Patent Publication Number: US-10333208-B2

Title: Antenna device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an antenna device. 
     Description of Related Art 
     Recently, intelligent and broadband-connected automobiles have been drawing attention. 4G (Generation) LTE (Long Term Evolution) is the key technology to the realization of such connected automobiles. LTE offers speed, short waiting time and IP (Internet Protocol) connectivity for novel high-quality applications that support video-rich communication, navigation, information, entertainment and services based on the location information of a driver and passengers. 
     There are some factors that should be considered for integrating LTE into the automobile environment. The radio wave spectrum and antennas are some of the most important factors. LTE encompasses 40 bands or more, and it is necessary to simultaneously support at least 5 or 6 bands in many regions. Since automobiles can travel from one region to another, automobiles are likely to be required to support approximately 10 LTE bands. 
     In addition, LTE MIMO (Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output), which uses two antennas, will be expanded to more antennas in the future. An LTE antenna can be allocated in cooperation with a cellular modem inside an automobile or to an external assembly such as a shark fin antenna. In both scenarios, the antenna should be inconspicuous and small and also cover a huge band of 700 MHz to 2700 MHz. Such antennas are a challenge. 
     With regard to UWB (Ultra Wide Band) antennas, antenna devices that include a disk- or home base-shaped flat plate conductor have been known in the art (see JP 2005-94437A, JP 2008-199371A and JP 2010-232865A), which are intended to achieve broader band characteristics and reduced size. 
     However, there is a need for broader band characteristics and further reduced size of such antenna device. Specifically, there is a need for small and inconspicuous antennas that can cover the LTE bands in all regions in the world. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to achieve broader band characteristics and reduced size of antenna devices. 
     In order to realize the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an antenna device, including: 
     a flat base body; and 
     a flat conductive body which is disposed on the base body and which has a polygonal shape such that a lower side opposed to a ground is shorter than an upper side; 
     wherein the conductive body includes:
         a feeding point on the lower side; and   a slit which comprises an open end on the lower side in a vicinity of the feeding point,       

     wherein the slit includes:
         a first slit portion which extends from the open end;   a second slit portion which extends from an end of the first slit portion such that the second slit portion is turned to a perpendicular direction with respect to the first slit portion; and   a third slit portion which extends from an end of the second slit portion such that the third slit portion is turned to a perpendicular direction with respect to the second slit portion.       

     Preferably, in the antenna device, a distance between the feeding point and the open end of the slit is 2.0 mm. 
     Preferably, in the antenna device, the length of an outer periphery of the conductive body and an inner periphery of the slit is set to ¼ of a wavelength of a lowest operable frequency. 
     Preferably, in the antenna device, the first slit portion is bent 90 degrees each in two different directions. 
     Preferably, the antenna device further includes: 
     an antenna cover having a shape of a shark fin; 
     an antenna base connected to the antenna cover; and 
     a base board which is disposed on the antenna base and which comprises a grounded portion, 
     wherein the base body and the conductive body are mounted on the base board. 
     Preferably, the antenna device further includes: 
     a case of a communication unit; and 
     a base board which is disposed in the case and comprises a grounded portion, 
     wherein the base body and the conductive body are mounted on the base board. 
     Preferably, in the antenna device, the base body and the conductive body are folded according to an inner shape of the case. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the appended drawings which are not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a see-through view of an on-board wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of a first antenna device, illustrating the internal configuration thereof; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of a second antenna device, illustrating the internal configuration thereof; 
         FIG. 4A  is an outer appearance view of a TCU. 
         FIG. 4B  is a schematic view of the TCU, illustrating the internal configuration thereof; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a third planar antenna; 
         FIG. 6  is a plan view of a first planar antenna; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates the return loss of the first planar antenna with respect to frequency; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates the gain of the first planar antenna in the far-field horizontal plane; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates the gain of the first planar antenna in the far-field vertical plane; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates the return loss of the first planar antenna and a planar antenna with a feeding point away from a slit with respect to frequency; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates the return loss of the first planner antenna and a planar antenna with no slit with respect to frequency; 
         FIG. 12A  is a plan view of a fourth planar antenna; 
         FIG. 12B  illustrates the return loss of the fourth planar antenna with respect to frequency; 
         FIG. 13A  is a plan view of a fifth planar antenna; 
         FIG. 13B  illustrates the return loss of the fifth planar antenna with respect to frequency; 
         FIG. 14A  is a plan view of a sixth planar antenna; 
         FIG. 14B  is a perspective view of the sixth planar antenna; 
         FIG. 14C  illustrates the return loss of the sixth planar antenna with respect to frequency; and 
         FIG. 15  is a plan view of a seventh planar antenna. 
