Open end antenna, antenna array, and related system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9742070-B2
Application number	US-201314108071-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2013
Priority date	Feb 28, 2013
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A system includes an antenna array and a transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly via the antenna array. The antenna array includes a substrate having first and second ground plates. The antenna array also includes multiple substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) antenna elements located along an edge of the substrate. The antenna array further includes feed lines configured to provide signals to the antenna elements and receive signals from the antenna elements. Each antenna element includes a waveguide between the first and second ground plates and enclosed by vias through the substrate, where the waveguide has one open edge along the edge of the substrate. The system could include multiple antenna arrays, where each antenna array includes multiple SIW antenna elements and the antenna arrays are located along different edges of the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a substrate comprising first and second ground plates;
a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) antenna element located along an edge of the substrate;
a feed line configured to at least one of: provide signals to the antenna element and receive signals from the antenna element; and
a feed via connected to the feed line,
wherein the feed via is configured to transfer a signal from the feed line to a bottom one of the first and second ground plates,
wherein the antenna element comprises a waveguide between the first and second ground plates that is enclosed by vias through the substrate, the waveguide including one open edge along the edge of the substrate, and
wherein sidewalls of the waveguide are formed by multiple lines of the vias that penetrate the first and second ground plates and enclose the waveguide except for the one open edge.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises an antenna array, the antenna array comprising multiple SIW antenna elements located along the edge of the substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the apparatus comprises multiple antenna arrays, each of the antenna arrays comprising multiple SIW antenna elements, the antenna arrays located along different edges of the substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the feed via extends through the first and second ground plates.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vias are arranged in the multiple lines including lines substantially parallel to the edge of the substrate and lines substantially perpendicular to the edge of the substrate.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second ground plates has a notch along the edge of the substrate.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the notch has a shape of “V” in a middle of the waveguide.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the substrate further comprises a top layer, a middle layer, and a bottom layer;
the first ground plate is located between the top and middle layers;
the second ground plate is located between the bottom and middle layers; and
the feed line is located on a surface the top layer.

9. A system comprising:
an antenna array; and
a transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly via the antenna array;
wherein the antenna array comprises:
a substrate comprising first and second ground plates;
multiple substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) antenna elements located along an edge of the substrate;
feed lines configured to provide signals to the antenna elements and receive signals from the antenna elements; and
feed vias connected to each of the feed lines, respectively,

wherein the feed vias are configured to transfer signals from the feed lines, respectively, to a bottom one of the first and second ground plates,
wherein each of the antenna elements comprises a waveguide between the first and second ground plates that is enclosed by vias through the substrate, the waveguide including one open edge along the edge of the substrate, and
wherein sidewalls of each waveguide are formed by multiple lines of the vias that penetrate the first and second ground plates and enclose the waveguide except for the one open edge.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system comprises multiple antenna arrays, each of the antenna arrays comprising a plurality of the multiple SIW antenna elements, the antenna arrays located along different edges of the substrate.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the feed vias extend through the first and second ground plates.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the vias in each of the antenna elements are arranged in the multiple lines including lines substantially parallel to the edge of the substrate and lines substantially perpendicular to the edge of the substrate.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second ground plates has a notch along the edge of the substrate.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the notch has a shape of “V” in a middle of the waveguide.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the substrate further comprises a top layer, a middle layer, and a bottom layer;
the first ground plate is located between the top and middle layers;
the second ground plate is located between the bottom and middle layers; and
the feed lines are located on a surface the top layer.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the middle layer comprises a dielectric layer.

17. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system comprises an eNodeB.

18. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system comprises a user equipment.

19. The system of claim 9 , wherein at least some of the vias in each of the antenna elements form a boundary with at least one adjacent antenna element.

20. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the antenna array comprises four linearly-arranged SIW antenna elements; and
the transceiver is configured to scan one outer SIW antenna element to −45°, two middle SIW antenna elements to 0°, and another outer SIW antenna element to +45°.

21. A method comprising:
obtaining a substrate comprising first and second ground plates;
forming a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) antenna element located along an edge of the substrate; and
forming a feed line configured to at least one of: provide signals to the antenna element and receive signals from the antenna element;
wherein the feed line is connected to a feed via and the feed via is configured to transfer a signal from the feed line to a bottom one of the first and second ground plates,
wherein forming the antenna element comprises forming a waveguide between the first and second ground plates that is enclosed by vias through the substrate, the waveguide including one open edge along the edge of the substrate, and
wherein sidewalls of the waveguide are formed by multiple lines of the vias that penetrate the first and second ground plates and enclose the waveguide except for the one open edge.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
forming multiple antenna arrays, each antenna array comprising multiple SIW antenna elements, the antenna arrays located along different edges of the substrate.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein each of the first and second ground plates has a notch along the edge of the substrate, the notch having shape of “V” in a middle of the waveguide.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhou Hongyu
• Aryanfar Farshid

Classifications

• H01Q21/205

  providing an omnidirectional coverage (turnstile aerials H01Q21/26) · CPC title

• H01Q13/06 Primary

  Waveguide mouths (horns H01Q13/02) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49018

  with other electrical component · CPC title

• H01Q13/18

  the slot being backed by, or formed in boundary wall of, a resonant cavity (longitudinally slotted cylinder H01Q13/12 ){; Open cavity antennas} · CPC title