Folded radiation slots for short wall waveguide radiation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9711870-B2
Application number	US-201414453416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2014
Priority date	Aug 6, 2014
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

An example folded radiation slot for short wall waveguide radiation is disclosed. In one aspect, the radiating structure includes a waveguide layer configured to propagate electromagnetic energy via a waveguide. The waveguide may have a height dimension and a width dimension. The radiating structure also includes a radiating layer coupled to the waveguide layer, such that the radiating layer is parallel to the height dimension of the waveguide. The radiating layer may include a radiating element. The radiating element may be a slot defined by an angular or curved path, and the radiating element may be coupled to the waveguide layer. The radiating element may have an effective length greater than the height dimension of waveguide, wherein the effective length is measured along the angular or curved path of the slot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radiating structure comprising:
a waveguide layer configured to propagate electromagnetic energy via a waveguide in the waveguide layer, wherein the waveguide has a height dimension and a width dimension;
a radiating layer coupled to the waveguide layer, wherein:
the radiating layer is parallel to the height dimension of the waveguide;
the radiating layer comprises a plurality of radiating slots along the length of the radiating layer, wherein each radiating slot:
is defined by an angular or curved path, is coupled to the waveguide layer,
has a rotational orientation relative to a dimension of the waveguide and to the other slots, wherein the rotational orientation provides a desired coupling factor, and
has a same effective length greater than the height dimension of the waveguide, wherein the effective length is measured as the entire path length along the angular or curved path of the slot.

2. The radiating structure according to claim 1 , wherein the slot is defined by an angular path having a Z-shape, wherein the Z-shape includes a center portion and two arms, wherein each arm is connected to the center portion at opposing ends of the center portion.

3. The radiating structure according to claim 1 , wherein the slot is defined by a curved path having an S-shape.

4. The radiating structure of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide antenna is configured to operate at approximately 77 Gigahertz (GHz) and propagate millimeter (mm) electromagnetic waves.

5. The radiating structure of claim 1 , wherein the width dimension is greater than the height dimension.

6. The radiating structure of claim 1 , wherein each radiating element has a respective rotation and the respective rotation of each radiating element is selected based on a desired taper profile.

7. A method of radiating electromagnetic energy comprising:
propagating electromagnetic energy via a waveguide in a waveguide layer, wherein the waveguide has a height dimension and a width dimension;
coupling the electromagnetic energy from the waveguide to a plurality of radiating slots located in a radiating layer coupled to the waveguide layer, wherein:
the radiating layer is parallel to the height dimension of the waveguide; the radiating layer comprises the radiating slots along a length of the radiating layer, wherein each radiating slot:
is defined by an angular or curved path, is coupled to the waveguide layer,
has a rotational orientation relative to a dimension of the waveguide and to the other slots, wherein the rotational orientation provides a desired coupling factor, and
has a same effective length greater than the height dimension of the waveguide, wherein the effective length is measured as the entire path length along the angular or curved path of the slot; and
radiating the coupled electromagnetic energy with the radiating element.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the slot is defined by an angular path having a Z-shape, wherein the Z-shape includes a center portion and two arms, wherein each arm is connected to the center portion at opposing ends of the center portion.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the slot is defined by a curved path having an S-shape.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the waveguide antenna is configured to operate at approximately 77 Gigahertz (GHz) and propagate millimeter (mm) electromagnetic waves.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the width dimension is greater than the height dimension.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein each radiating element has a respective rotation and the respective rotation of each radiating element is selected based on a desired taper profile.

13. A radiating structure comprising:
a waveguide layer configured to propagate electromagnetic energy via a waveguide in the waveguide layer, wherein the waveguide has a height dimension and a width dimension, wherein the electromagnetic energy has a wavelength;
a radiating layer coupled to the waveguide layer, wherein:
the radiating layer is parallel to the height dimension of the waveguide; the radiating layer comprises an array of radiating elements along a straight line, wherein the array comprises:

a plurality of radiating elements, wherein each radiating element:
comprises a slot defined by an angular or curved path, is coupled to the waveguide layer, and
has a same effective length greater than the height dimension of the waveguide, wherein the effective length is measured as the entire path length along the angular or curved path of the slot;
has a respective rotation and the respective rotation of each radiating element is selected based on a desired taper profile,
wherein the taper profile specifies a desired coupling coefficient for each slot; and
a spacing between adjacent radiating elements in the linear array is approximately equal to half the wavelength.

14. The radiating structure of claim 13 , wherein the slot is defined by an angular path having a Z-shape, wherein the Z-shape includes a center portion and two arms, wherein each arm is connected to the center portion at opposing ends of the center portion.

Assignees

• Google Inc
• Waymo Llc

Inventors

• Izadian Jamal

Classifications

• H01Q21/0043 Primary

  Slotted waveguides (combination with horns H01Q13/0233) · CPC title

• H01Q21/005 Primary

  Slotted waveguides arrays · CPC title