     
    
    
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, an embodiment and variations of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples. 
     Embodiment 
     An embodiment of the present invention will be described referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 11 . First, the configuration of a wireless communication system W according to an embodiment will be described referring to  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  is a see-through view of a wireless communication system W in a vehicle R. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the wireless communication system W, which performs wireless communication in telematics services, is installed in the vehicle R which is an automobile. Telematics services are a general term for a variety of services that use mobile communication (wireless communication) for achieving safety and security functions of automobiles and improving convenience by information distribution. The wireless communication system W is configured to perform communication by wireless communication methods of LTE, SDARS (satellite digital audio radio service) for satellite radios and GPS (global positioning system) for positioning. However, the communication methods are not limited thereto, and the wireless communication system W may be configured to perform communication by other wireless communication methods. 
     The wireless communication system W includes an antenna device  1 A, a receiver  2  and a TCU (Telematics Control Unit)  3 . The antenna device  1 A has the shape of a shark fin and is attached to a fixing opening (not shown) in a mounting face of the roof of the vehicle R along a streamline in the front-rear direction of the vehicle R. The antenna device  1 A, which includes antennas for LTE, SDARS and GPS, is connected to the TCU  3  and the receiver  2  via cables E 1 , E 2 . 
     The receiver  2 , which is included in an on-board equipment, serves as a SDARS and GPS receiver. The TCU  3 , which includes at least an antenna for LTE, controls the communication through LTE and the like. The TCU  3  is connected to the antenna device  1 A via the cable E 1 . LTE antennas are provided to two systems of the antenna device  1 A and the TCU  3  in order to secure communication with an external correspondent even when one of the systems is inoperable in an emergency of the vehicle R or the crew. 
     The internal configuration of the antenna device  1 A will be described referring to  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the antenna device  1 A, illustrating the internal configuration thereof. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the antenna device  1 A includes an antenna cover  10 , an antenna base  20 , a base board  30 A, a planar antenna  100   a , patch antennas  41 ,  42  and a gasket  50 . 
     The antenna cover  10  expands in width toward the rear side and protrudes rearward in a streamline shape along the longitudinal direction, which is thus formed in a low-profile shark fin shape so as not to disfigure the vehicle. The antenna cover  10  is made of a synthetic resin that is permeable to radio wave and electrically insulative, such as acrylic resin. 
     The antenna base  20 , which includes a base member  21  and a protrusion  22 , is constituted by an integrally formed metal die-cast such as aluminum. The base member  21  has an approximately flat shape that fits the bottom opening of the antenna cover  10 , and the base board  30 A is mounted on the upper surface. The protrusion  22  is configured to be inserted into the fixing opening in the roof of the vehicle R so as to fix the antenna device  1 A. The protrusion  22  has male screw threads as a bolt and a groove  22   a  along the axis thereof. The cable E 1 , which is electrically connected to the TCU  3  installed in the vehicle R, and the cable E 2 , which is electrically connected to the receiver  2  installed in the vehicle R, are inserted in the groove  22   a . The cable E 1  is constituted by a coaxial cable or the like for the planar antenna  100   a . The cable E 2  is constituted by a coaxial cable or the like for the patch antennas  41 ,  42 . 
     The protrusion  22  is inserted in the fixing opening of the vehicle R and fastened with a fixing member (not shown) such as a nut from the inside of the vehicle R so that the mounting face of the roof of the vehicle R is clamped. The antenna device  1 A is thus fixedly mounted on the mounting face of the vehicle R. Further, the base member  21  is electrically connected to the mounting face and is thereby grounded via the body of the vehicle R. The antenna cover  10  is screwed to the antenna base  20  at female screws of bosses formed on the inner surface from the back side of the base member  21 . 
