Printed circuit board layout

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9935514-B1
Application number	US-201414568479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Jun 14, 2014
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A printed circuit board (PCB) includes a first plurality of conductive paths having first ends at an inner radius of the PCB and second ends at an outer radius of the PCB. The PCB further includes a second plurality of conductive paths having first ends at an outer radius of the PCB and second ends at an inner radius of the PCB. The PCB further includes a first plurality of conductive vias that pass through the PCB at the outer radius of the PCB and couple second ends of the first plurality of conductive paths to first ends of the second plurality of conductive paths. The PCB further includes a second plurality of conductive vias that pass through the PCB at the inner radius of the PCB and electrically couple second ends of the second plurality of conductive paths to first ends of the first plurality of conductive paths.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printed circuit board (PCB) of a multi-phase brushless motor, the PCB comprising:
a first conductive layer comprising a first plurality of conductive paths respectively having a first end at an inner radius of the PCB and a second end at an outer radius of the PCB, wherein the outer radius surrounds the inner radius;
a second conductive layer comprising a second plurality of conductive paths respectively having a first end at an outer radius of the PCB and a second end at an inner radius of the PCB;
a first plurality of conductive vias that pass through the PCB at the outer radius of the PCB and respectively electrically couple second ends of the first plurality of conductive paths to first ends of the second plurality of conductive paths;
a second plurality of conductive vias that pass through the PCB at the inner radius of the PCB and respectively electrically couple second ends of the second plurality of conductive paths to first ends of the first plurality of conductive paths;
a positive terminal configured to be electrically coupled to a power supply;
a composite path comprising a conductive path of the first plurality of conductive paths and a conductive path of the second plurality of conductive paths, wherein the composite path makes at least one substantially complete revolution around a circumference of the PCB;
a first conductive path extending radially outward of the outer radius of the PCB that electrically couples the positive terminal of the PCB to the composite path;
a negative terminal configured to be electrically coupled to the power supply; and
a second conductive path extending radially outward of the outer radius of the PCB that electrically couples the negative terminal of the PCB to the composite path.

2. The PCB of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of conductive paths comprise a set of conductive paths, wherein conductive paths of the set belong to a phase winding of the multi-phase brushless motor, wherein conductive paths of the set are adjacent to at least one other conductive path of the set.

3. The PCB of claim 2 , wherein the conductive paths of the set are mutually substantially parallel.

4. The PCB of claim 2 , wherein the set of conductive paths is a first set and the phase winding is a first phase winding, the PCB further comprising:
a second set of conductive paths belonging to a second phase winding of the multi-phase brushless motor, wherein a conductive path of the second set is adjacent to a conductive path of the first set; and
a third set of conductive paths belonging to a third phase winding of the multi-phase brushless motor, wherein a conductive path of the third set is adjacent to a conductive path of the first set.

5. The PCB of claim 1 , wherein the PCB comprises a group of conductive paths configured to have current flow through the conductive paths of the group to produce a magnetic field to induce rotational motion of the multi-phase brushless motor.

6. The PCB of claim 1 , further comprising a composite conductive path that completes a revolution around an annular portion of the PCB defined by the inner radius and the outer radius.

7. The PCB of claim 1 , further comprising a composite conductive path that periodically travels back and forth between the inner radius and the outer radius.

8. The PCB of claim 1 , further comprising a composite conductive path comprising a conductive path on the first conductive layer, a conductive path on the second conductive layer, a conductive via of the first plurality of vias, and a conductive via of the second plurality of vias.

9. A vehicle comprising:
a scanner of a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system, wherein the scanner is configured to direct, over a range of directions, a light beam generated by the LIDAR system; and
a printed circuit board (PCB) of a multi-phase brushless motor coupled to the scanner, wherein the multi-phase brushless motor is configured to rotate the scanner thereby changing the direction of the light beam, and wherein the PCB further comprises:
a first conductive layer comprising a first plurality of conductive paths respectively having a first end at an inner radius of the PCB and a second end at an outer radius of the PCB, wherein the outer radius surrounds the inner radius;
a second conductive layer comprising a second plurality of conductive paths respectively having a first end at an outer radius of the PCB and a second end at an inner radius of the PCB;
a first plurality of conductive vias that pass through the PCB at the outer radius of the PCB and respectively electrically couple second ends of the first plurality of conductive paths to first ends of the second plurality of conductive paths;
a second plurality of conductive vias that pass through the PCB at the inner radius of the PCB and respectively electrically couple second ends of the second plurality of conductive paths to first ends of the first plurality of conductive paths;
a positive terminal configured to be electrically coupled to a power supply;
a composite path comprising a conductive path of the first plurality of conductive paths and a conductive path of the second plurality of conductive paths, wherein the composite path makes at least one substantially complete revolution around a circumference of the PCB;
a first conductive path extending radially outward of the outer radius of the PCB that electrically couples the positive terminal of the PCB to the composite path;
a negative terminal configured to be electrically coupled to the power supply; and
a second conductive path extending radially outward of the outer radius of the PCB that electrically couples the negative terminal of the PCB to the composite path.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the first plurality of conductive paths comprise a set of conductive paths, wherein conductive paths of the set belong to a phase winding of the multi-phase brushless motor, wherein conductive paths of the set are adjacent to at least one other conductive path of the set.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the conductive paths of the set are mutually substantially parallel.

12. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the set of conductive paths is a first set and the phase winding is a first phase winding, the PCB further comprising:
a second set of conductive paths belonging to a second phase winding of the multi-phase brushless motor, wherein a conductive path of the second set is adjacent to a conductive path of the first set; and
a third set of conductive paths belonging to a third phase winding of the multi-phase brushless motor, wherein a conductive path of the third set is adjacent to a conductive path of the first set.

13. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the PCB comprises a group of conductive paths configured to have current flow through the conductive paths of the group to produce a magnetic field to induce rotational motion of the multi-phase brushless motor.

14. The vehicle of claim 9 , further comprising a composite conductive path that completes a revolution around an annular portion of the PCB defined by the inner radius and the outer radius.

15. The vehicle of claim 9 , further comprising a composite conductive path that periodically travels back and forth between the inner radius and the outer radius.

16. The vehicle of claim 9 , further comprising a composite conductive path comprising a conductive path on the first conductive layer, a conductive path on the second conductive layer, a conductive via of the first plurality of vias, and a conductive via of the second plurality of vias.

Assignees

• Waymo Llc

Inventors

• Lenius Samuel William
• Karplus Paul
• Zbrozek Alexander Danilo

Classifications

• G01S17/02

  Systems using the reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves (G01S17/66 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02K3/26 Primary

  consisting of printed conductors · CPC title

• G01S7/4817

  relating to scanning · CPC title

• G01S17/42

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) · CPC title