the housing 110, the number of patterns in which the delay times are the same despite the different angles of incidence on the measurement target 20 in the path of the radio wave from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna, including reflection at the measurement target 20, increases, resulting in a decrease in effective data. In contrast, by arranging the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 without being aligned in the housing 110, such patterns can be reduced and effective data can be increased.

At least one of the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 may be repositionable within the housing 110. Both the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 may be repositionable within the housing 110, or only one of the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 may be repositionable within the housing 110.

The registration unit 312 registers delay time incident angle relationship data that indicates the relationship between the delay time taken for radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 150 arranged in the housing 110 of the component 100 to be reflected by a reflector arranged in the open portion of the housing 110 and reach the receiving antenna 160, and the incident angle when the radio waves are incident on the reflector. The delay time incident angle relationship data registered by the registration unit 312 is stored in the memory unit 314.

When multiple components 100 exist, the registration unit 312 may register delay time-incident angle relationship data for each of the multiple components 100.

If the distance between the faces of the housing 110 of the component 100 is configured to be changeable, the relationship between the delay time and the incident angle will change depending on the distance between the faces. If the distance between the faces of the housing 110 of the component 100 is configured to be changeable, the registration unit 312 may register delay time incident angle relationship data for each distance between the faces.

When each of the inner surfaces of the multiple faces of the housing 110 of the component 100, excluding the open faces, is configured to be switchable between a radio wave reflecting surface and a radio wave absorbing surface, the relationship between the delay time and the incident angle will change for each combination of radio wave reflecting surfaces and radio wave absorbing surfaces on the inner surfaces of the multiple faces. When each of the inner surfaces of the multiple faces of the housing 110 of the component 100, excluding the open faces, is configured to be switchable between a radio wave reflecting surface and a radio wave absorbing surface, the registration unit 312 may register delay time incident angle relationship data for each combination of radio wave reflecting surfaces and radio wave absorbing surfaces on the inner surfaces of the multiple faces.

If the position of at least one of the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 can be changed within the housing 110, the relationship between the delay time and the incident angle will change depending on the position. If the position of at least one of the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 can be changed within the housing 110, the registration unit 312 may register delay time incident angle relationship data for each position.

The analysis unit 316 analyzes the radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 150 and received by the receiving antenna 160. The analysis unit 316 may have a so-called time domain function. The analysis unit 316 may identify the reception level per time of the radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 150 and received by the receiving antenna 160. The analysis unit 316 may have a so-called time gate function. The analysis unit 316 may only target a time range shorter than a predetermined time.

The analysis unit 316 may determine the hourly reception level of radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 150 and received by the receiving antenna 160 in a state where a reflector with a known reflection coefficient is placed in the open portion of the housing 110 of the component 100. If there are multiple open portions of the housing 110, the reflector is placed in only one of the multiple open portions. For example, the analysis unit 316 determines the hourly reception level of radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 150 and received by the receiving antenna 160 in a state where a total reflector with a reflection coefficient of 1 is placed in the open portion of the housing 110 of the component 100.

The analysis unit 316 may determine the reception level per unit time of radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 150 and received by the receiving antenna 160 in a state in which the measurement target 20 is placed in an open portion of the housing 110 of the component 100. If there are multiple open portions of the housing 110, the measurement target 20 is placed in only one of the multiple open portions.

The analysis result acquisition unit 318 acquires the analysis results from the analysis unit 316. For example, the analysis result acquisition unit 318 acquires the hourly reception level of radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 150 and received by the receiving antenna 160 in a state where a reflector with a known reflection coefficient is placed in the open portion of the housing 110 of the component 100. For example, the analysis result acquisition unit 318 acquires the hourly reception level of radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 150 and received by the receiving antenna 160 in a state where the measurement target 20 is placed in the open portion of the housing 110 of the component 100.

The reflection characteristic determination unit 320 determines the reflection characteristics of the radio waves of the measurement object 20 based on the radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 150 and received by the receiving antenna 160 when the measurement object 20 is placed in the open portion of the housing 110 of the component 100. The reflection characteristic determination unit 320 determines the reflection characteristics of the measurement object 20 using the delay time incident angle relationship data corresponding to the component 100 used.

