Iris matched PCB to waveguide transition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11476583-B2
Application number	US-202016867921-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2020
Priority date	Feb 3, 2016
Publication date	Oct 18, 2022
Grant date	Oct 18, 2022

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. A method comprising:
forming a first portion of a waveguide channel in a top block;
forming a second portion of the waveguide channel in a bottom block;
coupling the first portion of the waveguide channel and the second portion of the waveguide channel together to form a waveguide having the waveguide channel; and
forming a coupling port in the bottom block such that a waveguide portion of the coupling port has dimensions based on a desired impedance, wherein the coupling port is configured to couple electromagnetic energy between a circuit board and the waveguide such that the waveguide propagates the electromagnetic energy via the waveguide channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
coupling the circuit board to the bottom block.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the coupling port in the bottom block such that the waveguide portion of the coupling port has dimensions based on the desired impedance comprises:
forming the coupling port to operate as a bidirectional port between the waveguide and the circuit board.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a plurality of radiating elements into the top block such that the plurality of radiating elements is configured to radiate electromagnetic energy from the waveguide and couple electromagnetic energy into the waveguide.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the coupling port in the bottom block comprises:
forming one or more dimensions of the coupling port from a top side of the bottom block; and
forming one or more dimensions of the coupling port from a bottom side of the bottom block.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming a second coupling port in the bottom block such that a waveguide portion of the second coupling port has dimensions based on a second desired impedance, wherein the second coupling port is configured to couple electromagnetic energy between the circuit board and the waveguide such that the waveguide propagates the electromagnetic energy.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the first portion of the waveguide channel in the top block comprises:
forming a top half of the waveguide channel in the top block; and
wherein forming the second portion of the waveguide channel in the bottom block comprises:
forming a second half of the waveguide channel in the bottom block.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the first portion of the waveguide channel in the top block comprises:
forming a top portion of the waveguide channel in the top block; and
wherein forming the second portion of the waveguide channel in the bottom block comprises:
forming a bottom portion of the waveguide channel in the bottom block, wherein a depth dimension of the top portion differs from a depth dimension of the bottom portion.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the first portion of the waveguide channel in the top block and forming the second portion of the waveguide channel in the bottom block comprises:
forming the first portion and the second portion using a CNC machine tool.

10. A system comprising:
a top block;
a bottom block;
a machine tool; and
a computing device configured to:
form, using the machine tool, a first portion of a waveguide channel in the top block;
form, using the machine tool, a second portion of the waveguide channel in the bottom block;
cause the first portion of the waveguide channel and the second portion of the waveguide channel to couple together to form a waveguide having the waveguide channel; and
form, using the machine tool, a coupling port in the bottom block such that a waveguide portion of the coupling port has dimensions based on a desired impedance, wherein the coupling port is configured to couple electromagnetic energy between a circuit board and the waveguide such that the waveguide propagates the electromagnetic energy.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein forming, using the machine tool, the coupling port in the bottom block comprises:
forming the coupling port to operate as a bidirectional port between the waveguide and the circuit board.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
forming, using the machine tool, a plurality of radiating elements into the top block such that the plurality of radiating elements is configured to radiate electromagnetic energy from the waveguide and couple electromagnetic energy into the waveguide.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein forming, using the machine tool, the coupling port in the bottom block comprises:
forming one or more dimensions of the coupling port from a top side of the bottom block; and
forming one or more dimensions of the coupling port from a bottom side of the bottom block.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
form, using the machine tool, a second coupling port in the bottom block such that a waveguide portion of the second coupling port has dimensions based on a second desired impedance, wherein the second coupling port is configured to couple electromagnetic energy between the circuit board and the waveguide such that the waveguide propagates the electromagnetic energy.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein forming the first portion of the waveguide channel in the top block comprises:
forming a top half of the waveguide channel in the top block; and
wherein forming the second portion of the waveguide channel in the bottom block comprises:
forming a second half of the waveguide channel in the bottom block.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein forming the first portion of the waveguide channel in the top block comprises:
forming a top portion of the waveguide channel in the top block; and
wherein forming the second portion of the waveguide channel in the bottom block comprises:
forming a bottom portion of the waveguide channel in the bottom block, wherein a depth dimension of the top portion differs from a depth dimension of the bottom portion.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the machine tool is a CNC machine tool.

18. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
forming, using a machine tool, a first portion of a waveguide channel in a top block;
forming, using the machine tool, a second portion of the waveguide channel in a bottom block;
causing the first portion of the waveguide channel and the second portion of the waveguide channel to couple together to form a waveguide having the waveguide channel; and
forming, using the machine tool, a coupling port in the bottom block such that a waveguide portion of the coupling port has dimensions based on a desired impedance, wherein the coupling port is configured to couple electromagnetic energy between a circuit board and the waveguide such that the waveguide propagates the electromagnetic energy.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18 , wherein forming the coupling port in the bottom block such that the waveguide portion of the coupling port has dimensions based on the desired impedance comprises:
forming the coupling port to operate as a bidirectional port between the waveguide and the circuit board.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise:
forming, using the machine tool, a plurality of radiating elements into the top block such that the plurality of radiating elements is configured to

Assignees

• Waymo Llc

Inventors

• Brown Adam

Classifications

• H01P1/268

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

• H01Q1/3233

  particular used as part of a sensor or in a security system, e.g. for automotive radar, navigation systems · CPC title

• H01P5/107 Primary

  Hollow-waveguide/strip-line transitions · CPC title

• H01Q21/005

  Slotted waveguides arrays · CPC title

• H01P3/121

  integrated in a substrate · CPC title