     The base board  30 A includes a tuning circuit for selectively receiving radio wave at a specific frequency and an amplifier circuit, which is constituted by a circuit board such as a PCB (printed circuit board) fixedly mounted on the upper face of the base member  21 , for example, by means of screws. The base board  30 A, which serves as a base board of the patch antennas  41 ,  42  and the planar antenna  100   a , suitably includes a grounded portion. 
     The planar antenna  100   a , which is an antenna for ETC composed of a planar antenna portion  200   a , is fixedly disposed on the base board  30 A in a standing manner by means of a support (not shown) such that the thickness direction of the plane is perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the antenna device  1 A. The conductive body  220   a  of the planar antenna portion  200   a , which will described later, is exposed to the front side in the figure. The configuration and antenna characteristics of the planar antenna  100   a  will be described in detail later. 
     For example, the planar antenna  100   a  is soldered to the inner conductor of the coaxial cable E 1  at a feeding point, and the ground of the planar antenna  100   a  (base board  30 A) is connected to the outer conductor of the cable E 1 . The feeding point of the planar antenna  100   a  may be included in the feeding line of the patch antennas  41 ,  42  in the base board  30 A. 
     The patch antenna  41  is a patch antenna for SDARS for receiving radio wave from SDARS satellites, which is fixedly mounted on the base board  30 A. The patch antenna  42  is a patch antenna for GPS for receiving radio wave from GPS satellites, which is fixedly mounted on the base board  30 A. 
     The gasket  50  is constituted by an elastic body that is impermeable to water and resistant to chemicals and is made of a petroleum rubber or the like such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer). The gasket  50  is disposed along the periphery of the base member  21  and is nipped between the base member  21  and the roof of the vehicle R when the protrusion  22  is inserted in the fixing opening of the vehicle R and fastened by means of a fixing member. The gasket  50  can thereby maintain the water tightness of the insides of the antenna cover  10  and the vehicle R. 
       FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of an antenna device  1 B, illustrating the internal configuration thereof. The antenna device  1 A may be replaced with the antenna device  1 B of  FIG. 3 . The antenna device  1 B is configured such that it includes a base board  30 B instead of the base board  30 A of the antenna device  1 A, and the planar antenna  100   a  is mounted in a different direction. 
     The base board  30 B has the same configuration as the base board  30 A except that it has a different mounting area for the planar antenna  100   a . In the antenna device  1 B, the planar antenna  100   a  is fixedly disposed on a base board  30 B in a standing manner by means of a support  31 B mounted on the base board  30 B such that the thickness direction of the plane is parallel to the front-rear direction of the antenna device  1 B. The conductive body  220   a  of the planar antenna portion  200   a  is exposed to the far side in the figure. 
     Since the antenna devices  1 A,  1 B as shark fin modules include antennas for SDARS, GPS and the like as well as for ETC, it is important to carefully design them so that such different antennas are sufficiently isolated from each other. 
     Next, the configuration of the TCU  3  will be described referring to  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B .  FIG. 4A  is an outer appearance view of the TCU  3 .  FIG. 4B  is a schematic view of the TCU  3 , illustrating the internal configuration thereof. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4A , the TCU  3  includes a resin case  3 A having an approximately rectangular box shape. As illustrated in  FIG. 4B , the TCU  3  includes a base board  60  and a planar antenna  100   b  inside the case  3 A. The base board  60  includes a main base board  61  of a PCB and also includes a communication circuit  62  for the planar antenna  100   b , other circuit  63  and a connector  64  which are mounted on the main base board  61 . The connector  64  is provided to attach the planar antenna  100   b.    
