Method and apparatus for an active radiating and feed structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11515639-B2
Application number	US-201816756460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2018
Priority date	Oct 15, 2017
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

Examples disclosed herein relate to a radiating structure. The radiating structure has a transmission array structure having a plurality of transmission paths with each transmission path having a plurality of slots and a pair of adjacent transmission paths forming a superelement. Each superelement has a phase control module to control a phase of a transmission signal. The radiating structure also includes a radiating array structure having a plurality of radiating elements configured in a lattice, with each radiating element corresponding to at least one slot from the plurality of slots and the radiating array structure positioned proximate the transmission array structure. A feed coupling structure is coupled to the transmission array structure and adapted for propagation of a transmission signal to the transmission array structure. The transmission signal is radiated through at least one superelement and at least one of the plurality of radiating elements and has a phase controlled by the phase control module in the at least one superelement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radiating structure, comprising:
a transmission array structure having a plurality of transmission paths, each transmission path having a plurality of slots and a pair of adjacent transmission paths forming a superelement, the superelement comprising a phase control module;
a radiating array structure having a plurality of radiating elements configured in a lattice, each radiating element corresponding to at least one slot from the plurality of slots and the radiating array structure positioned proximate the transmission array structure; and
a feed coupling structure coupled to the transmission array structure and adapted for propagation of a transmission signal to the transmission array structure, the transmission signal radiated through at least one superelement and at least one of the plurality of radiating elements and having a phase controlled by the phase control module in the at least one superelement.

2. The radiating structure of claim 1 , wherein the feed coupling structure comprises a coupling matrix adapted to distribute the transmission signal to the plurality of transmission paths, each transmission path receiving a proportional share of the transmission signal.

3. The radiating structure of claim 2 , wherein the coupling matrix comprises a plurality of impedance-matched transmission lines formed by vias on a substrate.

4. The radiating structure of claim 2 , wherein the proportional share tapers a transmission signal at certain points of the transmission array structure.

5. The radiating structure of claim 1 , wherein the feed coupling structure comprises an external feed port adapted to receive the transmission signal from a signal source.

6. The radiating structure of claim 1 , wherein the feed coupling structure further comprises a coplanar feed structure and an integrated feed structure.

7. The radiating structure of claim 1 , wherein the transmission array structure is organized in a plurality of rows and columns and wherein the slots of adjacent rows are offset from one another by one column length.

8. The radiating structure of claim 1 , wherein each radiating element comprises a metamaterial radiating element and corresponds to one or more slots in the transmission array structure.

9. The radiating structure of claim 1 , wherein the phase control module in a superelement comprises an impedance matching element and a phase control element.

10. The radiating structure of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the slots in the plurality of slots are smaller at edges of the transmission array structure to taper the transmission signal.

11. The radiating structure of claim 1 , wherein the transmission signal comprises an FMCW signal in a radar.

12. A wireless radiating structure, comprising:
a composite layer formed of a dielectric layer on a conductive layer, the dielectric layer having a feed coupling structure adapted to receive and propagate a transmission signal to a transmission array structure having a plurality of slots arranged in superelements, each superelement comprising a phase control module; and
a radiating array structure of a plurality of radiating elements, each radiating element corresponding to at least one slot in the transmission array structure adapted to radiate the transmission signal.

13. The wireless radiating structure of claim 12 , wherein the radiating array structure is formed on a second dielectric layer positioned above and proximate the transmission array structure.

14. The wireless radiating structure of claim 12 , wherein the at least one radiating element is a metamaterial radiating element having a conductive outer loop and a conductive patch circumscribed within the conductive outer loop and wherein a reactance control device is placed between the conductive outer loop and the conducive patch.

15. The wireless radiating structure of claim 12 , wherein the radiating array structure comprises a multi-layer radiating array structure, wherein each layer comprises an array of radiating elements.

16. The wireless radiating structure of claim 12 , wherein a portion of the plurality of radiating elements is configured into a subarray of radiating elements.

17. The wireless radiating structure of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of slots is evenly distributed among the superelements.

18. A method for manufacturing a radiating structure, comprising:
configuring a substrate having a first dielectric layer on a conductive layer;
forming a coupling matrix of conductive material on the first dielectric layer;
forming a plurality of transmission paths on the first dielectric layer for propagation of a transmission signal;
forming a plurality of slots within each of the transmission paths, wherein an adjacent pair of transmission paths forms a superelement;
configuring a plurality of superelements, each superelement comprising a phase control module; and
forming a radiating array structure on a second dielectric layer, the radiating array structure comprising a plurality of radiating elements arranged in a lattice and corresponding to the plurality of slots adapted to radiate the transmission signal at a phase controlled by a phase control module.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the coupling matrix comprises a first set of vias through the first dielectric layer to the conductive layer to form a plurality of impedance-matched transmission lines.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the transmission paths comprise a second set of vias through the first dielectric layer to the conductive layer.

Assignees

• Metawave Corp

Inventors

• Pelletti Chiara
• Wang Yan
• Daniel George
• Achour Maha

Classifications

• H01Q1/3233

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

• H01Q13/10

  Resonant slot antennas · CPC title

• H01Q15/0086 Primary

  said selective devices having materials with a synthesized negative refractive index, e.g. metamaterials or left-handed materials · CPC title

• G01S7/032 Primary

  Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems · CPC title

• H01Q1/364

  using a particular conducting material, e.g. superconductor · CPC title