Methods and systems for synthesis of a waveguide array antenna

• US 10,394,204 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2017
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Izadian, Jamal
• Primary Examiner(s): Jarrett, Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US15/682,165
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0043 Slotted waveguides combination with horns H01Q13/0233
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/005 Slotted waveguides arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00

Abstract

A method may involve receiving one or more criteria for a waveguide array antenna. The waveguide array antenna includes a plurality of waveguides. The plurality of waveguides may include a plurality of radiation elements. The method may also involve determining a dataset configured to associate radiation characteristics of a given radiation element with given configuration parameters including a given resonance length a given rotation angle of the given radiation element. The method also involves generating configuration parameters for the plurality of radiation elements based on the dataset. The configuration parameters may cause the waveguide array antenna to be associated with the one or more criteria. The method may also involve providing a request for fabrication of the waveguide array antenna to have the plurality of radiation elements configured according to the configuration parameters.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a device that includes one or more processors, one or more criteria for an antenna that includes one or more waveguides and a plurality of radiation elements along one or more sides of the one or more waveguides;

accessing a dataset configured to associate given radiation characteristics of a given radiation element with given configuration parameters related to at least a size or an orientation of the given radiation element; and

generating, based on the dataset, configuration parameters for the plurality of radiation elements to cause the antenna to be associated with the one or more criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the device, a representation of the antenna based on the generated configuration parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the device, instructions for fabricating the antenna according to the generated configuration parameters of the plurality of radiation elements.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the dataset based on simulation of the given radiation characteristics associated with the given configuration parameters.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the given configuration parameters relate to the size and the orientation of the given radiation element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria include an indication of one or more characteristics for the antenna, and wherein generating the configuration parameters is further based on the one or more characteristics indicated by the one or more criteria.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more characteristics include one or more of:

size of the antenna, shape of the antenna, weight of the antenna, volume of the antenna, radiation characteristics of the antenna, input impedance of the antenna, gain of the antenna, efficiency of the antenna, frequency bandwidth of the antenna, polarization of the antenna, directivity of the antenna, beamwidth characteristics of the antenna, sidelobe characteristics of the antenna, a given arrangement of the plurality of radiation elements, a number of the plurality of radiation elements, a number of the one or more waveguides, shapes of the plurality of radiation elements, or shapes of the one or more waveguides.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a given waveguide of the one or more waveguides has a broad-side having a first width and a short-side having a second width less than the first width.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more criteria include a criterion related to the plurality of radiation elements being arranged within short-sides of the one or more waveguides, and wherein generating the configuration parameters is further based on the plurality of radiation elements being arranged within the short-sides of the one or more waveguides.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria include an indication of a particular radiation pattern for the antenna, the method further comprising:

determining, based on the dataset, simulated radiation patterns for the given radiation element and the given configuration parameters associated with the simulated radiation patterns,

wherein generating the configuration parameters of the plurality of radiation elements in the antenna is further based on at least a comparison between the simulated radiation patterns of the given radiation element and the particular radiation pattern indicated in the one or more criteria.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria include an indication of a particular impedance for the antenna, the method further comprising:

determining, based on the dataset, simulated impedances for the given radiation element and the given configuration parameters associated with the simulated impedances,

wherein generating the configuration parameters of the plurality of radiation elements in the antenna is further based on at least the simulated impedances of the given radiation element and the particular impedance indicated in the one or more criteria.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more criteria include an indication of a given arrangement of the plurality of radiation elements in the antenna, the method further comprising:

based on at least the generated configuration parameters, the simulated impedances, and the given arrangement, determining mutual impedances associated with mutual coupling of the plurality of radiation elements in the given arrangement; and

based on the mutual impedances, adjusting the generated configuration parameters of the plurality of radiation elements to cause the antenna to have the particular impedance.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions, that when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving one or more criteria for an antenna that includes one or more waveguides and a plurality of radiation elements along one or more walls of the one or more waveguides;

accessing a dataset configured to associate given radiation characteristics of a given radiation element with given configuration parameters related to at least a size or an orientation of the given radiation element; and

generating, based on the dataset, configuration parameters for the plurality of radiation elements that cause the antenna to be associated with the one or more criteria.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the given radiation element has a non-linear shape.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the antenna is a slotted waveguide array antenna, and wherein the plurality of radiation elements corresponds to slots in the one or more walls of the one or more waveguides.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of radiation elements include Z-shaped slots.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of radiation elements include S-shaped slots.

18. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

data storage configured to store instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the device to;

receive one or more criteria for an antenna that includes one or more waveguides and a plurality of radiation elements along one or more sides of the one or more waveguides;

access a dataset configured to associate given radiation characteristics of a given radiation element with given configuration parameters related to at least a size or an orientation of the given radiation element; and

generate, based on the dataset, configuration parameters for the plurality of radiation elements that cause the antenna to be associated with the one or more criteria.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the size of the given radiation element relates to a resonance length of the given radiation element, and wherein generating the configuration parameters comprises determining respective resonance lengths of the plurality of radiation elements that cause the antenna to be associated with the one or more criteria.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the orientation of the given radiation element relates to a rotation angle of the given radiation element, and wherein generating the configuration parameters comprises determining respective rotation angles of the plurality of radiation elements that cause the antenna to be associated with the one or more criteria.