     The planar antenna  100   b  includes a planar antenna portion  200   b  and a connector  300   b . The planar antenna portion  200   b  is the same antenna as the planar antenna portion  200   a , which is electrically connected to the conductive body of the connector  300   b  at a feeding point. The connector  300   b  is electrically and physically connected to the connector  64 . The connector  300   b  of the planar antenna  100   b  is connected to the connector  64  such that the plane of the planar antenna portion  200   b  is parallel to the plane of the main base board  61 . 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a planar antenna  100   c . The TCU  3  may include a planar antenna  100   c  of  FIG. 5  instead of the planar antenna  100   b . The planar antenna  100   c  includes a planar antenna portion  200   c . The planar antenna portion  200   c  has the same shape as the planar antenna portion  200   a  except that it is folded to 90 degrees. Further, the planar antenna portion  200   c  is fixedly disposed at an end of the main base board  61  in a standing manner by means of a support (not shown). Since the planar antenna portion  200   c  is folded, the planar antenna  100   c  is further reduced in size and housed in the case  3 A. 
     Next, the configuration of the planar antenna portion  200   a  of the planar antenna  100   a  will be described referring to  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 6  is a plan view of the planar antenna  100   a.    
     As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the planar antenna portion  200   a  is configured such that the conductive body  220   a  is formed on one face of an antenna base board  210   a . For example, the antenna base board  210   a  is constituted by an insulating base board of FR4 (Flame Retardant Type 4) or the like. The X, Y and Z axes are defined as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . For example, the antenna base board  210   a  has a dimension of Y×Z=32 mm×25 mm. 
     The conductive body  220   a  is constituted by a flat conductor made of a copper foil, which has a trapezoidal (polygonal) shape such that the lower side is shorter than the upper side. The conductive body  220   a  includes a slit  230   a  which is a cutout in the conductor, and tapered portions  241   a ,  242   a . On the lower side of the conductive body  220   a , a feeding point P is provided which is electrically connected to the inner conductor of the cable E 2 . The slit  230   a  has a narrow open end near the right side of the feeding point P. 
     The slit  230   a  is composed of straight slit portions  231   a ,  232   a ,  233   a . The straight slit portion  231   a  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the +Z direction from the open end near the right side of the feeding point P. The straight slit portion  232   a  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the +Y direction from the end of the straight slit portion  231   a . The straight slit portion  233   a  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the −Z direction from the end of the straight slit portion  232   a.    
     The slit  230   a  is provided to change the electric current distribution so as to cause resonance within the LTE low frequency band of 748 MHz to 960 MHz. The length and width of the slit  230   a  are selected according to the resonant frequency. The length of the straight slit portions  231   a ,  232   a ,  233   a  defines the resonant frequency in the LTE low frequency band. The current path length is equal to ¼ of the wavelength of the lowest operating frequency, which includes the total length (inner periphery) of the slit  230   a  and the outer periphery of the conductive body  220   a . The slit  230   a  causes further resonation to increase the bandwidth of the antenna. 
     To achieve the better impedance matching and bandwidth, the slit  230   a  should start from a point that is located to the right of the feeding point P on the Y axis as close as possible to the feeding point. In the design of the embodiment, the length is L 1 =2.0 mm. The position of the feeding point P is determined by firstly selecting the center of the lower end of the conductive body and then optimizing it so that the possible widest bandwidth is achieved within the low frequency band of 748 MHz to 960 MHz. The planar antenna portion  200   a  is coupled over the two parallel straight slit portions  231   a ,  233   a , which particularly increases the bandwidth. 
     The tapered portion  241   a  is located at the lower right of the conductive body  220   a . The angle between the tapered portion  241   a  and the lower side of the conductive body  220   a  is represented as angle α. The tapered portion  242   a  is located at the lower left of the conductive body  220   a . The angle between the tapered portion  242   a  and the lower side of the conductive body  220   a  is represented as angle β. Since the tapered portions  241   a ,  242   a  substantially increase the impedance bandwidth, the angles α, β are optimized so as to be asymmetrical in the Y direction. The impedance bandwidth of the planar antenna portion  200   a  is at least 6 times greater than that of a planar antenna with a rectangular conductive body. As in the planar antenna portion  200   a , the angle α of the tapered portion  241   a  may be larger than the angle β of the tapered portion  242   a.    
