Dual-band antenna array and RF front-end for automotive radars

• US 7,830,301 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Margomenos, Alexandros
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory; Bernarr E
• Application Number:
  US12/340,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 342/27, 342/28, 342 70- 81, 342/175, 342/195, 342361-377, 342/59, 342/82, 342 89-103, 342/118, 342128-133, 342/188, 342192-197, 343711-717, 343/700.MS, 343/700.R, 343/793, 343/810, 343/812, 343/815, 343/817, 343/818, 343833-840, 343/872, 343/873, 701/300, 701/301
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93275 in the bumper area
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/03 Details of HF subsystems specially adapted therefor, e.g. common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• 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 21/064 using horn or slot aerials slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/42 using two or more imbricated arrays H01Q5/49 takes precedence

Abstract

The automotive radar includes a printed circuit board having a top surface and a bottom surface, and a processor mounted on the bottom surface of the printed circuit board. The automotive radar also includes a second liquid crystal polymer layer formed on the top surface of the printed circuit board, a second microstrip array printed on the second liquid crystal polymer layer, the second microstrip array having a patch, a first liquid crystal polymer layer formed on the second liquid crystal polymer layer, a first microstrip array printed on the first liquid crystal polymer layer, the first microstrip array having a perforated patch, and a transmit/receive module connected to a bottom surface of the second liquid crystal polymer layer and configured to transmit a first frequency signal to the first microstrip array and a second frequency signal to the second microstrip array.

Claims

1. An automotive radar comprising:

a printed circuit board having a top surface and a bottom surface;

a processor mounted on the bottom surface of the printed circuit board, the processor configured to generate a first frequency signal and a second frequency signal;

a second liquid crystal polymer layer formed on the top surface of the printed circuit board;

a second microstrip array printed on the second liquid crystal polymer layer, the second microstrip array having a patch;

a first liquid crystal polymer layer formed on the second liquid crystal polymer layer;

a first microstrip array printed on the first liquid crystal polymer layer, the first microstrip array having a perforated patch; and

a transmit/receive module connected to a bottom surface of the second liquid crystal polymer layer, connected to the processor, and configured to transmit the first frequency signal to the first microstrip array and the second frequency signal to the second microstrip array.

2. The automotive radar of claim 1 wherein the patch is positioned directly underneath the perforated patch.

3. The automotive radar of claim 1 wherein the transmit/receive module is flip-chip mounted to the bottom surface of the second liquid crystal polymer layer.

4. The automotive radar of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of thermal vias directly connected to the transmit/receive module to remove heat from the transmit/receive module.

5. The automotive radar of claim 1 wherein the patch is located within the outer boundaries of the perforated patch.

6. The automotive radar of claim 1 wherein the first liquid crystal polymer layer is bonded to the second liquid crystal polymer layer.

7. The automotive radar of claim 1 wherein the second frequency signal is transmitted from the patch through the perforated patch.

8. The automotive radar of claim 1 wherein the transmit/receive module includes a first transmit/receive module for transmitting the first frequency signal and a second transmit/receive module for transmitting the second frequency signal.

9. The automotive radar of claim 1 wherein the first frequency signal is approximately 24 GHz and the second frequency signal is approximately 77 GHz.

10. The automotive radar of claim 1 wherein the perforated patch is formed in the shape of a horn where a lower portion of the horn is smaller in circumference than an upper portion of the horn.

11. The automotive radar of claim 1 wherein the transmit/receive module is a SiGe BiCMOS chip.

12. The automotive radar of claim 11 further comprising a voltage controlled oscillator integrated on the SiGe BiCMOS chip and ground vias and split grounding planes to isolate noise created by the voltage controlled oscillator.

13. The automotive radar of claim 1 wherein the transmit/receive module is a silicon CMOS chip.

14. An automotive radar comprising:

a printed circuit board having a top surface and a bottom surface;

a packaging layer having a cavity and positioned on the top surface of the printed circuit board;

a lower layer having a plurality of patches, the lower layer being positioned on the packaging layer;

a lower microstrip feed connected to the plurality of patches and positioned on the lower layer;

an upper layer having a patch with a plurality of perforations that expose the plurality of patches, the upper layer being positioned on the lower layer;

an upper microstrip feed connected to the patch and positioned on the upper layer; and

a transmit module positioned in the cavity of the packaging layer and configured to transmit a first signal having a first frequency to the upper microstrip feed and a second signal having a second frequency to the lower microstrip feed.

15. The automotive radar of claim 14 wherein the packaging layer, the lower layer, and the upper layer are each made of a material selected from a group consisting of a liquid crystal polymer, a low temperature cofired ceramic, a Parylene-N dielectric, a PTFE ceramic, and a PTFE glass fiber material.

16. The automotive radar of claim 14 wherein the transmit module is selected from a group consisting of a SiGe BiCMOS chip and a silicon CMOS chip.

17. The automotive radar of claim 14 wherein the second signal is transmitted from the plurality of patches through the plurality of perforations.

18. The automotive radar of claim 14 wherein the transmit module includes a first transmit module for transmitting the first signal and a second transmit module for transmitting the second signal.

19. The automotive radar of claim 14 wherein the first frequency is approximately 24 GHz and the second frequency is approximately 77 GHz.

20. The automotive radar of claim 14 further comprising a plurality of thermal vias directly connected to the transmit module to remove heat from the transmit module.

21. An automotive radar comprising:

a printed circuit board having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a cavity;

a lower layer having a plurality of patches, the lower layer being positioned on the top surface of the printed circuit board;

a lower microstrip feed connected to the plurality of patches and positioned on the lower layer;

an upper layer having a patch with a plurality of perforations that expose the plurality of patches, the upper layer being positioned on the lower layer;

an upper microstrip feed connected to the patch and positioned on the upper layer; and

a transmit module positioned in the cavity of the printed circuit board and configured to transmit a first signal having a first frequency to the upper microstrip feed and a second signal having a second frequency to the lower microstrip feed.