Three-dimensional electronic circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11189907-B2
Application number	US-201716489054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2017
Priority date	Feb 28, 2017
Publication date	Nov 30, 2021
Grant date	Nov 30, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electronic circuit having a three-dimensional design by comprising a set of two-dimensional electronic circuits, wherein the two-dimensional electronic circuits are coupled with each other by radiation. The disclosure further relates to a radar antenna system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic circuit having a three-dimensional design comprising: a set of two-dimensional electronic circuits coupled with each other only by radiation, wherein the two-dimensional electronic circuits comprise radiative elements,
the radiative elements being arranged on the two-dimensional electronic circuits and in the near field of each other and are configured to provide the coupling between the two-dimensional electronic circuits, and further comprising
guiding structures arranged between the radiative elements configured to modify the coupling field between the radiative elements,
wherein, at least one of the two-dimensional electronic circuits comprises a radiative element configured to split an amplification power for amplifying an electric output signal and an electric input signal.

2. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the coupling between the two-dimensional electronic circuits is at least one of the following couplings: a capacitive coupling, an inductive coupling and a resonant antenna coupling.

3. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the set of two-dimensional electronic circuits are stacked.

4. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 ,
configured to generate an electric output signal in a first one of the set of two-dimensional electronic circuits,
the electric output signal being transmitted via radiation to a second one of the set of two-dimensional electronic circuit,
the electric output signal being processed in at least one of the two-dimensional electronic circuits.

5. The electronic circuit according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of the two-dimensional electronic circuits comprises at least one of the following:
a radiation coupled amplifier configured to amplify the electric output signal, and
a radiation coupled transmitter configured to multiply a frequency of the electric output signal.

6. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 , configured to receive an electric input signal in a last one of the set of two-dimensional electronic circuits,
the electric input signal being transmitted via radiation to a preceding one of the set of two-dimensional electronic circuits,
the electric input signal being processed in at least one of the two-dimensional electronic circuits.

7. The electronic circuit of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the two-dimensional electronic circuits comprises at least one of:
a radiation coupled receiver configured to filter the electric input signal, and
a radiation coupled amplifier configured to amplify the electric input signal.

8. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two-dimensional electronic circuits comprises a radiation coupled transceiver configured to process an electric output signal and an electric input signal.

9. An antenna system, comprising:
an electronic circuit according to claim 1 configured to generate a radio output signal.

10. The antenna system of claim 9 , comprising a horn antenna arranged on a last one of the set of two-dimensional electronic circuits,
the horn antenna being configured to transform a guided electric output signal into the radio output signal of the antenna system.

11. The antenna system according to claim 9 , comprising a horn antenna arranged on a last one of the set of two-dimensional electronic circuits,
the horn antenna being configured to transform a radio input signal into a guided electric input signal.

12. A radar antenna system, comprising: an array of a plurality of antenna systems each comprising an electronic circuit and having a three-dimensional design by comprising a set of two-dimensional electronic circuits which are coupled with each other only by radiation,
wherein, at least one of the two-dimensional electronic circuits comprises a radiative element configured to split an amplification power for amplifying an electric output signal and an electric input signal.

13. The radar antenna system according to claim 12 , wherein the set of two-dimensional electronic circuits comprising a plurality of stacked two-dimensional electronic circuits, wherein at least one is shared by the plurality of antenna systems of the array.

14. The radar antenna system according to claim 12 , wherein the antenna systems comprise at least one two-dimensional electronic circuit configured to be operated at a frequency smaller than a predetermined frequency.

15. The radar antenna system according to claim 12 , wherein each of the antenna systems comprises at least one separate two-dimensional electronic circuit configured to be operated at a frequency greater than a predetermined frequency.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Europe
• Teade Ab

Inventors

• Othmezouri Gabriel
• Merkel Harald

Classifications

• H01Q13/02

  Waveguide horns · CPC title

• H05K2201/10098

  Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas · CPC title

• H05K2201/041

  Stacked PCBs, i.e. having neither an empty space nor mounted components in between · CPC title

• H01Q1/38 Primary

  formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support {(patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface  H01Q15/142)} · CPC title

• H05K1/0243

  Printed circuits associated with mounted high frequency components · CPC title