     The planar antenna  100   a  is a monopole antenna. Accordingly, the planar antenna  100   a  can be analyzed by using a transmission-line model. Since the height of the conductive body  220   a  is continuously increased with respect to the grounded portion of the base board  30 A, the inclined edge can be modeled as a tapered line in this case. Accordingly, the tapered portions  241   a ,  242   a  enable designing the continuous variable characteristic impedance to increase the number of resonances so as to achieve broadband matching. By increasing the angles α, β, the bandwidth and the highest wavelength are increased. The left and right angles α, β each produce the same effect. 
     As described above, the planar antenna  100   a ,  100   b ,  100   c  are based on an ultra wide band monopole concept. While the planar antennas  100   a ,  100   b ,  100   c  are intended for use as main LTE antenna, they are not limited thereto and may also be used as diversity antennas. 
     Next, the antenna characteristics of the planar antenna  100   a  will be described referring to  FIG. 7  to  FIG. 11 . The planar antennas  100   b ,  100   c  have the same antenna characteristics as the planar antenna  100   a .  FIG. 7  illustrates the return loss of the planar antenna  100   a  with respect to frequency.  FIG. 8  illustrates the gain of the planar antenna  100   a  in the far-field horizontal plane.  FIG. 9  illustrates the gain of the planar antenna  100   a  in the far-field vertical plane.  FIG. 10  illustrates the return loss of the planar antenna  100   a  and a planar antenna with a feeding point away from the slit with respect to frequency.  FIG. 11  illustrates the return loss of the planar antenna  100   a  and a planar antenna with no slit with respect to frequency. 
     To measure the antenna characteristics, the planar antenna  100   a  was powered by using a coaxial cable and a FAKRA connector and was disposed at an end of the ground board. In this condition, the return loss (reflection coefficient S 11 ) of the planar antenna  100   a , which is one of the antenna characteristics, was measured. The ground board had the same size as the base board  60  of the TCU  3 . 
     Regarding the return loss of the planar antenna  100   a  with respect to frequency, the measurement result as illustrated in  FIG. 7  was obtained in the frequency range including frequency bands B 1 , B 2 , B 3 . The frequency bands B 1 , B 2 , B 3  correspond respectively to LTE frequency bands of 748 MHz to 960 MHz, 1450 MHz to 2175 MHz and 2490 MHz to 2690 MHz. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the antenna exhibited a good return loss of −5 dB or less in the frequency bands B 1 , B 2 , B 3 . In particular, the antenna exhibited a better resonated return loss in the frequency band B 1 . 
     Further, the gain of the planar antenna  100   a  in the far-field horizontal plane (X-Y plane in  FIG. 2 ) was simulated, and the result as shown in  FIG. 8  was obtained. In  FIG. 8 , the solid line is the gain at a frequency of 0.75 GHz, the dotted line is the gain at a frequency of 1.91 GHz, the dashed line is the gain at a frequency of 2.1 GHz, and the dash-dot line is the gain at a frequency of 2.54 GHz. 
     Similarly, the gain of the planar antenna  100   a  in the far-field vertical plane (Y-Z plane in  FIG. 2 ) was simulated, and the result as shown in  FIG. 9  was obtained. The lines in  FIG. 9  represent the same gains as in  FIG. 8 . 
     Next, as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the return losses of the planar antenna  100   a  and a first planar antenna for comparison with a feeding point away from the slit was measured with respect to frequency. In  FIG. 10 , the solid line is the return loss of the planar antenna  100   a , and the dotted line is the return loss of the first antenna for comparison. 
     The planar antenna  100   a  was configured such that the distance from the open end of the slit  230   a  to the feeding point P was 2.0 mm, which was the optimal length. In contrast, the first antenna for comparison was configured such that the distance from the open end of the slit to the feeding point was 7 cm. The first antenna for comparison exhibited much reduced low frequency bandwidth compared to the planar antenna  100   a . The bandwidth with a return loss of −10 dB was 140 MHz in the planar antenna  100   a  but was reduced to 20 MHz in the first antenna for comparison. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 11 , the return losses of the planar antenna  100   a  with the slit  230   a  and a second planar antenna for comparison with no slit was measured with respect to frequency. In  FIG. 11 , the solid line is the return loss of the planar antenna  100   a , and the dash-dot line is the return loss of the second antenna for comparison. 
