Feed to waveguide transition structures and related sensor assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021028537-A1
Application number	US-201916520223-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 23, 2019
Priority date	Jul 23, 2019
Publication date	Jan 28, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Waveguide module assemblies for vehicles, such as radar sensor waveguide feed to waveguide transition assemblies. In some embodiments, an antenna module may comprise an antenna assembly that includes a resonating element and a waveguide component that defines, at least in part, a waveguide configured to guide electromagnetic energy radiating from the resonating element. The resonating element of the antenna assembly may directly feed electromagnetic energy into the waveguide defined by the waveguide component.

First claim

1 . A waveguide module, comprising:
a feed component, the feed component comprising a conductive ground layer, a conductive top layer, and a substrate disposed between the conductive ground layer and the conductive top layer, the conductive top layer comprising:
a first portion defining a resonating patch coupled to a feed input of the waveguide module by a feed, and
a second portion conductively isolated from the first portion and coupled to the conductive ground layer by a plurality of conductive vias defined in the substrate; and
a waveguide component, the waveguide component comprising a plurality of waveguide structures, the plurality of waveguide structures at least in part defining a waveguide, the waveguide component being coupled with the feed component such that the resonating patch directly feeds the waveguide, the waveguide defining a waveguide output of the waveguide module.

2 . The waveguide module of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of waveguide structures comprise a plurality of post, the plurality of posts comprising:
at least a first row of posts defining a first side of the waveguide; and at least a second row of posts defining a second side of the waveguide opposite the first side of the waveguide.

3 . The waveguide module of claim 2 , wherein the at least a first row of posts and the at least a second row of posts each comprise a plurality of rows of posts.

4 . The waveguide module of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide component further comprises at least one termination post.

5 . The waveguide module of claim 4 , wherein the at least one termination post comprises at least one feed line termination post disposed proximate to the feed line.

6 . The waveguide module of claim 5 , wherein the at least one feed line termination post is shorter in height than at least one of the plurality of posts of the waveguide component such that the at least one feed line termination post does not physically contact the feed line.

7 . The waveguide module of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide component further comprises a ridge disposed within at least a portion of the waveguide.

8 . The waveguide module of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the ridge is more prominent than other portions of the ridge, the at least a portion of the ridge being disposed, at least in part, over the resonating patch.

9 . The waveguide module of claim 8 , wherein a transition between the at least a portion of the ridge and the other portions of the ridge comprises at least one of a sloped transition and a stepped transition.

10 . The waveguide module of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive vias are configured to surround at least a part of the first portion of the feed component.

11 . The waveguide module of claim 1 , wherein the conductive ground layer, the conductive top layer, and the substrate of the feed component comprise printed circuit board layers.

12 . The waveguide module of claim 1 , wherein the feed is defined by the first portion of the conductive top layer.

13 . The waveguide module of claim 1 , wherein the resonating patch comprises at least one of a square resonating patch, a rectangular resonating patch, a circular resonating patch, a triangular resonating patch, an elliptical resonating patch, a hexagonal resonating patch, a pentagonal resonating patch, a rhomboid resonating patch, and a ring resonating patch.

14 . The waveguide module of claim 1 , wherein the feed comprises at least one of a coplanar wave guide, a microstrip feed line, a strip feed line, an aperture coupled feed, a proximity coupled feed, and a coaxial feed.

15 . A waveguide module, comprising:
a feed component comprising a resonating patch coupled to a feed input of the waveguide module by a feed; and a waveguide component coupled to the feed component, the waveguide component comprising:
a plurality of posts that, at least in part, define a waveguide, the waveguide component being coupled to the feed component such that the resonating patch feeds electromagnetic energy to the waveguide, and
a ridge disposed within at least a portion of the waveguide, the ridge comprising a prominent portion disposed, at least in part, over the resonating patch configured to guide electromagnetic energy radiated by the resonating patch within the waveguide towards a waveguide output of the waveguide module.

16 . The waveguide module of claim 15 , wherein a transition between the prominent portion and other portions of the ridge comprises at least one of a stepped transition and a smooth transition.

17 . The waveguide module of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of posts comprises at least a first row of posts defining a first side of the waveguide and at least a second row of posts defining a second side of the waveguide.

18 . The waveguide module of claim 15 , wherein the resonating patch comprises at least one of a square resonating patch, a rectangular resonating patch, and a circular resonating patch.

19 . The waveguide module of claim 1 , wherein the feed comprises at least one of a direct microstrip feed and an electromagnetic coupling feed with the resonating patch.

20 . A waveguide module of a vehicle radar system, comprising:
a feed component comprising a resonating patch coupled to a feed port of the waveguide module by a microstrip feed line, the resonating patch being configured to radiate electromagnetic energy provided to the resonating patch via the feed port and the microstrip feed line directly into a waveguide; and a waveguide component coupled to the feed component defining in part a waveguide port of the waveguide module, the waveguide component comprising: at least a first row of posts defining a first side of the waveguide, at least a second row of posts defining a second side of the waveguide, and a ridge disposed within at least a portion of the waveguide between the at least a first row of posts and the at least a second row of posts, the ridge comprising a prominent portion disposed in a location over the resonating patch within the waveguide, the ridge being configured to guide electromagnetic energy radiated by the resonating patch towards the waveguide port.

Assignees

• Veoneer Us Inc

Inventors

• Doyle Scott B
• Alexanian Angelos
• Konstantinidis Konstantinos

Classifications

• G01S13/931

  of land vehicles · 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

• H01P5/107 Primary

  Hollow-waveguide/strip-line transitions · CPC title

• H01Q21/0062

  the slots being disposed around the feeding waveguide · CPC title

• H01Q13/22

  Longitudinal slot in boundary wall of waveguide or transmission line {(H01Q13/203 takes precedence)} · CPC title