The reflection characteristic determination unit 320 may determine the reflection characteristics of the measurement target 20 using the reception level for each time of the radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 150 and received by the receiving antenna 160 with a total reflector placed in the open portion of the housing 110, the reception level for each time of the radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 150 and received by the receiving antenna 160 with the measurement target 20 placed in the open portion of the housing 110, and the delay time incident angle data. Specifically, the reflection characteristic determination unit 320 calculates the reflection coefficient of the measurement target 20 from the level difference of the reception level for each delay time. Then, the reflection characteristic determination unit 320 determines the reflection coefficient for each incident angle using the delay time incident angle data.

This allows the reflection coefficient for each of multiple angles of incidence to be determined without changing the positions of the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 relative to the measurement target 20, and allows the reflection characteristics of the measurement target 20 to be determined efficiently. In particular, when targeting the millimeter wave band, the positions of the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 require extremely high precision, and a determination method that moves the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 becomes difficult, so the determination method of this system, which can determine the reflection coefficient for each of multiple angles of incidence of the measurement target 20 without moving the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160, can be said to be more effective.

When the distance between the faces of the housing 110 of the component 100 is configured to be changeable, the reflection characteristic determination unit 320 uses the delay time-incident angle relationship data registered for each distance between the faces to determine the reflection coefficient for each of multiple angles of incidence for each distance between the faces. This makes it possible to determine the reflection coefficient for a large number of angles of incidence, making it possible to more efficiently determine the reflection characteristics of the measurement target 20.

When the housing 110 of the component 100 is configured such that each of the inner surfaces of the multiple faces excluding the open faces can be switched between a radio wave reflecting surface and a radio wave absorbing surface, the reflection characteristic determination unit 320 uses the delay time incident angle relationship data registered for each combination of radio wave reflecting surface and radio wave absorbing surface of the inner surfaces of the multiple faces to determine the reflection coefficient for each of the multiple incident angles for each combination of radio wave reflecting surface and radio wave absorbing surface of the inner surfaces of the multiple faces. This also makes it possible to determine the reflection coefficient for a large number of incident angles, making it possible to more efficiently determine the reflection characteristics of the measurement target 20.

In the measurement in the system 10, radio waves of different frequencies may be transmitted from the transmitting antenna 150, and the reflection characteristics of the measurement target 20 may be identified for each different frequency. For example, the analysis unit 316 may cause the transmitting antenna 150 to transmit radio waves while sweeping the frequency. The analysis unit 316 may cause the transmitting antenna 150 to sequentially transmit pulse waves of different frequencies. The reflection characteristic identification unit 320 may identify the reflection characteristics for each different frequency, i.e., the reflection coefficient incident angle characteristics, from the analysis results by the analysis unit 316. This makes it possible to efficiently identify the reflection characteristics for each frequency of the measurement target 20. According to an experiment conducted by the inventor, no difference was observed in the reflection characteristics in the 30 GHz to 100 GHz band, but a frequency dependency specific to the 300 GHz band was observed, in which the reflection coefficient became lower in the 300 GHz band. According to the system 10 of this embodiment, such frequency dependency can be efficiently measured, and can contribute to research in the field.

When the position of at least one of the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 can be changed within the housing 110, the reflection characteristic determination unit 320 uses the delay time incident angle relationship data registered for each position to determine the reflection coefficient for each position and for each of multiple incident angles. As illustrated in FIG. 11, the polarization can be changed by changing the position of the receiving antenna 160. This makes it possible to determine the reflection coefficient for more incident angles and to determine the reflection characteristics for different polarizations, although there is a burden to precisely position the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160, and therefore makes it possible to more efficiently determine the reflection characteristics of the measurement target 20.

Figure 12 shows an example of the flow of the measurement process in the system 10. Here, the flow of the process is described when the distance between the faces of the housing 110 of the component 100 is configured to be changeable, and measurements are performed appropriately while changing the distance between the faces. Note that the starting state is when the measurement target 20 is in contact with the open part of the housing 110.

In step 102 (sometimes abbreviated to S), the system 10 performs measurement. Specifically, the analysis unit 316 first causes the transmitting antenna 150 to transmit radio waves and analyzes the radio waves received by the receiving antenna 160 to identify the reception level for each delay time. The reflection characteristic identification unit 320 then calculates the reflection coefficient for each incidence angle using the reception level for each delay time, the reception level for each time of the radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 150 and received by the receiving antenna 160 with a total reflector placed in the open portion of the housing 110 of the component 100, and delay time incidence angle relationship data corresponding to the state of the component 100.