     The second antenna for comparison exhibited no resonated return loss at low frequency, although it is required in the frequency bands of LTE. That is, the slit  230   a  causes resonance at a low frequency of approximately from 750 MHz to 960 MHz. 
     As described above, the planar antenna  100   a  according to the embodiment includes the flat antenna base board  210   a  and the flat conductive body  220   a  that is disposed on the antenna base board  210   a  and has a trapezoidal shape such that the lower side opposed to the grounded portion is shorter than the upper side. The feeding point P is provided on the lower side of the conductive body  220   a , and the conductive body  220   a  has the slit  230   a  with the open end in the vicinity of the feeding point P on the lower side. The slit  230   a  includes the straight slit portion  231   a  that extends from the open end, the straight slit portion  232   a  that extends from the end of the straight slit portion  231   a  such that the straight slit portion  232   a  is turned anticlockwise to the perpendicular direction with respect to the straight slit portion  231   a , and the straight slit portion  233   a  that extends from the end of the straight slit portion  232   a  such that the straight slit portion  233   a  is turned anticlockwise to the perpendicular direction with respect to the straight slit portion  232   a.    
     This enables expanding the band characteristics and reducing the size of the planar antenna  100   a  of the antenna devices  1 A,  1 B. Further, the tapered portions  241   a ,  242   a  of the conductive body  220   a  enable increasing the impedance bandwidth, which facilitate impedance matching. Further, the coupling of the parallel straight slit portions  232   a ,  233   a  enables increasing the bandwidth. 
     The planar antenna  100   a  enables providing a small and inconspicuous antenna that covers all LTE bands in all regions in the world. While different antennas are typically required in different regions, the planar antenna  100   a  for LTE can be used in different regions in the world without changing the configuration thereof. 
     The distance between the feeding point P and the open end of the slit  230   a  is 2.0 mm. This enables increasing the low frequency bandwidth. 
     The length of the outer periphery of the conductive body  220   a  and the inner periphery of the slit  230   a  is equal to ¼ of the wavelength of the lowest operational frequency. This enables achieving better impedance matching and better bandwidth. 
     The antenna devices  1 A,  1 B each include the antenna cover  10  having the shape of a shark fin, the antenna base  20  connected to the antenna cover  10 , and the base board  30 A,  30 B which includes the grounded portion and which is disposed on the antenna base  20 . The planar antenna  100   a  is mounted on the base board  30 A,  30 B. Therefore, the planar antenna  100   a  is applicable to shark fin antennas as external antennas. 
     The TCU  3  as the antenna device includes the case  3 A of the TCU  3  and the base board  60  which includes the grounded portion and which is disposed in the case  3 A. The planar antennas  100   b ,  100   c  are mounted on the base board  60 . Therefore, the planar antennas  100   b ,  100   c  are applicable to communication units for telematics as internal antennas. 
     The planar antenna  100   c  is folded according to the inner shape of the case  3 A. This facilitates housing the planar antenna  100   c  in the case  3 A without changing the antenna characteristics. 
     Variations 
     Variations of the planar antenna  100   a  according to the embodiment will be described referring to  FIG. 12A  to  FIG. 15 . First, a planar antenna  100   d  of a first variation will be described referring to  FIG. 12A  and  FIG. 12B .  FIG. 12A  is a plan view of the planar antenna  100   d .  FIG. 12B  illustrates the return loss of the planar antenna  100   d  with respect to frequency. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 12 , the planar antenna  100   d  includes a planar antenna portion  200   d . The planar antenna portion  200   d  is configured such that a conductive body  220   d  is formed on one face of an antenna base board  210   d . The antenna base board  210   d  and the conductive body  220   d  are made of the same materials as those of the antenna base board  210   a  and the conductive body  220   a  of the embodiment. 
     The conductive body  220   d  includes a slit  230   d  and tapered portions  241   d ,  242   d . On the lower end (lower side) of the conductive body  220   d , a feeding point P is provided. The slit  230   d  is composed of straight slit portions  231   d ,  232   d ,  233   d ,  234   d  and  235   d.    
