Dielectric waveguide with RJ45 connector

• US 9,373,878 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2013
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Schuppener, Gerd, Herbsommer, Juan Alejandro, Payne, Robert Floyd
• Primary Examiner(s): POOS, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US13/854,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20140285293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 333/208, 333/209, 333/248
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4416 Heterogeneous cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device antennas per se H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73204 the bump connector being embedded into the layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15192 Resurf arrangement of the internal vias
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/001 Manufacturing waveguides or transmission lines of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/002 Manufacturing hollow waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/121 integrated in a substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/165 Non-radiating dielectric waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/00 Coupling devices of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/087 Transitions to a dielectric waveguide
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/107 Hollow-waveguide/strip-line transitions
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/184 the guides being strip lines or microstrips
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/108 Combination of a dipole with a plane reflecting surface H01Q19/106 takes precedence; strip line H01Q9/065
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/30 the primary active element being centre-fed and substantially straight, e.g. Yagi antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/065 : Microstrip dipole antennas patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 : Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 : Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

A communication cable includes a dielectric wave guide (DWG) that has a dielectric core member that has a first dielectric constant value and a cladding surrounding the dielectric core member that has a second dielectric constant value that is lower than the first dielectric constant. An RJ45 compatible connector is attached to a mating end of the DWG. The RJ45 connector is configured to retain a complimentary coupling mechanism on a mating end of a second DWG.

Claims

1. A communication cable comprising:

a dielectric wave guide (DWG) comprising a dielectric core member, wherein the core member has a first dielectric constant value; and

a cladding surrounding the dielectric core member, wherein the cladding has a second dielectric constant value that is lower than the first dielectric constant; and

a coupling mechanism attached to a mating end of the DWG, wherein the coupling mechanism is configured to retain a complimentary coupling mechanism on a mating end of a second DWG, wherein the coupling mechanism is an RJ45 compatible connector.

2. The communication cable of claim 1, wherein two or more DWGs are attached to the RJ45 connector.

3. The communication cable of claim 1, wherein one or more conductive wires are attached to conductive contacts in the RJ45 connector.

4. The communication cable of claim 1, wherein an interface surface on the mating end of the DWG is configured in a non-planer shape for mating with a second DWG having a matching non-planar shaped interface surface on a mating end, in which the second DWG has a dielectric core member with a third dielectric constant value;

and a cladding surrounding the dielectric core member having a fourth dielectric constant value that is lower than the third dielectric constant.

5. The DWG of claim 4, wherein the non-planer shape is selected from a group consisting of a V shape, a pyramid shape, a conical shape, and a vaulted shape.

6. The DWG of claim 1, wherein an interface surface of the mating end is covered with a deformable material.

7. The communication cable of claim 1, wherein the RJ45 connector is a female style connector.

8. The communication cable of claim 1, wherein the RJ45 connector is a male style connector.

9. A method for connecting two dielectric waveguides (DWG), the method comprising mating a first connecter mounted on an end of a first DWG with a second connector mounted on an end of a second DWG, wherein the first connector and the second connector are RJ45 compatible connectors.

10. The method of claim 9, in which the first DWG and the second DWG both have a dielectric core surrounded by a dielectric cladding, in which each core member has a first dielectric constant value, and in which each cladding has a second dielectric constant value that is lower than the first dielectric constant, wherein an interface surface on a mating end of the first DWG is configured in a non-planer shape, and an interface surface on a mating end of the second DWG is configured in a matching non-planar shape.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the non-planer shape is selected from a group consisting of a V shape, a pyramid shape, a conical shape, and a vaulted shape.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising applying pressure while mating the first connector to the second connector so that a deformable material disposed on the interface surface of the mating end of the DWG is deformed to fill a gap region between the interface surfaces of the mating ends of the first DWG and the second DWG.