Devices and methods for a dielectric rotary joint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9979061-B1
Application number	US-201514924351-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Oct 27, 2015
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

A device is provided that includes a first waveguide configured to guide propagation of RF waves inside the first waveguide. A first side of the first waveguide is configured to emit an evanescent field associated with the propagation of the RF waves inside the first waveguide. The device also includes a second waveguide having a second side positioned within a predetermined distance to the first side of the first waveguide. The second waveguide is configured to guide propagation, inside the second waveguide, of induced RF waves associated with the evanescent field from the first waveguide. The device also includes a first probe coupled to the first waveguide and configured to emit the RF waves for propagation inside the first waveguide. The device also includes a second probe coupled to the second waveguide and configured to receive induced RF waves propagating inside the second waveguide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a first dielectric waveguide that guides propagation of radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves inside the first dielectric waveguide, wherein a first side of the first dielectric waveguide emits an evanescent field associated with the propagation of the RF waves inside the first dielectric waveguide;
a second dielectric waveguide having a second side positioned at a predetermined distance to the first side of the first dielectric waveguide, wherein the second dielectric waveguide guides propagation, inside the second dielectric waveguide, of induced RF waves associated with the evanescent field from the first dielectric waveguide;
a first probe coupled to the first dielectric waveguide and configured to emit the RF waves for propagation inside the first dielectric waveguide;
a second probe coupled to the second dielectric waveguide and configured to receive the induced RF waves propagating inside the second dielectric waveguide; and
an actuator that rotates the first dielectric waveguide relative to the second dielectric waveguide, wherein the first side of the first dielectric waveguide remains at the predetermined distance to the second side of the second dielectric waveguide while the actuator is rotating the first dielectric waveguide.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first dielectric waveguide comprises an acrylic material.

3. The device in claim 1 , wherein the first side of the first dielectric waveguide has a substantially circular-arc shape, wherein the second side of the second dielectric waveguide has a corresponding substantially circular-arc shape, and wherein, while the actuator is rotating the first dielectric waveguide, the first side remains within the predetermined distance to the second side based on an overlap between the substantially circular-arc shape of the first side and the corresponding substantially circular-arc shape of the second side.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cladding layer disposed on at least one side of the first dielectric waveguide other than the first side.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a dielectric fluid interposed between the first side of the first dielectric waveguide and the second side of the second dielectric waveguide.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor;
a first controller that receives data from the sensor and provides a modulated signal indicative of the data to the first probe, wherein the first probe modulates the emitted RF waves propagating inside the first dielectric waveguide based on the modulated signal from the first controller; and
a second controller coupled to the second probe, wherein the second controller receives a signal from the second probe and t-e determines the data from the sensor based on the received signal.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first dielectric waveguide has a propagating-wave mode for the propagation, inside the first dielectric waveguide, of the RF waves based on the RF waves having frequencies within an RF bandwidth, and wherein the second dielectric waveguide has a corresponding propagating-wave mode for the propagation of the induced RF waves inside the second dielectric waveguide.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first dielectric waveguide comprises a dielectric material, and wherein the second dielectric waveguide comprises the dielectric material.

9. A method comprising:
transmitting radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves into a first dielectric waveguide configured to guide propagation of the RF waves inside the first dielectric waveguide, wherein a first side of the first dielectric waveguide is configured to emit an evanescent field associated with the propagation of the RF waves inside the first dielectric waveguide;
detecting induced RF waves propagating inside a second dielectric waveguide having a second side positioned at a predetermined distance to the first side of the first dielectric waveguide, wherein the induced RF waves are associated with the evanescent field from the first dielectric waveguide; and
rotating the first dielectric waveguide relative to the second dielectric waveguide such that the first side of the first dielectric waveguide remains at the predetermined distance to the second side of the second dielectric waveguide during the rotating.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving operation instructions for a device coupled to the second dielectric waveguide; and
modulating the transmitted RF waves to indicate the operation instructions.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
transmitting second RF waves for propagation inside the second dielectric waveguide, wherein the second side of the second dielectric waveguide is configured to emit a second evanescent field associated with the propagation of the second RF waves inside the second dielectric waveguide; and
detecting particular induced RF waves propagating inside the first dielectric waveguide, wherein the particular induced RF waves are associated with the second evanescent field from the second dielectric waveguide.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving data from a sensor; and
modulating the transmitted RF waves to indicate the data from the sensor.

13. A device comprising:
a first dielectric waveguide that guides propagation of first radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves inside the first dielectric waveguide, wherein a first side of the first dielectric waveguide emits a first evanescent field associated with the propagation of the first RF waves inside the first dielectric waveguide;
a second dielectric waveguide having a second side positioned at a predetermined distance to the first side of the first dielectric waveguide, wherein the second dielectric waveguide guides propagation of second RF waves inside the second dielectric waveguide, wherein the second side of the second dielectric waveguide emits a second evanescent field associated with the propagation of the second RF waves inside the second dielectric waveguide, wherein the first RF waves propagating inside the first dielectric waveguide include first induced RF waves associated with the second evanescent field from the second dielectric waveguide, and wherein the second RF waves propagating inside the second dielectric waveguide include second induced RF waves associated with the first evanescent field from the first dielectric waveguide;
a first probe coupled to the first dielectric waveguide;
a second probe coupled to the second dielectric waveguide; and
an actuator that causes a rotation of the first dielectric waveguide or the second dielectric waveguide, wherein the first side of the first dielectric waveguide remains at the predetermined distance to the second side of the second dielectric waveguide during the rotation caused by the actuator.

14. The device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a sensor;
a first controller that receives data from the sensor and provides a modulated signal indicative of the data to the first probe, wherein the first probe emits at least a portion of the first RF waves propagating inside the first dielectric waveguide based on the modulated signal from the first controller; and
a second controller coupled to the second probe, wherein the second controller receives a second-probe signal from the second probe and to determines the data from the sensor based on the second-probe signal.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the second controller provides, to the second probe, a second modulated signal indicative of operation instructions for th

Assignees

• Waymo Llc

Inventors

• Droz Pierre-Yves
• Brown Adam
• Rosenband Daniel L
• Lenius Samuel William

Classifications

• H01P3/16 Primary

  Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor · CPC title

• H01P1/068

  the energy being transmitted in at least one ring-shaped transmission line located around the axis of rotation, e.g. "around the mast" rotary joint (H01P1/069 takes precedence; coaxial line with solid inner conductor H01P1/067) · CPC title

• H01P1/062 Primary

  the relative movement being a rotation · CPC title

• H01P5/02

  with invariable factor of coupling (H01P5/12 takes precedence {choke joints H01P1/04, H01P1/06}) · CPC title