     The straight slit portion  231   d  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the +Z direction from an open end near the right side of the feeding point P. The straight slit portion  232   d  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the −Y direction from the end of the straight slit portion  231   d . The straight slit portion  233   d  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the +Z direction from the end of the straight slit portion  232   d . The straight slit portions  231   d ,  232   d ,  233   d  correspond to a single slit portion that is bent 90 degrees twice. The straight slit portion  234   d  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the +Y direction from the end of the straight slit portion  233   d . The straight slit portion  235   d  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the −Z direction from the end of the straight slit portion  234   d.    
     That is, the slit  230   d  has the same shape as the slit  230   a  of the above-described embodiment except that the portion corresponding to the straight slit portion  231   a  is bent 90 degrees. Regarding the return loss of the planar antenna  100   d  with respect to frequency, the measurement result as shown in  FIG. 123  was obtained in the frequency range including the frequency bands B 1 , B 2 , B 3 . In  FIG. 12B , the antenna exhibited good return loss in the frequency band B 1  and also good return loss of −5 dB or less in the frequency bands B 2 , B 3 . In particular, the antenna exhibited better resonated return loss in the frequency band B 2 . 
     In the first variation, the slit portion (straight slit portions  231   d ,  232   d ,  233   d ) extending from the open end is bent clockwise or anticlockwise to 90 degrees each. This configuration also enables expanding the band characteristics and reducing the size of the planar antenna  100   d.    
     Next, a planar antenna  100   e  of a second variation will be described referring to  FIG. 13A  and  FIG. 13B .  FIG. 13A  is a plan view of the planar antenna  100   e .  FIG. 13B  illustrates the return loss of the planar antenna  100   e  with respect to frequency. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 13A , the planar antenna  100   e  includes a planar antenna portion  200   e . The planar antenna portion  200   e  is configured such that a conductive body  220   e  is formed on one face of an antenna base board  210   e . The antenna base board  210   e  and the conductive body  220   e  are made of the same materials as those of the antenna base board  210   a  and the conductive body  220   a  of the embodiment. 
     The conductive body  220   e  includes a slit  230   e  and tapered portions  241   e ,  242   e . On the lower end (lower side) of the conductive body  220   e , a feeding point P is provided. The slit  230   e  is composed of straight slit portions  231   e ,  232   e ,  233   e ,  234   e  and  235   e.    
     The straight slit portion  231   e  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the +Z direction from an open end near the right side of the feeding point P. The straight slit portion  232   e  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the −Y direction from the end of the straight slit portion  231   e . The straight slit portion  233   e  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the +Z direction from the end of the straight slit portion  232   e . The straight slit portions  231   e ,  232   e ,  233   e  correspond to a single slit portion that is bent 90 degrees twice. The straight slit portion  234   e  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the +Y direction from the end of the straight slit portion  233   e . The straight slit portion  235   e  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the −Z direction from the end of the straight slit portion  234   e.    
     That is, the slit  230   e  has the same shape as the slit  230   d  of the first variation except that the portion corresponding to the straight slit portion  232   d  is reduced in length. For example, this allows the larger angle of the tapered portion  241   e  with respect to the Y axis compared to the angle of the tapered portion  242   e  with respect to the Y axis. With regard to the return loss of the planar antenna  100   e  with respect to frequency, the measurement result as shown in  FIG. 13B  was obtained in the frequency range including the frequency bands B 1 , B 2 , B 3 . In  FIG. 13B , the antenna exhibited good resonated return loss in the frequency band B 1  and also good return loss of −5 dB or less in the frequency bands B 2 , B 3 . 
     In the second variation, the slit portion (straight slit portions  231   e ,  232   e ,  233   e ) extending from the open end is bent clockwise or anticlockwise to 90 degrees each. This configuration also enables expanding the band characteristics and reducing the size of the planar antenna  100   e.    
     Next, a planar antenna  100   f  of a third variation will be described referring to  FIG. 14A , FIG.  14 B and  FIG. 14C .  FIG. 14A  is a plan view of the planar antenna  100   f .  FIG. 14B  is a perspective view of the planar antenna  100   f .  FIG. 14C  illustrates the return loss of the planar antenna  100   f  with respect to frequency. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 14A , the planar antenna  100   f  includes a planar antenna portion  200   f . The planar antenna portion  200   f  is configured such that a conductive body  220   f  is formed on one face of an antenna base board  210   f . The antenna base board  210   f  and the conductive body  220   f  are made of the same materials as those of the antenna base board  210   a  and the conductive body  220   a  of the embodiment. 
