Slot antenna element for an array antenna

• US 6,492,949 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2001
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Valeo Radar Systems, Inc. (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Pleva, Joseph S., Woodington, Walter Gordon, Russell, Mark E., Delcheccolo, Michael Joseph, Van Rees, H. Barteld, Breglia, Caroline, French, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tan
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOANG V
• Application Number:
  US09/931,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20030011519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/846, 343/848, 343/850, 343/853, 343/772, 343/774, 343/767, 343/770
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/081 using distance control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/088 using transmission control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4043 Lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/803 Relative lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/282 using a frequency modulated carrier wave G01S13/286 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/343 using sawtooth modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/346 using noise modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/48 using multiple beams at emission or reception
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/584 adapted for simultaneous range and velocity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/726 Multiple target tracking
• 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 2013/0245 Radar with phased array antenna
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• 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 2013/93274 : on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93275 : in the bumper area
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/023 : Interference mitigation, e.g. reducing or avoiding non-intentional interference with other HF-transmitters, base station transmitters for mobile communication or other radar systems, e.g. using electro-magnetic interference [EMI] reduction techniques auxiliary means for detecting or identifying radar signals or the like G01S7/021; means for anti-jamming G01S7/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/0232 : Avoidance by frequency multiplex
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/032 : Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/038 : Feedthrough nulling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/06 : Cathode-ray tube displays or other two dimensional or three-dimensional displays
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/288 : Coherent receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/352 : Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/354 : Extracting wanted echo-signals Doppler systems G01S13/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/356 : involving particularities of FFT processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4004 : of parts of a radar system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4008 : of transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4021 : of receivers
• 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 1/3258 : using the gutter of the vehicle; Means for clamping a whip aerial on the edge of a part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3283 : side-mounted antennas, e.g. bumper-mounted, door-mounted mounted on windscreens H01Q1/1271
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 : formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 : Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 : Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/18 : the slot being backed by, or formed in boundary wall of, a resonant cavity longitudinally slotted cylinder H01Q13/12 ; Open cavity antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0043 : Slotted waveguides combination with horns H01Q13/0233
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0075 : Stripline fed arrays H01Q21/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 : Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 : Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 : Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 : varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/40 : with phasing matrix

Abstract

A multiple beam array antenna system comprises a plurality of radiating elements provided from stripline-fed open-ended waveguide coupled to a Butler matrix beam forming network. The Butler matrix beam forming network is coupled to a switched beam combining circuit. The antenna can be fabricated as a single Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) circuit.

Claims

1. An antenna element comprising:

a feed circuit layer having first and second opposing surfaces with a first one of the first and second surfaces having a first ground plane disposed thereon and second one of the first and second surfaces having a feed circuit disposed thereon;

a first radiator layer having first and second opposing surfaces with a first one of the first and second opposing surfaces disposed over the second one of the first and second opposing surfaces of said feed circuit layer and a second one of the first and second opposing surfaces of said first radiator layer having a second ground plane disposed thereon with the second ground plane having an aperture therein; and

at least one conductive path coupling the first and second ground plane layers to provide a cavity in said first radiator layer and feed circuit layer.

2. The antenna element of claim 1 wherein the conductive path comprises a plurality of via holes between said first and second ground plane layers.

3. The antenna element of claim 1 wherein each of said layers is provided from a law temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate.

4. The antenna element of claim 1 wherein said first radiator layer further comprises a tuning structure far matching an impedance of the antenna element to a predetermined impedance.

5. The antenna element of claim 1 wherein said first radiator layer is a first one of a plurality of radiator layers, each of the plurality of radiator layers comprising:

a conductive strip; and

a plurality of vial disposed on said conductive strip forming a cavity disposed in said plurality of radiator layers.

6. The antenna element of claim 5 wherein at least one of the plurality of radiator layers comprises a low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate.

7. The antenna element of claim 5 wherein at least one of the plurality of radiator layers comprises a tuning structure far matching an impedance of the antenna element to a predetermined impedance.

8. The antenna element of claim 7 wherein said tuning structure is provide as an aperture in the at least one radiator layer.

9. The antenna element of claim 5 wherein the feed circuit comprises a stripline transmission line.

10. The antenna element of claim 5 further comprising a cover disposed on the cavity.

11. The antenna element of claim 10 wherein the cover comprises at least one low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate layer and provides a tuning structure for matching an impedance of the antenna element to a predetermined impedance.

12. The antenna element of claim 10 wherein the cover comprises at least one low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate layer and provides a tuning structure for matching an impedance of the feed circuit to a free space impedance.

13. An antenna element comprising:

a first plurality of dielectric layers, each of the plurality of dielectric layers having a conductive material disposed on selected portions thereof to provide one or more tuning structures;

a plurality of vias embedded in the plurality of dielectric layers to provide a cavity structure in the first plurality of dielectric layers; and

a feed circuit disposed in at least one of the plurality of dielectric layers electromagnetically coupled to said cavity structure.

14. The antenna element of claim 13 wherein the tuning structures correspond to windows provided in the conductive material disposed on selected portions of the plurality of dielectric layers.

15. The antenna element of claim 13 wherein one or more covet layers disposed over the first plurality of dielectric layers.

16. The antenna element of claim 13 wherein said feed circuit comprises:

an element signal port;

a first conductive via having a first end coupled to the element signal port and having a second end;

a first stripline transmission line having a first end coupled to the second end of said first conductive via and having a second end;

a second conductive via having a first end coupled to the second end of said first stripline transmission line and having a second end;

a second stripline transmission line having a first end coupled to the second end of said second conductive via and having a second end;

a third conductive via having a first end coupled to the second end of said second stripline transmission line and having a second end;

a power divider circuit having a first end coupled to the second end of said third conductive via and having a second end;

a fourth conductive via having a first end coupled to the second end of said power divider circuit and having a second end; and

a third stripline transmission line having a first end coupled to the second end of said fourth conductive via.

17. An antenna comprising:

an array of antenna elements, each of said antenna elements comprising;

a feed circuit layer having first and second opposing surfaces with a first one of the first and second surfaces having a first ground plane disposed thereon and a second one of the first and second surfaces having a feed circuit disposed thereon;

a radiator layer having first and second opposing surfaces with a first one of the first and second opposing surfaces disposed over the second one of the first and second opposing surfaces of said feed circuit layer and with a second one of the first and second opposing surfaces of said radiator layer having a second ground plane disposed thereon with the second ground plane having an aperture therein; and

at least one conductive path coupling the first and second ground plane layers to provide a cavity in said radiator and feed circuit layers.

18. The antenna of claim 17 wherein the conductive path comprises a plurality of via holes coupling the first and second ground plane layers.

19. The antenna of claim 17 wherein each of said layers is provided from a low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate.

20. The antenna of claim 17 wherein said radiator layer, further comprises a tuning structure for matching an impedance of the antenna element to a predetermined impedance.