If measurements have not been completed for all the relationships between the distances between the surfaces, proceed to S106; if measurements have been completed, proceed to S108. In S106, the positional relationship of the reflective surfaces in the housing 110 of the component 100 is changed. Then, return to S102 and perform measurements. The change may be made by the experimenter conducting the experiment. Note that if the component 100 is configured so that the positional relationship of the reflective surfaces can be changed automatically by electrical drive or the like, the change may be made automatically.

In S108, the reflection characteristic determination unit 320 determines the reflection characteristics of the measurement target 20 using the reflection coefficient for each angle of incidence calculated in S102. Then, the process ends.

In this way, by performing measurements while appropriately changing the positional relationship between the surfaces, it is possible to efficiently increase the reflection coefficient data corresponding to the angle of incidence and improve the characteristic accuracy of the reflection characteristics. Note that while FIG. 12 shows an example in which the positional relationship between the surfaces is changed, this is not limiting, and the position of at least one of the transmitting antenna 150 and the receiving antenna 160 may be changed.

13 shows an example of a hardware configuration of a computer 1200 functioning as a specific device 300. A program installed on the computer 1200 can cause the computer 1200 to function as one or more "parts" of the device according to the present embodiment, or to execute operations or one or more "parts" associated with the device according to the present embodiment, and/or to execute a process or steps of the process according to the present embodiment. Such a program can be executed by the CPU 1212 to cause the computer 1200 to execute specific operations associated with some or all of the blocks of the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

The computer 1200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 1212, a RAM 1214, and a graphics controller 1216, which are connected to each other by a host controller 1210. The computer 1200 also includes input/output units such as a communication interface 1222, a storage device 1224, a DVD drive, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 1210 via an input/output controller 1220. The DVD drive may be a DVD-ROM drive, a DVD-RAM drive, etc. The storage device 1224 may be a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, etc. The computer 1200 also includes a ROM 1230 and a legacy input/output unit such as a keyboard, which are connected to the input/output controller 1220 via an input/output chip 1240.

The CPU 1212 operates according to the programs stored in the ROM 1230 and the RAM 1214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphics controller 1216 acquires image data generated by the CPU 1212 into a frame buffer or the like provided in the RAM 1214 or into itself, and causes the image data to be displayed on the display device 1218.

The communication interface 1222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The storage device 1224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 1212 in the computer 1200. The DVD drive reads programs or data from a DVD-ROM or the like and provides them to the storage device 1224. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and/or writes programs and data to an IC card.

ROM 1230 stores therein a boot program or the like executed by computer 1200 upon activation, and/or a program that depends on the hardware of computer 1200. I/O chip 1240 may also connect various I/O units to I/O controller 1220 via USB ports, parallel ports, serial ports, keyboard ports, mouse ports, etc.

The programs are provided by a computer-readable storage medium such as a DVD-ROM or an IC card. The programs are read from the computer-readable storage medium, installed in storage device 1224, RAM 1214, or ROM 1230, which are also examples of computer-readable storage media, and executed by CPU 1212. The information processing described in these programs is read by computer 1200, and brings about cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. An apparatus or method may be constructed by realizing the operation or processing of information according to the use of computer 1200.

For example, when communication is performed between computer 1200 and an external device, CPU 1212 may execute a communication program loaded into RAM 1214 and instruct communication interface 1222 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. Under the control of CPU 1212, communication interface 1222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer area provided in RAM 1214, storage device 1224, a DVD-ROM, or a recording medium such as an IC card, and transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes received data received from the network to a reception buffer area or the like provided on the recording medium.

The CPU 1212 may also cause all or a necessary portion of a file or database stored in an external recording medium such as the storage device 1224, a DVD drive (DVD-ROM), an IC card, etc. to be read into the RAM 1214, and perform various types of processing on the data on the RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may then write back the processed data to the external recording medium.

Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored in the recording medium and may undergo information processing. The CPU 1212 may perform various types of processing on the data read from the RAM 1214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information search/replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the instruction sequence of the program, and writes back the results to the RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may also search for information in a file, database, etc. in the recording medium. For example, when multiple entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored in the recording medium, the CPU 1212 may search for an entry whose attribute value of the first attribute matches a specified condition from among the multiple entries, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

The above-described programs or software modules may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium on or near the computer 1200. In addition, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable storage medium, thereby providing the programs to the computer 1200 via the network.

The blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams in this embodiment may represent stages of a process in which an operation is performed or "parts" of a device responsible for performing the operation. Particular stages and "parts" may be implemented by dedicated circuitry, programmable circuitry provided with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and/or a processor provided with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The dedicated circuitry may include digital and/or analog hardware circuits and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and/or discrete circuits. The programmable circuitry may include reconfigurable hardware circuits including AND, OR, XOR, NAND, NOR, and other logical operations, flip-flops, registers, and memory elements, such as, for example, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and programmable logic arrays (PLAs).

A computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions that are executed by a suitable device, such that a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon comprises an article of manufacture that includes instructions that can be executed to create means for performing the operations specified in the flowchart or block diagram. Examples of computer-readable storage media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, and the like. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memories (RAMs), read-only memories (ROMs), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs or flash memories), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), static random access memories (SRAMs), compact disk read-only memories (CD-ROMs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), Blu-ray disks, memory sticks, integrated circuit cards, and the like.

The computer readable instructions may include either assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages such as Smalltalk (registered trademark), JAVA (registered trademark), C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages.

The computer-readable instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, or a programmable circuit, either locally or over a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), such as the Internet, so that the processor of the general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, or the programmable circuit, executes the computer-readable instructions to generate means for performing the operations specified in the flowcharts or block diagrams. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, etc.

The present invention has been described above using an embodiment, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiment. It is clear from the claims that forms with such modifications or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

The order of execution of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before" or "prior to," and it should be noted that the processes may be performed in any order, unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is explained using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it does not mean that it is necessary to perform the processes in that order.

10 System, 20 Measurement target, 100 Component, 110 Housing, 111 E surface, 112 W surface, 113 C surface, 114 F surface, 115 S surface, 116 N surface, 150 Transmitting antenna, 160 Receiving antenna, 200 Analysis device, 300 Identification device, 302 Mirror image space, 304 Long delay cut, 312 Registration unit, 314 Memory unit, 316 Analysis unit, 318 Analysis result acquisition unit, 320 Reflection characteristic identification unit, 400 Delay profile, 410 Reflection coefficient incident angle characteristic, 500 Delay profile, 502 Long delay cut, 600 Reflection coefficient incident angle characteristic, 1200 Computer, 1210 Host controller, 1212 CPU, 1214 RAM, 1216 Graphic controller, 1218 Display device, 1220 I/O controller, 1222 communication interface, 1224 storage device, 1230 ROM, 1240 I/O chip

Claims (14)

