Vehicular radar sensor with waveguide connection embedded in PCB

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12013480-B2
Application number	US-202117303629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2021
Priority date	Jun 5, 2020
Publication date	Jun 18, 2024
Grant date	Jun 18, 2024

Abstract

A vehicular radar sensing system includes a radar sensor disposed at a vehicle. The radar sensor includes a waveguide antenna and a printed circuit board (PCB) with an inboard side and an outboard side. A processor is disposed at the inboard side of the PCB and the waveguide antenna is disposed at the outboard side of the PCB. The waveguide antenna is partially disposed within a cavity at the outboard side of the PCB. Radio frequency signals are electrically communicated between the processor and the waveguide antenna through only a portion of the PCB. The waveguide antenna (i) guides the transmitted radio signals from the transmitter to the exterior environment and (ii) guides reflected radio signals from the exterior environment to the receiver.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular radar sensing system, the vehicular radar sensing system comprising:
a radar sensor disposed at a vehicle;
wherein the radar sensor comprises (i) at least one transmitter that transmits radio signals and (ii) at least one receiver that receive radio signals, and wherein received radio signals received by the at least one receiver are transmitted radio signals that are reflected from an object present in a field of sensing of the radar sensor;
wherein the at least one transmitter comprises at least one transmitting element and the at least one receiver comprises at least one receiving element;
wherein the radar sensor comprises a waveguide antenna structure, and wherein the waveguide antenna structure comprises a (i) a first transmitting waveguide port, (ii) a transmitting waveguide, and (iii) a second transmitting waveguide port;
wherein the waveguide antenna structure comprises (i) a first receiving waveguide port, (ii) a receiving waveguide, and (iii) a second receiving waveguide port;
wherein the radar sensor comprises a processor operable to process radio signals transmitted by the at least one transmitter and received by the at least one receiver;
wherein the radar sensor comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) independent from the antenna waveguide structure, wherein the PCB comprises an inboard side and an outboard side separated by a thickness of the PCB;
wherein the processor is disposed at the inboard side of the PCB, and wherein the waveguide antenna structure is disposed at the outboard side of the PCB;
wherein the PCB comprises at least one cavity at the outboard side of the PCB, wherein the at least one transmitting element is disposed within the at least one cavity, and wherein the at least one receiving element is disposed within the at least one cavity;
wherein the first transmitting waveguide port is disposed within the at least one cavity, and wherein the second transmitting waveguide port extends beyond an outer periphery of the PCB;
wherein the first transmitting waveguide port guides the transmitted radio signals from the at least one transmitting element to the transmitting waveguide, and wherein the transmitting waveguide guides the transmitted radio signals from the first transmitting waveguide port to the second transmitting waveguide port, and wherein the second transmitting waveguide port guides the transmitted radio signals from the transmitting waveguide to an environment exterior of the vehicle;
wherein the second receiving waveguide port is disposed within the at least one cavity, and wherein the first receiving waveguide port extends beyond the outer periphery of the PCB;
wherein the first receiving waveguide port guides the received radio signals from the environment exterior of the vehicle to the receiving waveguide, and wherein the receiving waveguide guides the received radio signals from the first receiving waveguide port to the second receiving waveguide port, and wherein the second receiving waveguide port guides the received radio signals from the receiving waveguide to the at least one receiving element; and
wherein the transmitted radio signals and the received radio signals are electrically communicated between the processor and the waveguide antenna structure through only a portion of the PCB.

2. The vehicular radar sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the PCB comprises two cavities.

3. The vehicular radar sensing system of claim 2 , wherein the first transmitting waveguide port and the at least one transmitter are disposed within a first cavity of the two cavities, and wherein the second receiver waveguide port and the at least one receiver are disposed within a second cavity of the two cavities.

4. The vehicular radar sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the PCB comprises a plurality of layers.

5. The vehicular radar sensing system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one cavity passes through two or more of the plurality of layers.

6. The vehicular radar sensing system of claim 4 , wherein the portion of the PCB that the transmitted radio signals and the received radio signals are electrically communicated through comprises at least one layer of an RF optimized material.

7. The vehicular radar sensing system of claim 6 , wherein the transmitted radio signals and the received radio signals are electrically communicated via traces that pass through or over the at least one layer of the RF optimized material.

8. The vehicular radar sensing system of claim 6 , wherein a portion of the PCB that the transmitted radio signals and the received radio signals are not electrically communicated through comprises at least one layer of non-RF optimized material.

9. The vehicular radar sensing system of claim 8 , wherein the second receiver waveguide port and the first transmitting waveguide port pass through the at least one layer of non-RF optimized material.

10. The vehicular radar sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting waveguide extends beyond the outer periphery of the PCB.

11. The vehicular radar sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the receiving waveguide extends beyond the outer periphery of the PCB.

12. A vehicular radar sensing system, the vehicular radar sensing system comprising:
a radar sensor disposed at a vehicle;
wherein the radar sensor comprises (i) at least one transmitter that transmits radio signals and (ii) at least one receiver that receive radio signals, and wherein received radio signals received by the at least one receiver are transmitted radio signals that are reflected from an object present in a field of sensing of the radar sensor;
wherein the at least one transmitter comprises at least one transmitting element and the at least one receiver comprises at least one receiving element;
wherein the radar sensor comprises a waveguide antenna structure, and wherein the waveguide antenna structure comprises a (i) a first transmitting waveguide port, (ii) a transmitting waveguide, and (iii) a second transmitting waveguide port;
wherein the waveguide antenna structure comprises (i) a first receiving waveguide port, (ii) a receiving waveguide, and (iii) a second receiving waveguide port;
wherein the radar sensor comprises a processor operable to process radio signals transmitted by the at least one transmitter and received by the at least one receiver;
wherein the radar sensor comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) independent from the antenna waveguide structure, wherein the PCB comprises an inboard side and an outboard side separated by a thickness of the PCB;
wherein the PCB comprises a plurality of layers;
wherein the processor is disposed at the inboard side of the PCB, and wherein the waveguide antenna structure is disposed at the outboard side of the PCB;
wherein the PCB comprises at least one cavity at the outboard side of the PCB, wherein the at least one transmitting element is disposed within the at least one cavity, and wherein the at least one receiving element is disposed within the at least one cavity;
wherein the at least one cavity passes through at least one of the plurality of layers;
wherein the first transmitting waveguide port is disposed within the at least one cavity, and wherein the second transmitting waveguide port extends beyond an outer periphery of the PCB;
wherein the first transmitting waveguide port guides the transmitted radio signals from the at least one transmitting element to the transmitting waveguide, and wherein the transmitting waveguide guides the transmitted radio signals from the first transmitting waveguide port to the second transmitting waveguide port, and wherein the second transmitting waveguide port guide

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Hess Holger
• Wöhlte Wilhelm Johann Wolfgang
• Wodrich Helmut A

Classifications

• G01S7/028

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

• H01Q1/3233 Primary

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

• G01S13/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S2013/93275

  in the bumper area · CPC title

• G01S7/03 Primary

  Details of HF subsystems specially adapted therefor, e.g. common to transmitter and receiver · CPC title