Device for receiving microwave radiation

• US 10,276,929 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2016
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Meyer, Johannes, Steinhauer, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Salih, Awat M
• Application Number:
  US15/373,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20170179586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 343713
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3283 side-mounted antennas, e.g. bumper-mounted, door-mounted mounted on windscreens H01Q1/1271
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/02 Refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens, prism
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/08 formed of solid dielectric material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/24 Polarising devices; Polarisation filters H01Q15/12, H01Q15/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/245 provided with means for varying the polarisation polarising devices H01Q15/24; tracking by comparing linear polarisation compounds G01S3/146; reducing depolarisation effects H04B7/00; polarisation diversity H04B7/10

Abstract

A device including a receiving antenna on a circuit board and a radome, multiple reflections of the received signals between the radome and the receiving antenna being avoided by using a polarization-rotating structure on the circuit board. The device may in particular be an integral part of a distance controller for adaptive cruise control of a motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a receiving antenna for microwaves or millimeter waves on a circuit board; and

a radome;

wherein a polarization-rotation structure is provided on the circuit board for avoiding multiple reflections of received signals between the radome and the receiving antenna,

wherein the radome includes a focusing unit for the received signals which are received by the receiving antenna, and

wherein the radome is transparent to electromagnetic radiation and to received electromagnetic radiation that is refracted by the focusing unit and bundled onto the receiving antenna, so that received waves incident as plane waves impinge at a non-perpendicular angle through the radome or through the radome and the focusing unit and are reflected on a surface of the circuit board at a reflection point, and wherein such reflections on the surface of the circuit board generate a reflected beam which has a same angle of reflection as the received waves, and

wherein another radome without a focusing unit and the radome and the focusing unit are provided in the beam path, so that the signal that has already been reflected is reflected again multiple times on each of the surfaces as a result, wherein it is provided to suppress the reflected beams, so that double-reflected beams are suppressed, and wherein suppression occurs at reflection points on the circuit board, which includes polarization-rotating structures, so that reflections of the received waves on the circuit board are reduced.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiple reflections are caused by reflections of the received signals on metal surfaces of the circuit board and by reflections on the inner surface of the radome.

3. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the polarization-rotating structure includes a plurality of regularly arranged metal shapes on the circuit board of the receiving antenna.

4. The device as recited in claim 3, wherein the regularly arranged metal shapes are an array arrangement.

5. The device as recited in claim 4, wherein the array arrangement is recessed at the locations on the circuit board at which antenna patches of the receiving antenna are situated.

6. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the polarization-rotating structure is a rectangular metal surface or multiple rectangular metal surfaces.

7. The device as recited in claim 6, wherein the rectangular metal surface of the polarization-rotating structure or the multiple rectangular metal surfaces of the polarization-rotating structure are rotated by 45°

in terms of their orientation relative to antenna patches of the receiving antenna.

8. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the antenna is a receiving antenna for microwave radiation or millimeter wave radiation.

9. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the focusing unit of the radome is a dielectric lens.

10. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the radome is a bumper or part of a bumper of a motor vehicle.

11. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiving antenna is an integral part of a distance controller for adaptive cruise control of a motor vehicle.

12. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein when a reflected beam once again passes through the radome, it is emitted into the surroundings and does not cause interference for a received signal of the receiving antenna, so that only a reduced power of the received signal is decreased.

13. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein when a reflected beam is reflected again on the inside of the radome or on the inside of the radome and the focusing unit, it is fed as a double-reflected beam to patches of the receiving antenna.