Slot array antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9991606-B2
Application number	US-201715648755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2017
Priority date	Nov 5, 2015
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A slot array antenna includes: an electrically conductive member having an electrically conductive surface and slots therein, the slots being arrayed in a first direction which extends along the conductive surface; a waveguide member having an electrically conductive waveguide face which opposes the slots and extends along the first direction; and an artificial magnetic conductor extending on both sides of the waveguide member. At least one of the conductive member and the waveguide member includes dents on the conductive surface and/or the waveguide face, the dents each serving to broaden a spacing between the conductive surface and the waveguide face relative to any adjacent site. The dents include a first, second, and third dents which are adjacent to one another and consecutively follow along the first direction. A distance between centers of the first and second dents is different from a distance between centers of the second and third dents.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A slot array antenna for use in at least one of transmission and reception of an electromagnetic wave of a band having a central wavelength λo in free space, comprising:
an electrically conductive member having an electrically conductive surface and a slot row including a plurality of slots, the plurality of slots being arrayed in a first direction which extends along the electrically conductive surface;
a waveguide member having an electrically conductive waveguide face which opposes the plurality of slots and extends along the first direction; and
an artificial magnetic conductor extending on both sides of the waveguide member, wherein,
a width of the waveguide face is less than λo/2;
a waveguide extending between the electrically conductive surface and the waveguide face includes at least one minimal position at which at least one of inductance and capacitance of the waveguide exhibits a local minimum and at least one maximal position at which at least one of inductance and capacitance of the waveguide exhibits a local maximum, the at least one minimal position and the at least one maximal position being arrayed along the first direction; and
the at least one minimal position includes a first type of minimal position which is adjacent to the maximal position while being more distant therefrom than 1.15λo/8.

2. The slot array antenna of claim 1 , wherein,
the at least one maximal position comprises a plurality of maximal positions;
the at least one minimal position comprises a plurality of minimal positions; and
the minimal positions further include a minimal position which is adjacent to the at least one maximal position while being less distant therefrom than 1.15λo/8.

3. The slot array antenna of claim 1 , wherein,
at least one of the electrically conductive member and the waveguide member includes additional elements on at least one of the electrically conductive surface and the waveguide face, the additional elements changing at least one of inductance and capacitance of the waveguide extending between the electrically conductive surface and the waveguide face; and
a position of each additional element along the first direction overlaps at least one of the minimal positions or at least one of the maximal positions.

4. The slot array antenna of claim 2 , wherein,
at least one of the electrically conductive member and the waveguide member includes additional elements on at least one of the electrically conductive surface and the waveguide face, the additional elements changing at least one of inductance and capacitance of the waveguide extending between the electrically conductive surface and the waveguide face; and
a position of each of the additional elements along the first direction overlaps at least one of the minimal positions or at least one of the maximal positions.

5. The slot array antenna of claim 3 , wherein,
each of the additional elements is a dent or a bump on the waveguide face; and
the waveguide face includes a flat portion between two adjacent dents or between two adjacent bumps, the flat portion having a length which is greater than 1.15λo/4.

6. The slot array antenna of claim 4 , wherein,
each of the additional elements is a dent or a bump on the waveguide face; and
the waveguide face includes a flat portion between two adjacent dents or between two adjacent bumps, the flat portion having a length which is greater than 1.15λo/4.

7. The slot array antenna of claim 3 , wherein,
each of the additional elements includes one of a dent, a bump, a broad portion, and a narrow portion.

8. The slot array antenna of claim 4 , wherein,
each of the additional elements includes one of a dent, a bump, a broad portion, and a narrow portion.

9. The slot array antenna of claim 5 , wherein,
at least one of the additional elements includes a plurality of minute additional elements each having a length along the first direction which is less than 1.15λo/8;
the plurality of minute additional elements are arrayed so as to be adjacent along the first direction;
at least one of the minimal positions and the maximal positions has adjacent ones of the plurality of minute additional elements arrayed therein; and
a distance between centers of adjacent ones of the plurality of minute additional elements is less than 1.15λo/8.

10. The slot array antenna of claim 6 , wherein,
at least one of the additional elements includes a plurality of minute additional elements each having a length along the first direction which is less than 1.15λo/8;
the plurality of minute additional elements are arrayed so as to be adjacent along the first direction;
at least one of the minimal positions and the maximal positions has adjacent ones of the plurality of minute additional elements arrayed therein; and
a distance between centers of adjacent ones of the plurality of minute additional elements is less than 1.15λo/8.

11. A slot array antenna for use in at least one of transmission and reception of an electromagnetic wave of a band having a central wavelength λo in free space, the slot array antenna comprising:
an electrically conductive member including an electrically conductive surface and a slot row including a plurality of slots, the plurality of slots being arrayed in a first direction which extends along the electrically conductive surface;
a waveguide member including an electrically conductive waveguide face which opposes the plurality of slots and extends along the first direction; and
an artificial magnetic conductor extending on both sides of the waveguide member, wherein,
a width of the waveguide face is less than λo/2;
at least one of the electrically conductive member and the waveguide member includes a plurality of additional elements on at least one of the electrically conductive surface and the waveguide face;
the plurality of additional elements include at least one first type of additional element and/or at least one second type of additional element;
the at least one first type of additional element is a bump provided on either the electrically conductive surface or the waveguide face and serving to narrow a spacing between the electrically conductive surface and the waveguide face relative to any adjacent site, or a broad portion serving to broaden the width of the waveguide face relative to any adjacent site; and
the at least one second type of additional element is a dent provided on either the electrically conductive surface or the waveguide face and serving to broaden the spacing between the electrically conductive surface and the waveguide face relative to any adjacent site, or a narrow portion serving to narrow the width of the waveguide face relative to any adjacent site, wherein,
(a) the at least one first type of additional element is adjacent along the first direction to the at least one second type of additional element or at least one neutral portion lacking the at least one additional element, and a central position of the at least one first type of additional element is more distant than 1.15λo/8 along the first direction from a central position of the at least one second type of additional element or the at least one neutral portion; or
(b) the at least one second type of additional element is adjacent along the first direction to the at least one first type of additional element or at least one neutral portion lacking the at least one additional element, and a central position of the at least one first type of additional element is more distant than 1.15λo/8 along the first direction from a central position of the at least one second type of additional element or the at least one neutral portion.

Assignees

• Nidec Corp
• Wgr Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kirino Hideki
• Kamo Hiroyuki

Classifications

• H01Q21/064 Primary

  using horn or slot aerials (slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005) · CPC title

• H01Q1/3266

  using the mirror of the vehicle · CPC title

• H01Q1/3233 Primary

  particular used as part of a sensor or in a security system, e.g. for automotive radar, navigation systems · CPC title

• H01Q13/06

  Waveguide mouths (horns H01Q13/02) · CPC title

• H01Q13/10 Primary

  Resonant slot antennas · CPC title