Slow wave structure for millimeter wave antennas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11715889-B2
Application number	US-202117402916-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2021
Priority date	Mar 30, 2017
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

Length matching and phase matching between circuit paths of differing lengths is disclosed. Two signals are specified to arrive at respective path destinations at a predetermined time and with a predetermined phase. An IC provides a first electronic signal over a first conductive path to a first destination and a second electronic signal over a second conductive path to a second destination. A first slow wave structure comprises the first conductive path and a second slow wave structure comprises the second conductive path. The effective relative permittivity of the first slow wave structure is tuned such that the first electronic signal arrives at its destination at a first time and at a first phase, and the effective relative permittivity of the second slow wave structure is tuned such that the second electronic signal arrives at its destination at a second time and at a second phase.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A printed circuit board comprising:
a first layer and a second layer substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the first layer;
an integrated circuit connected to the first layer and configured to provide a first electronic signal over a first conductive path between a first pair of conductive points and a second electronic signal over a second conductive path between a second pair of conductive points;
wherein the first conductive path includes a first narrow section extending between a first broad section and a second broad section, wherein:
the first narrow section has a first dimension; and
the first broad section and the second broad section have a second dimension, the second dimension greater than the first dimension; and

wherein the second conductive path includes a finger extending toward the narrow section of the first conductive path and having a third dimension, the third dimension greater than the second dimension.

2. The printed circuit board of claim 1 , wherein:
the first pair of conductive points comprises a first conductive point and a second conductive point, and the second pair of conductive points comprises a third conductive point and a fourth conductive point;
the effective relative permittivity of the first conductive path is tuned such that the first electronic signal arrives at the second conductive point at a first time; and,
the effective relative permittivity of the second conductive path is tuned such that the second electronic signal arrives at the fourth conductive point at a second time.

3. The printed circuit board of claim 2 , wherein the first time is substantially equal to the second time.

4. The printed circuit board of claim 2 , wherein:
the effective relative permittivity of the first conductive path is further tuned such that the first electronic signal arrives at the second conductive point at a predetermined phase of the first signal; and
the effective relative permittivity of the second conductive path is further tuned such that the second electronic signal arrives at the fourth conductive point at a predetermined phase of the second signal.

5. The printed circuit board of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined phase of the first signal is substantially equal to the predetermined phase of the second signal.

6. The printed circuit board of claim 4 , wherein:
the first conductive path comprises a plurality of unit cells each having a narrow section and a unit length, and selection of the dimensions of the narrow section and of the unit length of the first conductive path tunes the effective relative permittivity of the first conductive path such that the first signal arrives at the second conductive point at the first time and at the predetermined phase of the first signal; and
the second conductive path comprises a plurality of unit cells each having a narrow section and a unit length, and selection of the dimensions of the narrow section and of the unit length of the second conductive path tunes the effective relative permittivity of the second conductive path such that the second signal arrives at the fourth conductive point at the second time and at the predetermined phase of the second signal.

7. The printed circuit board of claim 2 , wherein:
the first conductive path comprises a plurality of unit cells each having a narrow section and a unit length, and selection of the dimensions of the narrow section and of the unit length of the first conductive path tunes the effective relative permittivity of the first conductive path such that the first signal arrives at the second conductive point at the first time and at the predetermined phase of the first signal; and
the second conductive path comprises a plurality of unit cells each having a narrow section and a unit length, and selection of the dimensions of the narrow section and of the unit length of the second conductive path tunes the effective relative permittivity of the second conductive path such that the second signal arrives at the fourth conductive point at the second time and at the predetermined phase of the second signal.

8. A mobile device comprising:
a printed circuit board having a first layer and a second layer substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the first layer;
an integrated circuit comprising a transceiver configured to receive radio frequency signals via a downlink from an access point, the transceiver connected to the first layer and configured to provide a first electronic signal over a first conductive path between a first pair of conductive points and a second electronic signal over a second conductive path between a second pair of conductive points;
wherein the first conductive path includes a first narrow section extending between a first broad section and a second broad section, wherein:
the first narrow section has a first dimension; and
the first broad section and the second broad section have a second dimension, the second dimension greater than the first dimension; and

wherein the second conductive path includes a finger extending toward the narrow section of the first conductive path and having a third dimension, the third dimension greater than the second dimension.

9. The mobile device of claim 8 , wherein:
the first pair of conductive points comprises a first conductive point that is coupled to the transceiver and a second conductive point that is coupled to a first antenna element, and the second pair of conductive points comprises a third conductive point that is coupled to the transceiver and a fourth conductive point that is coupled to a second antenna element;
the effective relative permittivity of the first conductive path is tuned such that the first electronic signal arrives at the second conductive point at a first time; and
the effective relative permittivity of the second conductive path is tuned such that the second electronic signal arrives at the fourth conductive point at a second time.

10. The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein the first time is substantially equal to the second time.

11. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein the first signal is at a first polarity and the second signal is at a second polarity.

12. The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein:
the effective relative permittivity of the first conductive path is further tuned such that the first electronic signal arrives at the second conductive point at a predetermined phase of the first signal; and
the effective relative permittivity of the second conductive path is further tuned such that the second electronic signal arrives at the fourth conductive point at a predetermined phase of the second signal.

13. The mobile device of claim 12 , wherein the predetermined phase of the first signal is substantially equal to the predetermined phase of the second signal.

14. The mobile device of claim 12 , wherein:
the first conductive path comprises a plurality of unit cells each having a narrow section and a unit length, and selection of the dimensions of the narrow section and of the unit length of the first conductive path tunes the effective relative permittivity of the first conductive path such that the first signal arrives at the second conductive point at the first time and at the predetermined phase of the first signal; and
the second conductive path comprises a plurality of unit cells each having a narrow section and a unit length, and selection of the dimensions of the narrow section and of the unit length of the second conductive path tunes the effective relative permittivity of the second conductive path such that the second signal arrives at the four

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Zhang Zhichao
• Sun Jiwei
• Aygun Kemal

Classifications

• H01Q21/24 Primary

  Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction {(circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001)} · CPC title

• H05K1/0243

  Printed circuits associated with mounted high frequency components · CPC title

• H05K1/0248

  Skew reduction or using delay lines · CPC title

• H01P9/00

  Delay lines of the waveguide type · CPC title

• H05K2201/10098

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