PASSIVE COAXIAL POWER SPLITTER/COMBINER

• US 20140167880A1
• Filed: 12/18/2012
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo California, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TriQuint CW, Inc (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: BEHAN, Scott, COURTNEY, Patrick, DAUGHENBAUGH, Paul Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,287,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/127
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/12 Coupling devices having more than two ports H01P5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/08 Radiating ends of two-conductor microwave transmission lines, e.g. of coaxial lines, of microstrip lines

Abstract

A passive coaxial signal power splitter apparatus includes an input port, an input coaxial waveguide section coupled to the input port, a guided wave structure coupled to the input coaxial waveguide section, a plurality of antenna elements arranged in the guided wave structure, and an output port coupled to each of the antenna elements. A passive coaxial signal power combiner includes a plurality of input ports, a guided wave structure coupled to the plurality of input ports, a plurality of antenna elements in the guided wave structure, wherein each antenna element is coupled to one or more of the input ports, a coaxial waveguide section coupled to the guided wave structure, and an output port coupled to the coaxial waveguide section.

Claims

1. A passive coaxial signal power splitter apparatus comprising:

an input port;

an input coaxial waveguide section coupled to the input port;

a guided wave structure coupled to the input coaxial waveguide section;

a plurality of antenna elements arranged in the guided wave structure; and

a plurality of output ports, wherein each output port is coupled to only one of the antenna elements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein more than one output port may be coupled to any one of the antenna elements.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input port is arranged to launch an electromagnetic (EM) wave into the input coaxial waveguide, and wherein the input coaxial waveguide is arranged to couple the EM wave to the guided wave structure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input coaxial waveguide section is arranged to guide the EM wave having the electric field directed radially and propagating parallel to a longitudinal axis.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guided wave structure is coaxially cylindrical having an inner radius and an outer radius.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of antenna elements are arranged in a radial direction from the inner radius to the outer radius of the guided wave structure.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of antenna elements transform the radial EM field into a guided wave having a substantially circumferential direction of the electric field in each of the antenna elements.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each output port is arranged in an output plate and is coupled to one of the antenna elements.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each output port is arranged on an outer surface of the guided wave structure and is coupled to one of the antenna elements.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the axis of orientation of each output port is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the input waveguide section.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the guided wave structure comprises a plurality of antenna elements arranged to transform the EM wave into the plurality of the lower power electrical signals.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of antenna elements are arranged in a radial direction from the inner radius to the outer radius of the guided wave structure.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of antenna elements transform the radial EM field into a guided wave having a substantially circumferential direction of the electric field in each of the antenna elements.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each output port is coupled to a single antenna element.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein more than one output port may be coupled to a one of the antenna elements.

11. A passive coaxial signal power splitter apparatus comprising:

an input port configured to receive an electrical signal;

an input coaxial waveguide having a coaxial longitudinal axis configured to transform the signal to an electromagnetic (EM) wave, the EM wave having an electric field in a radial direction and propagating along the longitudinal axis;

a guided wave structure configured to split the EM wave into a plurality of lower power electrical signals; and

a plurality of output ports each being configured to output a different one of the lower power electrical signals.

17. A passive coaxial signal power combining apparatus comprising:

a plurality of input ports each configured to receive an electrical signal;

a guided wave structure coupled to the plurality of input ports configured to transform the plurality of signals to a plurality of electromagnetic (EM) waves;

a coaxial waveguide section coupled to the guided wave structure for combining the plurality of EM waves into a single output signal; and

an output port coupled to the coaxial waveguide section for outputting the output signal.

18. The power combiner of claim 17, wherein the guided wave structure is approximately coaxially cylindrical having an inner radius and an outer radius.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the guided wave structure comprises a plurality of antenna elements, wherein each of the antenna elements is coupled to one or more of the input ports.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of antenna elements is arranged radially in the guided wave structure.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein each antenna is configured to transform the electrical signal from an input port to an EM wave having an electric field with a substantially radial direction.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the input ports are arranged on an input plate and the input plate is coupled to the guided wave structure.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the input ports are arranged on an outer surface of the guided wave structure.

24. A passive coaxial signal power combining apparatus comprising:

a plurality of input ports;

a guided wave structure coupled to the plurality of input ports;

a coaxial waveguide section coupled to the guided wave structure; and

an output port coupled to the coaxial waveguide section.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the guided wave structure is approximately coaxially cylindrical having an inner radius and an outer radius.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the guided wave structure comprises a plurality of antenna elements, wherein each of the antenna elements is coupled to one or more of the input ports.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein each of the plurality of antenna elements is arranged radially in the guided wave structure.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein each antenna is configured to transform the electrical signal from an input port to an EM wave having an electric field with a substantially radial direction.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the input ports are arranged on an input plate and the input plate is coupled to the guided wave structure.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the input ports are arranged on the on the outer surface of the guided wave structure and is coupled to one of the antenna elements.