A housing having an inner surface that is at least partially open and at least a portion of which reflects radio waves;
A transmitting antenna disposed within the housing;
A receiving antenna disposed within the housing;
and a reflection characteristic determination unit that determines the incidence angle dependency of the reflection characteristics of the radio waves of the object to be measured based on the radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna and received by the receiving antenna while the object to be measured is placed in the open portion of the housing . A housing having an inner surface that is at least partially open and at least a portion of which reflects radio waves;
A transmitting antenna disposed within the housing;
A receiving antenna disposed within the housing;
a reflection characteristic determination unit that determines a reflection characteristic of the radio wave of the measurement target based on the radio wave transmitted from the transmitting antenna and received by the receiving antenna in a state in which the measurement target is placed in the open portion of the housing;
Equipped with
The housing is a polyhedron having multiple faces, at least one of which is open,
The system, wherein an inner surface of two or more of the plurality of surfaces is a radio wave reflective surface. A housing having an inner surface that is at least partially open and at least a portion of which reflects radio waves;
A transmitting antenna disposed within the housing;
A receiving antenna disposed within the housing;
a reflection characteristic determination unit that determines a reflection characteristic of the radio wave of the measurement target based on the radio wave transmitted from the transmitting antenna and received by the receiving antenna in a state in which the measurement target is placed in the open portion of the housing;
Equipped with
The reflection characteristic identification unit identifies the reflection characteristics of the object to be measured using delay time-incident angle relationship data that indicates the relationship between the delay time taken for radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna to be reflected by a reflector placed in the open portion of the housing and reach the receiving antenna, and the incident angle when the radio waves are incident on the reflector. A housing having an inner surface that is at least partially open and at least a portion of which reflects radio waves;
A transmitting antenna disposed within the housing;
A receiving antenna disposed within the housing;
a reflection characteristic determination unit that determines a reflection characteristic of the radio wave from the measurement target based on the radio wave transmitted from the transmitting antenna and received by the receiving antenna in a state in which the measurement target is placed in the open portion of the housing;
Equipped with
A system, wherein the orientation of at least one of the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna is configured to be changeable. the housing is a rectangular parallelepiped having one open side, a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, a third surface, a fourth surface opposite the third surface, and a fifth surface opposite the open first surface,
the first surface and the second surface have inner surfaces that are radio wave reflecting surfaces;
The system of claim 1 , wherein the inner surfaces of the third surface and the fourth surface are radio wave absorbing surfaces. The system of claim 5 , wherein an inner surface of the fifth surface is an electromagnetic wave absorbing surface. The system of claim 5 , wherein the distance between the first surface and the second surface is configured to be variable. the housing is a rectangular parallelepiped having one open side, a first surface, a second surface, a third surface opposite to the first surface, a fourth surface opposite to the second surface, and a fifth surface opposite to the open first surface,
5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface are configured to be switchable between a state in which the first surface and the second surface are radio wave reflecting surfaces and the third surface and the fourth surface are radio wave absorbing surfaces, and a state in which the first surface and the second surface are radio wave absorbing surfaces and the third surface and the fourth surface are radio wave reflecting surfaces. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna are arranged so as not to be symmetrical with respect to the center of gravity of the housing. The system described in claim 3, wherein the reflection characteristic identification unit identifies the reflection characteristics of the object to be measured using a reception level per time of radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna and received by the receiving antenna when a reflector with a known reflection coefficient is placed in the open portion of the housing, a reception level per time of radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna and received by the receiving antenna when the object to be measured is placed in the open portion of the housing, and the delay time-incident angle relationship data. a storage unit that stores delay time-incident angle relationship data indicating a relationship between a delay time taken for a radio wave transmitted from a transmitting antenna disposed in the housing to be reflected by the reflector and reach a receiving antenna disposed in the housing, the delay time being a relationship between an incident angle when the radio wave is incident on the reflector, the delay time being a relationship between a delay time taken for a radio wave transmitted from the transmitting antenna to be reflected by the reflector and reach a receiving antenna disposed in the housing, the delay time being a relationship between an incident angle when the radio wave is incident on the reflector, the delay time being a relationship between a delay time taken for a radio wave ... an incident angle when the radio wave is incident on the reflector, the delay time being a relationship between an incident angle when the radio wave is incident on the reflector, the delay time being a relationship between an incident angle when the radio wave is incident on the reflector, the delay time being a relationship between an incident angle when the radio wave is incident on the reflector, the delay time being a relationship between an incident angle when the radio wave is incident on the reflector, the delay time being a relationship between an incident angle when the radio wave is incident on the reflector, the delay time being a relationship between an incident angle when the radio wave is incident on the reflector, the delay time being a relationship between an incident angle when the radio wave is incident on the reflector, the
an analysis result acquisition unit that acquires an analysis result obtained by analyzing the radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna and received by the receiving antenna in a state where a measurement target is placed in the open portion of the housing;
and a reflection characteristic specifying unit that specifies the reflection characteristics of the radio wave to be measured based on the analysis result and the delay time-incident angle relationship data. A program for causing a computer to function as the specific device according to claim 11 . A housing having an inner surface that is at least partially open and at least a portion of which reflects radio waves;
A transmitting antenna disposed within the housing;
a receiving antenna disposed within the housing ;
The housing is a polyhedron having multiple faces, at least one of which is open,
A member , wherein the inner surfaces of two or more of the plurality of surfaces are radio wave reflective surfaces . A housing having an inner surface that is at least partially open and at least a portion of which reflects radio waves;
A transmitting antenna disposed within the housing;
a receiving antenna disposed within the housing;
Equipped with
A member configured so that the orientation of at least one of the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna can be changed.

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