     The conductive body  220   f  includes a slit  230   f  and tapered portions  241   f ,  242   f . On the lower end (lower side) of the conductive body  220   f , a feeding point P is provided. The slit  230   f  is composed of straight slit portions  231   f ,  232   f  and  233   f.    
     The straight slit portion  231   f  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the +Z direction from an open end near the left side of the feeding point P. The straight slit portion  232   f  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the +Y direction from the end of the straight slit portion  231   f . The straight slit portion  233   f  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the −Z direction from the end of the straight slit portion  232   f.    
     That is, the slit  230   f  has the same shape as the slit  230   a  of the above-described embodiment except that the position relative to the feeding point P is changed. For example, this allows the larger angle of the tapered portion  241   f  with respect to Y axis compared to the angle of the tapered portion  242   f  with respect to Y axis. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 14B , the planar antenna portion  200   f  was disposed at an end of a grounded portion  300   f  with the same size as the base board  60  in a standing manner, and the return loss of the planar antenna  100   f  was measured with respect to frequency. Regarding the return loss of the planar antenna  100   f  with respect to frequency, the measurement result as shown in  FIG. 14C  was obtained in the frequency range including the frequency bands B 1 , B 2 , B 3 . In  FIG. 14C , the antenna exhibited good return loss of approximately −5 dB or less in the frequency bands B 1 , B 2  and also good return loss of −5 dB or less in the frequency band B 3 . 
     Next, a planar antenna  100   g  of a fourth variation will be described referring to  FIG. 15 .  FIG. 15  is a plan view of the planar antenna  100   g.    
     As illustrated in  FIG. 15 , the planar antenna  100   g  includes a planar antenna portion  200   g . The planar antenna portion  200   g  is configured such that a conductive body  220   g  is formed on one face of an antenna base board  210   g . The antenna base board  210   g  and the conductive body  220   g  are made of the same materials as those of the antenna base board  210   a  and the conductive body  220   a  of the embodiment. 
     The conductive body  220   g  includes a slit  230   g  and tapered portions  241   g ,  242   g . On the lower end (lower side) of the conductive body  220   g , a feeding point P is provided. The slit  230   g  is composed of straight slit portions  231   g ,  232   g  and  233   g.    
     The straight slit portion  231   g  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the +Z direction from an open end near the left side of the feeding point P. The straight slit portion  232   g  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the −Y direction from the end of the straight slit portion  231   g . The straight slit portion  233   g  has the shape of a straight strip and extends in the −Z direction from the end of the straight slit portion  232   g.    
     That is, the slit  230   g  has the shape of the slit  230   a  of the above-described embodiment that is inverted in the Y direction. It may have the shape like the planar antenna  100   g . For example, this allows the larger angle of the tapered portion  242   g  with respect to Y axis compared to the angle of the tapered portion  241   g  with respect to Y axis. 
     While the invention made by the present inventors is specifically described based on an embodiment and variations, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and suitable changes can be made without departing from the features of the present invention. 
     For example, the above-described embodiment and variations are examples in which the conductive body of the planar antenna portion is constituted by copper foil. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The conductive body may be constituted by other conductive materials such as copper tape and brass. 
     For example, the above-described embodiment and variations are examples in which the base body of the planar antenna portion, on which the conductive body is formed, is constituted by the antenna base board  210   a ,  210   d ,  210   e ,  210   f , or  210   g  of a plastic carrier such as FR4 material. However, the material is not limited thereto. The base body may be made of other materials such as FPCs (flexible printed circuits) of polyimide or the like. The conductive body may be printed on such base bodies, and this configuration also allows planar antennas that can be produced easily at low cost and that can be readily integrated into an internal system. 
     The embodiment disclosed herein is exemplary in any way and is therefore not to be construed as limiting. The scope of the present invention is not defined by the above description but by the appended claims, and it is therefore intended that the invention be interpreted as including all such changes within the scope of the present invention along with the full scope of equivalents.