Radar sensor housing design

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10910706-B2
Application number	US-201916248821-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2019
Priority date	Jan 19, 2018
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

Various examples pertaining to a sensor housing design for millimeter wave (mmWave) sensors are described. A sensor housing may include a radar sensor, a printed circuit board (PCB), a radome and a PCB holder. The radar sensor may be capable of emitting a radio wave. The PCB may have a first side and a second side opposite the first side with the radar sensor mounted on the first side thereof to form a PCB assembly (PCBA). The radome may include a cavity in which the PCBA is disposed. The PCB holder may be disposed along a circumference of an inner wall of the radome, and the PCB holder may be configured to hold the PCBA such that a distance between an inner surface of the radome and a side of the radar sensor facing the inner surface of the radome is proportional to half wavelength of the radio wave.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a radar sensor capable of emitting a radio wave;
a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first side and a second side opposite the first side with the radar sensor mounted on the first side thereof to form a PCB assembly (PCBA);
a radome with a cavity in which the PCBA is disposed;
a solid metal structure mounted on or embedded in the radome and in a path of radiation of the radio wave emitted from the radar sensor, the metal structure configured to shape a far-field antenna pattern of the radio wave;
a PCB holder along a circumference of an inner wall of the radome, the PCB holder holding the PCBA in place;
a housing with a cavity such that the housing and the radome are mated together to form an enclosure with the PCBA and PCB holder contained therein, the enclosure comprising:
a first space defined by at least the radome and the first side of the PCB; and
a second space defined by at least the housing, the PCB holder and the second side of the PCB which is opposite the first side of the PCB on which the radar sensor is mounted; and
a potting glue filled in the second space,
wherein the PCB holder functions as a glue stopper to prevent the potting glue from entering the first space in which the radar sensor is located.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the PCB holder and the radome are integral parts of a monolithic antenna cover.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the PCB is configured with one or more through holes through which one or more electrical conductors traverse from the second side of the PCB to electrically connect to the radar sensor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a metal shield disposed between the housing and the PCBA, the metal shield capable of reducing multi-path reflection from one or more objects facing the second side of the PCB.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the radome and the housing are sealed together by ultrasonic or laser welding to provide a waterproof function to prevent a liquid from entering the enclosure from outside of the enclosure.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the potting glue is configured to provide at least one of a plurality of functions comprising:
a waterproof function to prevent a liquid to reach from the second side of the PCB to the first side of the PCB;
a thermal dissipation function; and
an electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption function.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:
a thermal dissipation material filled in a space defined by at least the metal shield and the housing, the thermal dissipation material and the metal shield together capable of a plurality of functions comprising:
a thermal dissipation function; and
an electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption function.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the metal structure comprises one or more discrete pieces of metal mounted on or embedded in the radome.

9. An apparatus, comprising:
a radar sensor capable of emitting a radio wave;
a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first side and a second side opposite the first side with the radar sensor mounted on the first side thereof to form a PCB assembly (PCBA);
an enclosure with a cavity that encloses the PCBA therein with the PCBA dissecting the cavity into:
a first space defined at least by the enclosure and the first side of the PCB on which the radar sensor is mounted, and
a second space defined at least by the enclosure and the second side of the PCB; and
a solid metal structure mounted on or embedded in the enclosure and in a path of radiation of the radio wave emitted from the radar sensor, the metal structure configured to shape a far-field antenna pattern of the radio wave;
a potting glue filled in the second space, the potting glue capable of at least one of
a plurality of functions comprising:
a waterproof function to prevent a liquid to reach from the second side of the PCB to the first side of the PCB;
a thermal dissipation function; and
an electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption function; and
a PCB holder along a circumference of an inner wall of the enclosure, the PCB holder holding the PCBA in place and functioning as a glue stopper to prevent the potting glue from entering the first space in which the radar sensor is located.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the PCB is configured with one or more through holes through which one or more electrical conductors traverse from the second side of the PCB to electrically connect to the radar sensor.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
a metal shield disposed in the second space, the metal shield capable of reducing multi-path reflection from one or more objects facing the second side of the PCB.

12. An apparatus, comprising:
a radar sensor capable of emitting a radio wave;
a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first side and a second side opposite the first side with the radar sensor mounted on the first side thereof to form a PCB assembly (PCBA);
an enclosure with a cavity that encloses the PCBA therein with the PCBA dissecting the cavity into:
a first space defined at least by the enclosure and the first side of the PCB,
and
a second space defined at least by the enclosure and the second side of the PCB on which the radar sensor is mounted;
a solid metal structure mounted on or embedded in the enclosure and in a path of radiation of the radio wave emitted from the radar sensor, the metal structure configured to shape a far-field antenna pattern of the radio wave;
a metal shield disposed in the second space between the enclosure and the PCBA, the metal shield capable of reducing multi-path reflection from one or more objects facing the second side of the PCB;
a potting glue filled in the second space; and
a PCB holder along a circumference of an inner wall of the enclosure, the PCB holder holding the PCBA in place and functioning as a glue stopper to prevent the potting glue from entering the first space in which the radar sensor is located.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:
a thermal dissipation material filled in a space between the metal shield and the enclosure, the thermal dissipation material and the metal shield together capable of a plurality of functions comprising:
a thermal dissipation function; and
an electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption function.

Assignees

• Mediatek Inc

Inventors

• Hung Chih-Ming
• Lu Yu Chun
• Lu Yen-Ju
• Lin Chiayu

Classifications

• G01S13/931 Primary

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S7/028

  Miniaturisation, e.g. surface mounted device [SMD] packaging or housings · CPC title

• G01S7/027

  Constructional details of housings, e.g. form, type, material or ruggedness · CPC title

• G01S2013/93275

  in the bumper area · CPC title

• H01Q1/3283

  side-mounted antennas, e.g. bumper-mounted, door-mounted (mounted on windscreens H01Q1/1271) · CPC title