Antenna device, power feeding apparatus, and power feeding method

A power feeding apparatus comprising:

• an array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements arranged two-dimensionally along a first axis and a second axis, the array antenna being configured to transmit a power transmission signal to a power receiving antenna that is configured to be disposed at a center of a marker, which is disposed facing the array antenna and has a same size as the array antenna in plan view;
• a radio wave generator;
• phase shifters disposed between the array antenna and the radio wave generator, and configured to adjust phases of power transmission signals supplied from the radio wave generator to the plurality of antenna elements in a first axis direction and a second axis direction;
• a camera configured to acquire an image of the marker through a fisheye lens disposed facing the marker;
• and
• circuitry configured to;
• acquire a first elevation angle of a marker center of the marker with respect to a third axis, and a projected elevation angle obtained by projecting the first elevation angle onto a plane including the first axis and the third axis, based on an marker image center that is the center of the marker in a marker image, and a focal distance of the fisheye lens;
• determine second elevation angles of first endpoints and second endpoints with respect to a third axis, based on coordinates of the first endpoints of the marker in the marker image, coordinates of the second endpoints of the marker in the marker image, and the focal distance of the fisheye lens;
• determine a coordinate of the marker along the third axis based on the projected elevation angle;
• the marker image center that is the center of the marker in the marker image;
• either of projection coordinates of the second endpoints;
• and a length of the marker in a direction connecting the second endpoints;
• determine a first distance between the marker center and the fisheye lens, based on the first elevation angle and the coordinate of the marker along the third axis;
• determine second distances between:
• the fisheye lens, and
• the first endpoints and the second endpoints;
• and
• control phase adjustment amounts by which the phase shifters adjust the phases of the power transmission signals in the first axis direction and the second axis direction,
• wherein the circuitry is configured to:
• set phase adjustment amounts for three antenna elements including antenna elements at both ends in the first axis direction and for three antenna elements including antenna elements at both ends in the second axis direction, based on path differences between the first distance and the second distances, and
• set the phase adjustment amounts for the plurality of antenna elements arranged two-dimensionally by parabolic interpolation of a quadratic function.

A power feeding method by:

• an array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements arranged two-dimensionally along a first axis and a second axis, the array antenna being configured to transmit a power transmission signal to a power receiving antenna that is configured to be disposed at a center of a marker, which is disposed facing the array antenna and has a same size as the array antenna in plan view;
• a radio wave generator;
• phase shifters disposed between the array antenna and the radio wave generator and configured to adjust phases of power transmission signals supplied from the radio wave generator to the plurality of antenna elements in a first axis direction and a second axis direction;
• a camera configured to acquire an image of the marker through a fisheye lens disposed facing the marker;
• and
• circuitry configured to;
• acquire a first elevation angle of a marker center of the marker with respect to a third axis, and a projected elevation angle obtained by projecting the first elevation angle onto a plane including the first axis and the third axis, based on an marker image center that is the center of the marker in a marker image, and a focal distance of the fisheye lens;
• determine second elevation angles of first endpoints and second endpoints with respect to the third axis, based on coordinates of the first endpoints of the marker in the marker image, coordinates of the second endpoints of the marker in the marker image, and the focal distance of the fisheye lens;
• determine a coordinate of the marker along the third axis based on the projected elevation angle;
• the marker image center that is the center of the marker in the marker image;
• either of projection coordinates of the second endpoints;
• and a length of the marker in a direction connecting the second endpoints;
• determine a first distance between the marker center and the fisheye lens, based on the first elevation angle and the coordinate of the marker along the third axis;
• and
• determine second distances between:
• the fisheye lens, and
• the first endpoints and the second endpoints, the power feeding method comprising:
• controlling phase adjustment amounts by which the phase shifters adjust the phases of the power transmission signals in the first axis direction and the second direction;
• setting phase adjustment amounts for three antenna elements including antenna elements at both ends in the first axis direction and for three antenna elements including antenna elements at both ends in the second axis direction, based on path differences between the first distance and the second distances;
• and
• setting the phase adjustment amounts for the plurality of antenna elements arranged two-dimensionally by parabolic interpolation of a quadratic function.