Communication system for a vehicle comprising a dual channel rotary joint coupled to a plurality of interface waveguides for coupling electromagnetic signals between plural communication chips

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10522887-B2
Application number	US-201715789533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2017
Priority date	Oct 20, 2017
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle having a communication system is disclosed. The system includes two electrical couplings, coupled by way of a rotary joint. Each electrical coupling includes an interface waveguide configured to couple to external signals. Each electrical coupling also includes a waveguide section configured to propagate electromagnetic signals between the interface waveguide and the rotary joint. Additionally, the rotary joint is configured to allow one electrical coupling to rotate with respect to the other electrical coupling. An axis of rotation of the rotary joint is defined by a center of a portion of the waveguides. Yet further, the rotary joint allows electromagnetic energy to propagate between the waveguides of the electrical couplings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication system comprising:
a rotary joint;
a first set of one or more communication chips including a first antenna and a second antenna;
a first electrical coupling comprising:
a first plurality of interface waveguides including (i) a first interface waveguide configured to couple first electromagnetic signals to and from the first antenna and (ii) a second interface waveguide configured to couple second electromagnetic signals to and from the second antenna,
a first waveguide section including:
a first distal end bordering the rotary joint,
a first proximal end to which the first plurality of interface waveguides are coupled, and
a first septum configured to (i) facilitate propagation of the first and second electromagnetic signals between the rotary joint and the first plurality of interface waveguides, (ii) couple the first electromagnetic signals into the first interface waveguide such that the first electromagnetic signals are coupled having a first mode, and (iii) couple the second electromagnetic signals into the second interface waveguide such that the second electromagnetic signals are coupled having a second mode, wherein a second mode is orthogonal to the first mode;

a second set of one or more communication chips including a third antenna and a fourth antenna; and
a second electrical coupling comprising:
a second plurality of interface waveguides including (i) a third interface waveguide configured to couple third electromagnetic signals to and from the third antenna and (ii) a fourth interface waveguide configured to couple fourth electromagnetic signals to and from the fourth antenna,
a second waveguide section including:
a second distal end bordering the rotary joint,
a second proximal end to which the second plurality of interface waveguides are coupled, and
a second septum configured to (i) facilitate propagation of the third and fourth electromagnetic signals between the rotary joint and the second plurality of interface waveguides, (ii) couple the third electromagnetic signals into the third interface waveguide such that the third electromagnetic signals are coupled having the first mode, and (iii) couple the fourth electromagnetic signals into the fourth interface waveguide such that the fourth electromagnetic signals are coupled having the second mode;

wherein the rotary joint is configured to allow the first electrical coupling to rotate with respect to the second electrical coupling, wherein each electrical coupling has a respective axis of rotation, and wherein the rotary joint allows the first, second, third, and fourth electromagnetic signals to propagate between the first waveguide section and the second waveguide section.

2. The communication system of claim 1 ,
wherein the first set of one or more communication chips is coupled to a sensor unit attached to a vehicle,
wherein the second set of one or more communication chips is coupled to the vehicle at a location different from the sensor unit, and
wherein the communication system enables two-way communication between the vehicle and the sensor unit.

3. The communication system of claim 2 ,
wherein the first set of one or more communication chips are part of a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor included in the sensor unit.

4. The communication system of claim 1 ,
wherein one or more of (i) the first set of one or more communication chips or (ii) the second set of one or more communication chips, includes a single communication chip.

5. The communication system of claim 1 ,
wherein one or more of (i) the first set of one or more communication chips or (ii) the second set of one or more communication chips, includes two communication chips.

6. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first waveguide section and the second waveguide section are each selected from the group consisting of: a circular waveguide section and a rectangular waveguide section.

7. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, third, and fourth electromagnetic signals each have a frequency between 50 and 100 Gigahertz.

8. A vehicle comprising:
a sensor unit comprising a first set of one or more communication chips including a first antenna and a second antenna;
a second set of one or more communication chips disposed at a location different from the sensor unit, including a third antenna and a fourth antenna, wherein the first set of one or more communication chips and the second set of one or more communication chips are configured to engage in two-way communication with each other;
a rotary joint;
a first electrical coupling comprising:
a first plurality of interface waveguides including (i) a first interface waveguide configured to couple first electromagnetic signals to and from the first antenna and (ii) a second interface waveguide configured to couple second electromagnetic signals to and from the second antenna,
a first waveguide section including:
a first distal end bordering the rotary joint,
a first proximal end to which the first plurality of interface waveguides are coupled, and
a first septum configured to (i) facilitate propagation of the first and second electromagnetic signals between the rotary joint and the first plurality of interface waveguides, (ii) couple the first electromagnetic signals into the first interface waveguide such that the first electromagnetic signals are coupled having a first mode, and (iii) couple the second electromagnetic signals into the second interface waveguide such that the second electromagnetic signals are coupled having a second mode, wherein a second mode is orthogonal to the first mode;

a second electrical coupling, comprising:
a second plurality of interface waveguides including (i) a third interface waveguide configured to couple third electromagnetic signals to and from the third antenna and (ii) a fourth interface waveguide configured to couple fourth electromagnetic signals to and from the fourth antenna,
a second waveguide section including:
a second distal end bordering the rotary joint,
a second proximal end to which the second plurality of interface waveguides are coupled, and
a second septum configured to (i) facilitate propagation of the third and fourth electromagnetic signals between the rotary joint and the second plurality of interface waveguides, (ii) couple the third electromagnetic signals into the third interface waveguide such that the third electromagnetic signals are coupled having the first mode, and (iii) couple the fourth electromagnetic signals into the fourth interface waveguide such that the fourth electromagnetic signals are coupled having the second mode;

wherein the rotary joint is configured to allow the first electrical coupling to rotate with respect to the second electrical coupling, wherein each electrical coupling has a respective axis of rotation, and wherein the rotary joint allows the first, second, third, and fourth electromagnetic signals to propagate between the first waveguide section and the second waveguide section.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein one or more of (i) the first set of one or more communication chips or (ii) the second set of one or more communication chips, includes two communication chips.

10. The vehicle of claim 8 ,
wherein the first set of one or more communication chips are part of a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor included in the sensor unit.

11. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein one or more of (i) the first set of one or more communication chips or (ii) the second set of one or more communication chips, includes a single communication chip.

12. A method comprising:
tran

Assignees

• Waymo Llc

Inventors

• Li Zhe
• Izadian Jamal
• Droz Pierre-Yves
• Wang Min

Classifications

• H01P5/04

  with variable factor of coupling · CPC title

• H01P3/12

  Hollow waveguides (H01P3/20 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R16/027

  between relatively movable parts of the vehicle, e.g. between steering wheel and column {(devices for measuring, signalling or controlling tyre pressure or temperature specially adapted for mounting on vehicles B60C23/00)} · CPC title

• H01Q1/3275

  mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk · CPC title

• H01P5/12

  Coupling devices having more than two ports (H01P5/04 takes precedence) · CPC title