Iris matched PCB to waveguide transition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10693236-B2
Application number	US-201615014508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2016
Priority date	Feb 3, 2016
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

The present application discloses embodiments that relate to an electromagnetic apparatus. In one aspect, the present apparatus includes a circuit board configured to propagate an electromagnetic signal. The apparatus also includes a waveguide configured to propagate an electromagnetic signal. The apparatus further includes a coupling port configured to couple a signal between the circuit board and the waveguide, where the coupling port has dimensions based on a desired impedance of the port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a circuit board configured to propagate an electromagnetic signal;
a waveguide configured to propagate the electromagnetic signal, wherein the waveguide comprises a first portion of a waveguide channel located in a top block and a second portion of the waveguide channel located in a bottom block, and wherein the first portion and the second portion are coupled together to form the waveguide channel; and
a coupling port configured to couple a signal between the circuit board and the waveguide, wherein the coupling port has a waveguide portion with dimensions based on a desired impedance of the port, and wherein the coupling port is located in the bottom block.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling port is configured as a bidirectional port.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the waveguide comprises radiating elements configured to perform at least one of (i) radiate electromagnetic energy from the waveguide and (ii) couple electromagnetic energy into the waveguide.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the waveguide comprises a split block and wherein the circuit board is coupled to the bottom block of the split block, wherein the top block of the split block is configured to radiate electromagnetic energy.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling port has dimensions that are machined from both a top side of the bottom block and a bottom side of the bottom block.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit board comprises an element configured to radiate an electromagnetic signal into the coupling port.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of coupling ports.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of elements of the circuit board, each of the plurality of elements configured to radiate a respective electromagnetic signal into a respective coupling port of the plurality of coupling ports.

9. A method comprising:
conducting electromagnetic energy by a circuit board;
radiating at least a portion of the electromagnetic energy as radiated electromagnetic energy by a radiating component of the circuit board; and
coupling at least a portion of the radiated electromagnetic energy into a waveguide by a coupling port, wherein:
the coupling port is a passage between the waveguide and the circuit board and wherein the coupling port has a waveguide portion with dimensions based on a desired impedance of the port; and
wherein the waveguide comprises a first portion of a waveguide channel located in a top block and a second portion of the waveguide channel located in a bottom block, wherein the first portion and the second portion are coupled together to form the waveguide channel, and wherein the coupling port is located in the bottom block.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of coupling ports and a plurality of radiating components of the circuit board, the method further comprising each coupling port coupling at least a portion of the radiated electromagnetic energy radiated by a respective radiating component.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the coupling is performed by a coupling component located in a split block and wherein the circuit board is coupled to the bottom block of the split block, wherein the top block of the split block is configured to radiate electromagnetic energy.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the coupling port has dimensions that are machined from both a top side of the bottom block and a bottom side of the bottom block.

13. A method comprising:
conducting electromagnetic energy by a waveguide, wherein the waveguide comprises a first portion of a waveguide channel located in a top block and a second portion of the waveguide channel located in a bottom block, and wherein the first portion and the second portion are coupled together to form the waveguide channel;
coupling at least a portion of the radiated electromagnetic energy from the waveguide by a coupling port as received electromagnetic energy, wherein the coupling port is a passage between the waveguide and a circuit board through the bottom block and wherein the coupling port has a waveguide portion with dimensions based on a desired impedance of the port; and
coupling at least a portion of the received electromagnetic energy from the coupling port to a circuit board by a coupling component of the circuit board.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of coupling ports and a plurality of radiating components of the circuit board, the method further comprising each coupling port coupling at least a portion of the radiated electromagnetic energy radiated by a respective radiating component.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the coupling is performed by a coupling component located in a split block and wherein the circuit board is coupled to a bottom block of the split block, wherein the top block of the split block is configured to radiate electromagnetic energy.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the coupling port has dimensions that are machined from both a top side of the bottom block and a bottom side of the bottom block.

Assignees

• Waymo Llc

Inventors

• Brown Adam

Classifications

• H01P5/107 Primary

  Hollow-waveguide/strip-line transitions · CPC title

• H01P1/268

  Strip line terminations (H01P1/262 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q21/005

  Slotted waveguides arrays · CPC title

• H01P5/227

  90° branch line couplers · CPC title

• H01Q21/064

  using horn or slot aerials (slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005) · CPC title