Antenna assembly

• US 20040113840A1
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Moeller, Andre, Gottwald, Frank, Voigtlaender, Klaus, Toennesen, Tore, Haensel, Jens
• Granted Patent: US 7,012,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/700MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3233 particular used as part of a sensor or in a security system, e.g. for automotive radar, navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/523 between antennas of an array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/045 with particular feeding means for circular polarisation H01Q9/0428
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0457 electromagnetically coupled to the feed line

Abstract

The present invention provides an antenna array for ascertaining the distance between vehicles and their speed, which includes devices for receiving or transmitting signal waves, a multi-layer carrier situated underneath the devices, a first potential surface, which is at ground and which is situated on the surface of the carrier facing the devices, coupling devices located in the first potential surface, electrical connecting sections disposed as closely as possible underneath the first potential surface, and a second potential surface which is located underneath the connecting sections and is at mass.

Claims

1. An antenna array (1), in particular for ascertaining the distance between motor vehicles and their speed, comprising devices (2) for receiving or transmitting signal waves;

a multi-layer carrier (5) situated underneath the devices (2);

a first potential surface (4), which is at ground and disposed on the surface of the carrier (5) facing the devices (2);

coupling devices (3) disposed in the first potential surface;

electric connecting sections (7) situated in close proximity underneath the first potential surface (4); and

having a second potential surface (10), which is at ground and located beneath the connecting sections.

3. The antenna array as recited in one of claims 1 or 2, wherein at least one coupling device (3) is in each case arranged with a predefined clearance underneath a transmission and receiving device (2).

4. The antenna array as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein at least one layer (51) of the carrier (5) is situated between the coupling devices (3) and the connecting sections (7).

5. The antenna array as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein at least one layer (52, 53, 54, 55) of the carrier (5) is provided between the connecting sections (7) and the second potential surface (10).

6. The antenna array as recited in claims 4 and 5, wherein the at least one layer (51) of the carrier (5) has a reduced thickness between the couplings devices (3) and the connecting sections (7) than the at least one layer (52, 53, 54) between the connecting sections (7) and the second potential surface (10).

7. The antenna array as recited in one of claims 4 through 6,

wherein the thickness of the at least one layer (51) of the carrier (5) between the couplings devices (3) and the connecting sections (7) is approximately half or approximately a third of the thickness of the at least one layer (52, 53, 54) between the connecting sections (7) and the second potential surface (10).

8. The antenna array as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the transmission and receiving devices (2) are embodied as right-angled radiator surface (patches) (2).

9. The antenna array as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the individual layers (51, 52, 53, 54, 55) of the carrier (5) are made of a dielectric ceramic (LTCC ceramic), which may be fired at low temperature, the individual layers (51, 52, 53, 54, 55) melting together.

10. The antenna array as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the individual layers (51, 52, 53, 54, 55) of the carrier (5) each have a thickness of approximately 150 xxxm.

11. The antenna array as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the transmission and receiving devices (2) are arranged in series and set apart from each other by a predefined clearance.

12. The antenna array as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the coupling devices (3) are provided in the form of coupling slots (3).

13. The antenna array as recited in claim 12, wherein the coupling slots (3) are produced by etching of the first potential surface (4).

14. The antenna array as recited in one of claims 8 through 13,

wherein one coupling device (3) in each case extends in a centrical manner underneath a radiator surface (2), approximately across its breadth.

15. The antenna array as recited in one of claims 12 through 14,

wherein the connecting sections (7) are embodied as feed lines (7) in a carrier plane, perpendicularly to the coupling slots (3).

16. The antenna array as recited in one of the preceding claims,

characterized by essentially vertically extending contactings (12) to form a shield from electromagnetic radiation.

17. The antenna array as recited in claim 16, wherein the contactings (12) are arranged in parallel to each other.

18. The antenna array as recited in claim 17, wherein the contactings (12) are set apart from each other at a distance that is less than the wavelength of the radiation to be shielded from.

19. The antenna array as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the transmission and receiving devices (2) are affixed on a suitable foam layer.

20. The antenna array as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the transmission and receiving devices (2) are affixed on a housing top of the array.

21. The antenna array as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the connecting sections (7) are in each case electrically connected by at least one contacting device (13) to a supply network device (14) arranged on a surface of the carrier (5).

22. The antenna array as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the transmission and receiving devices (2), the potential surfaces (4, 10), the connecting sections (7), the contactings (12) and the contact devices (13) are made of an electrically conductive material, such as gold, silver, copper or aluminum.

23. The antenna array as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein connecting sections and/or contact devices are formed using microstrip and/or coplanar technologies.

24. The antenna array as recited in one of claims 12 through 23,

wherein the coupling slots (3) may be embodied in arbitrary form, such as straight lines, H-form, U-form etc.

2. The antenna array, in particular for ascertaining the distance between motor vehicles and their speed, having a multi-layer carrier (5);

a first potential surface (4), which is at ground and situated on the upper surface of the carrier (5);

coupling devices (3) disposed in the first potential surface;

a second potential surface (10), which is at ground and situated underneath the first potential surface (4), and having electric connecting sections (7), which are arranged between the first potential surface (4) and the second potential surface (10) between layers of the carrier (5) in such a way that the major part of the electromagnetic energy to be transmitted is able to be decoupled or injected via the coupling devices (3).