Folded radiation slots for short wall waveguide radiation

• US 9,711,870 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2014
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Izadian, Jamal
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, GRAHAM P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Jae
• Application Number:
  US14/453,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20160043475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 343771, 343731, 343745, 343767, 343772, 343789, 343898
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0043 Slotted waveguides combination with horns H01Q13/0233
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/005 Slotted waveguides arrays

Abstract

An example folded radiation slot for short wall waveguide radiation is disclosed. In one aspect, the radiating structure includes a waveguide layer configured to propagate electromagnetic energy via a waveguide. The waveguide may have a height dimension and a width dimension. The radiating structure also includes a radiating layer coupled to the waveguide layer, such that the radiating layer is parallel to the height dimension of the waveguide. The radiating layer may include a radiating element. The radiating element may be a slot defined by an angular or curved path, and the radiating element may be coupled to the waveguide layer. The radiating element may have an effective length greater than the height dimension of waveguide, wherein the effective length is measured along the angular or curved path of the slot.

Claims

1. A radiating structure comprising:

a waveguide layer configured to propagate electromagnetic energy via a waveguide in the waveguide layer, wherein the waveguide has a height dimension and a width dimension;

a radiating layer coupled to the waveguide layer, wherein;

the radiating layer is parallel to the height dimension of the waveguide;

the radiating layer comprises a plurality of radiating slots along the length of the radiating layer, wherein each radiating slot;

is defined by an angular or curved path, is coupled to the waveguide layer,

has a rotational orientation relative to a dimension of the waveguide and to the other slots, wherein the rotational orientation provides a desired coupling factor, and

has a same effective length greater than the height dimension of the waveguide, wherein the effective length is measured as the entire path length along the angular or curved path of the slot.

2. The radiating structure according to claim 1, wherein the slot is defined by an angular path having a Z-shape, wherein the Z-shape includes a center portion and two arms, wherein each arm is connected to the center portion at opposing ends of the center portion.

3. The radiating structure according to claim 1, wherein the slot is defined by a curved path having an S-shape.

4. The radiating structure of claim 1, wherein the waveguide antenna is configured to operate at approximately 77 Gigahertz (GHz) and propagate millimeter (mm) electromagnetic waves.

5. The radiating structure of claim 1, wherein the width dimension is greater than the height dimension.

6. The radiating structure of claim 1, wherein each radiating element has a respective rotation and the respective rotation of each radiating element is selected based on a desired taper profile.

7. A method of radiating electromagnetic energy comprising:

propagating electromagnetic energy via a waveguide in a waveguide layer, wherein the waveguide has a height dimension and a width dimension;

coupling the electromagnetic energy from the waveguide to a plurality of radiating slots located in a radiating layer coupled to the waveguide layer, wherein;

the radiating layer is parallel to the height dimension of the waveguide;

the radiating layer comprises the radiating slots along a length of the radiating layer, wherein each radiating slot;

is defined by an angular or curved path, is coupled to the waveguide layer,

has a rotational orientation relative to a dimension of the waveguide and to the other slots, wherein the rotational orientation provides a desired coupling factor, and

has a same effective length greater than the height dimension of the waveguide, wherein the effective length is measured as the entire path length along the angular or curved path of the slot; and

radiating the coupled electromagnetic energy with the radiating element.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the slot is defined by an angular path having a Z-shape, wherein the Z-shape includes a center portion and two arms, wherein each arm is connected to the center portion at opposing ends of the center portion.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the slot is defined by a curved path having an S-shape.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the waveguide antenna is configured to operate at approximately 77 Gigahertz (GHz) and propagate millimeter (mm) electromagnetic waves.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the width dimension is greater than the height dimension.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein each radiating element has a respective rotation and the respective rotation of each radiating element is selected based on a desired taper profile.

13. A radiating structure comprising:

a waveguide layer configured to propagate electromagnetic energy via a waveguide in the waveguide layer, wherein the waveguide has a height dimension and a width dimension, wherein the electromagnetic energy has a wavelength;

a radiating layer coupled to the waveguide layer, wherein;

the radiating layer is parallel to the height dimension of the waveguide;

the radiating layer comprises an array of radiating elements along a straight line, wherein the array comprises;

a plurality of radiating elements, wherein each radiating element;

comprises a slot defined by an angular or curved path, is coupled to the waveguide layer, and

has a same effective length greater than the height dimension of the waveguide, wherein the effective length is measured as the entire path length along the angular or curved path of the slot;

has a respective rotation and the respective rotation of each radiating element is selected based on a desired taper profile,

wherein the taper profile specifies a desired coupling coefficient for each slot; and

a spacing between adjacent radiating elements in the linear array is approximately equal to half the wavelength.

14. The radiating structure of claim 13, wherein the slot is defined by an angular path having a Z-shape, wherein the Z-shape includes a center portion and two arms, wherein each arm is connected to the center portion at opposing ends of the center portion.