New patent application published for: ANTENNA APPARATUS, COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, AND IMAGE CAPTURING SYSTEM

ANTENNA APPARATUS, COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, AND IMAGE CAPTURING SYSTEM

Claims

1. An antenna apparatus comprising: an antenna array in which a plurality of active antennas each including an antenna and a semiconductor structure configured to generate or detect an electromagnetic wave are arranged in an array; one or more coupling lines configured to mutually couple antennas respectively included in at least two active antennas among the plurality of active antennas; and an impedance variable device coupled to the one or more coupling lines and configured to vary an impedance associated with the one or more coupling lines.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more coupling lines include a first coupling line configured to couple the antennas respectively included in two active antennas arranged adjacent to each other in the array. wherein a path connecting the semiconductor structures respectively included in the two active antennas via the first coupling line has a length at a frequency of the electromagnetic wave.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein for the first coupling line, the length of the path is set to be the electrical length of the electromagnetic wave which is equal to an integer multiple of 2π.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more coupling lines include a first coupling line, and wherein the impedance variable device is coupled to a position of the first coupling line that is different from end portions of the first coupling line.
5. (canceled)
6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the position corresponds to a position of a node of a standing wave of the electromagnetic wave in the first coupling line.
7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the position corresponds to a position different from a node of a standing wave of the electromagnetic wave in the first coupling line.
8. (canceled)
9. (canceled)
10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the impedance variable device acts to adjust an electrical length of the electromagnetic wave in the first coupling line.
11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the impedance variable device includes a varactor diode.
12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the impedance variable device includes a transistor.
13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the impedance variable device comprises a hybrid coupler coupled to the coupling line, and wherein the hybrid coupler is configured to change a phase difference between ports of the hybrid coupler by changing an impedance state associated with the coupling line.
14. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first wiring configured to connect the semiconductor structure and a bias control unit configured to supply a bias signal to the semiconductor structure, and a second wiring configured to connect the impedance variable device and a phase control unit configured to supply a control signal to the impedance variable device, wherein the first wiring and the second wiring are individually controlled.
15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of active antennas are arranged in a matrix.
16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the antenna array, the plurality of active antennas are arranged at an interval not larger than a wavelength of the electromagnetic wave.
17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the antenna array, the plurality of active antennas are arranged at an interval that is equal to an integer multiple of a wavelength of the electromagnetic wave.
18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the antennas is a patch antenna.
19. (canceled)
20. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the semiconductor structures includes a negative resistance element.
21. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the negative resistance element is a resonant tunneling diode.
22. (canceled)
23. (canceled)
24. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic wave is an electromagnetic wave in a terahertz band.
25. (canceled)
26. A communication apparatus comprising: an antenna apparatus that comprises an antenna array in which a plurality of active antennas each including an antenna and a semiconductor structure configured to generate or detect an electromagnetic wave are arranged in an array, one or more coupling lines configured to mutually couple antennas respectively included in at least two active antennas among the plurality of active antennas, and an impedance variable device coupled to the one or more coupling lines and configured to vary an impedance associated with the one or more coupling lines; a transmission unit configured to emit the electromagnetic wave; and a reception unit configured to detect the electromagnetic wave.
27. (canceled)
28. An image capturing system comprising: an antenna apparatus that comprises an antenna array in which a plurality of active antennas each including an antenna and a semiconductor structure configured to generate or detect an electromagnetic wave are arranged in an array, one or more coupling lines configured to mutually couple antennas respectively included in at least two active antennas among the plurality of active antennas, and an impedance variable device coupled to the one or more coupling lines and configured to vary an impedance associated with the one or more of the coupling lines; a transmission unit configured to emit the electromagnetic wave to an object; and a detection unit configured to detect the electromagnetic wave reflected by the object.
29. (canceled)