Unshielded twisted pair-to-coaxial converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025102641-A1
Application number	US-202418811191-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 21, 2024
Priority date	Sep 22, 2023
Publication date	Mar 27, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system includes processing circuitry communicatively coupled to a coaxial cable as well as a sensor, such as a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor communicatively coupled to an unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable. The processing circuitry and LIDAR sensor may be communicatively coupled to one another via a UTP-to-coaxial converter that is communicatively coupled to both the coaxial cable and the UTP cable. The UTP-to-coaxial converter includes filter circuitry configured to receive one or more signals generated by the LIDAR sensor and generate one or more filtered signals by blocking a portion of the one or more signals having a frequency in a first frequency range. The UTP-to-coaxial converter is configured to send the one or more filtered signals to the processing circuitry via the coaxial cable.

First claim

1 . A system, comprising:
a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor configured to generate one or more signals indicative of sensor data, the LIDAR sensor comprising a first unshielded twisted pair (UTP) connector; processing circuitry communicatively coupled to a first coaxial connector; and a UTP-to-coaxial converter comprising:
a second UTP connector communicatively coupled to the first UTP connector of the LIDAR sensor via a UTP cable, wherein the second UTP connector is configured to receive the one or more signals via the UTP cable;
filter circuitry configured to receive the one or more signals from the second UTP connector and generate one or more filtered signals by blocking a portion of the one or more signals having a frequency in a first frequency range; and
a second coaxial connector coupled to the filter circuitry, the second coaxial connector configured to:
receive the one or more filtered signals from the filter circuitry; and
send the one or more filtered signals to the processing circuitry via a coaxial cable that communicatively couples the first coaxial connector and the second coaxial connector.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency range comprises a frequency modulated (FM) radio frequency.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the UTP-to-coaxial converter comprises a housing that houses the filter circuitry and at least partially houses the second UTP connector and the second coaxial connector.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the UTP-to-coaxial converter comprises a balun configured to receive the one or more filtered signals from the filter circuitry.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the housing houses the balun.

6 . The system of claim 5 , comprising one or more gaskets within the housing, wherein the one or more gaskets are configured to seal an interior of the housing from an exterior environment outside of the housing.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more gaskets comprise:
a first gasket configured to interface with the second UTP connector and the housing; and a second gasket configured to interface with the second coaxial connector and the housing.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein:
the housing comprises an upper portion and a base portion configured to interface with one another; and the one or more gaskets comprise a base gasket configured to interface with the upper portion and the base portion of the housing to seal a base section of the interior of the housing.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is included in or on a vehicle.

10 . An untwisted pair (UTP)-to-coaxial converter, comprising:
a housing; a first UTP connector at least partially within the housing and configured to be communicatively coupled to a second UTP connector of a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor via a UTP cable, wherein the first UTP connector is configured to receive one or more signals indicative of sensor data from the LIDAR sensor via the UTP cable; filter circuitry within the housing and configured to receive the one or more signals and generate one or more filtered signals by blocking a portion of the one or more signals having a frequency in a first frequency range; and a first coaxial connector at least partially in the housing and configured to:
receive the one or more filtered signals from the filter circuitry; and
send the one or more filtered signals to processing circuitry via a coaxial cable that communicatively couples the first coaxial connector and a second coaxial connector that is communicatively coupled to the processing circuitry.

11 . The UTP-to-coaxial converter of claim 10 , wherein the housing comprises an upper portion and a base portion configured to interface with one another.

12 . The UTP-to-coaxial converter of claim 11 , comprising a base gasket within the housing and configured to interface with the upper portion and the base portion of the housing to seal a base section of an interior of the housing from an exterior environment outside of the housing.

13 . The UTP-to-coaxial converter of claim 12 , comprising:
a first gasket within the housing and configured to interface with the second UTP connector and the housing; and a second gasket within the housing and configured to interface with the second coaxial connector and the housing.

14 . The UTP-to-coaxial converter of claim 10 , wherein the first frequency range comprises a frequency modulated (FM) radio frequency.

15 . The UTP-to-coaxial converter of claim 14 , wherein the filter circuitry is configured to generate the one or more filtered signals by blocking a second portion of the one or more signals having a frequency in a second frequency range different than the first frequency range.

16 . The UTP-to-coaxial converter of claim 10 , wherein the UTP cable comprises a 100BASE-T1 or 1000BASE-T1 compliant Ethernet cable.

17 . The UTP-to-coaxial converter of claim 10 , wherein the housing is unsealed from an exterior environment outside of the housing.

18 . A system, comprising:
a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor configured to generate one or more signals indicative of sensor data, the LIDAR sensor comprising a first unshielded twisted pair (UTP) connector; processing circuitry communicatively coupled to a first coaxial connector; and a UTP-to-coaxial converter comprising:
a housing comprising an upper portion and a base portion configured to interface with one another;
a second UTP connector at least partially within the housing and communicatively coupled to the first UTP connector of the LIDAR sensor via a UTP cable, wherein the second UTP connector is configured to receive the one or more signals via the UTP cable;
filter circuitry within the housing configured to receive the one or more signals from the second UTP connector and generate one or more filtered signals by blocking a portion of the one or more signals having a frequency in a first frequency range;
a balun within the housing and configured to receive the one or more filtered signals from the filter circuitry;
a second coaxial connector at least partially in the housing and communicatively coupled to the balun, the second coaxial connector configured to:
receive the one or more filtered signals from the balun; and
send the one or more filtered signals to the processing circuitry via a coaxial cable that communicatively couples the first coaxial connector and the second coaxial connector; and

a plurality of gaskets within the housing, wherein the plurality of gaskets is configured to seal an interior of the housing from an exterior environment outside of the housing, wherein the plurality of gaskets comprises:
a first gasket configured to interface with the second UTP connector and the housing;
a second gasket configured to interface with the second coaxial connector and the housing; and
a third gasket configured to interface with the upper portion and the base portion of the housing to seal a base section of the interior of the housing.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the system is included in or on a vehicle.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the first frequency range comprises a frequency modulated (FM) radio frequency.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Rajagopal Abhilash
• Zhu Chentian
• Kim Heegon
• Chiappe James C

Classifications

• H01B11/125

  Specially adapted cable interconnections · CPC title

• G01S7/4861 Primary

  Circuits for detection, sampling, integration or read-out · CPC title