Vehicular radar sensor with waveguide connection embedded in pcb

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021382135-A1
Application number	US-202117303629-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 3, 2021
Priority date	Jun 5, 2020
Publication date	Dec 9, 2021
Grant date	—

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

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; 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), 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 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 waveguide antenna is in communication with the at least one transmitting element via a transmitter waveguide port that is disposed at least partially within the at least one cavity, and wherein the waveguide antenna is in communication with the at least one receiving element via a receiver waveguide port that is disposed at least partially within the at least one cavity; wherein radio frequency (RF) signals are electrically communicated between the processor and the waveguide antenna through only a portion of the PCB; and wherein the waveguide antenna (i) guides the transmitted radio signals from the transmitter waveguide port at the at least one transmitting element to an environment and (ii) guides reflected radio signals from the environment to the receiver waveguide port at the at least one receiving element.

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 transmitter waveguide port and the at least one transmitter are disposed within a first cavity of the two cavities, and wherein the 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 RF 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 RF 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 RF 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 receiver waveguide port and the transmitter 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 waveguide antenna guides RF signals from the transmitter waveguide port disposed at partially within the at least one cavity to a waveguide radiating element disposed at an outboard surface of the waveguide antenna.

11 . The vehicular radar sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide antenna guides RF signals from a waveguide receiving radiating element disposed at an outboard surface of the waveguide antenna to the receiver waveguide port disposed at least partially within the at least one cavity.

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; 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), 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 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 waveguide antenna is in communication with the at least one transmitting element via a transmitter waveguide port that is disposed at least partially within the at least one cavity, and wherein the waveguide antenna is in communication with the at least one receiving element via a receiver waveguide port that is disposed at least partially within the at least one cavity; wherein radio frequency (RF) signals are electrically communicated between the processor and the waveguide antenna through only a portion of the PCB; and wherein the waveguide antenna (i) guides the transmitted radio signals from the transmitter waveguide port at the at least one transmitting element to an environment and (ii) guides reflected radio signals from the environment to the receiver waveguide port at the at least one receiving element.

13 . The vehicular radar sensing system of claim 12 , wherein the PCB comprises two cavities.

14 . The vehicular radar sensing system of claim 13 , wherein the transmitter waveguide port and the at least one transmitter are disposed within a first cavity of the two cavities, and wherein the receiver waveguide port and the at least one receiver are disposed within a second cavity of the two cavities.

15 . The vehicular radar sensing system of claim 12 , wherein the portion of the PCB that the RF signals are electrically communicated through comprises at least one layer of an RF optimized material.

16 . The vehicular radar sensing system of claim 15 , wherein the RF signals are electrically communicated via traces that pass through or over the at least one layer of the RF optimized material.

17 . A vehicular radar sensing system, the vehicular radar sensing system comprising:
a radar sensor disposed at a vehicle; wherein the radar senso

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• 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

• G01S7/028

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

• 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