Patent Application
20220131275
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for waveguide transition, and more particularly, to an apparatus for waveguide transition and an antenna array having the same.
Communication systems utilizing millimeter waves or microwaves are used in various application fields. For example, such communication systems are used for signal transmission between base stations in mobile communication systems, vehicle anti-collision radar systems, fixed wireless network access systems, and outdoor communication systems. Moreover, the use of such communication systems in various fields requires a high transmission rate. However, since such communication systems are fabricated by assembling separate components, these communication systems often include waveguide transition devices that are both large and expensive. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a waveguide transition device that can be miniaturized and easily fabricated with standard manufacturing processes, and that also provides proper impedance matching and other functions such as power splitting and combining.
This Discussion of the Background section is provided for background information only. The statements in this Discussion of the Background are not an admission that the subject matter disclosed in this section constitutes prior art to the present disclosure, and no part of this Discussion of the Background section may be used as an admission that any part of this application, including this Discussion of the Background section, constitutes prior art to the present disclosure.
One aspect of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for waveguide transition, comprising a dielectric substrate, a transmission line structure, a conductor pattern for shorting a waveguide, and a plurality of vias. The transmission line structure comprises a ground conductor pattern separated from a strip conductor pattern by the dielectric substrate, wherein the ground conductor pattern includes a ground aperture portion. The waveguide is electrically coupled to the strip conductor pattern. The vias are electrically coupled to the ground conductor pattern and the conductor pattern for shorting the waveguide. The waveguide is connected to the dielectric substrate so as to correspond to the ground aperture portion.
In some embodiments, the transmission line structure further comprises a first transmission line-splitting portion and a second transmission line-splitting portion.
In some embodiments, the ground conductor pattern is disposed on a surface of the dielectric substrate, and the strip conductor pattern is disposed on another surface of the dielectric substrate opposite to the surface haying the ground conductor pattern.
In some embodiments, the transmission line structure further comprises one or more quarter-wavelength matching sections.
In some embodiments, the ground aperture portion has a polygonal shape, and a portion of the strip conductor pattern is substantially parallel to one side of the polygonal shape.
In some embodiments, the dielectric substrate is a single-layer dielectric substrate.
In some embodiments, the dielectric substrate is a multilayer dielectric substrate.
In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a metal member disposed above the round aperture portion.
In some embodiments, the vias form a plurality of fence via structures.
In some embodiments, the transmission line structure is a microstrip line, a stripline, or a coplanar waveguide.
Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an antenna array, including a plurality of antenna elements spaced apart from each other, and a feed network electrically coupled to the antenna elements for signal distribution. The feed network includes a plurality of apparatuses for waveguide transition. At least one the apparatuses for waveguide transition includes a dielectric substrate, a transmission line structure, a conductor pattern for shorting a waveguide, and a plurality of vias. The transmission line structure includes a ground conductor pattern separated from a strip conductor pattern by the dielectric substrate, wherein the ground conductor pattern has a ground aperture portion. The waveguide is electrically coupled to the strip conductor pattern. The vias are electrically coupled to the ground conductor pattern and the conductor pattern for shorting the waveguide. The waveguide is connected to the dielectric substrate so as to correspond to the ground aperture portion.
In some embodiments, the transmission line structure further comprises a first transmission line-splitting portion and a second transmission line-splitting portion.
In some embodiments, the ground conductor pattern is disposed on a surface of the dielectric substrate, and the strip conductor pattern is disposed on another surface of the dielectric substrate opposite to the surface having the ground conductor pattern.
In some embodiments, the transmission line structure further comprises one or more quarter-wavelength matching sections.
In some embodiments, the ground aperture portion has a polygonal shape, and a portion of the strip conductor pattern is substantially parallel to one side of the polygonal shape.
In some embodiments, the dielectric substrate is a single-layer dielectric substrate.
In some embodiments, the dielectric substrate is a multilayer dielectric substrate.
In some embodiments, at least one the apparatuses for waveguide transition further comprises a metal member disposed above the ground aperture portion.
In some embodiments, the vias form a plurality of fence via structures.
In some embodiments, the transmission line structure is a microstrip line, a stripline, or a coplanar waveguide.
Accordingly, the apparatuses for waveguide transition of the present disclosure enable impedance matching and power distribution in a compact footprint. Compared to the feed network of the comparative antenna array, the apparatuses for waveguide transition in the feed network of the antenna array in the present disclosure include impedance-matching and power-dividing/combining functions within a compact area without sacrificing performance or complicating fabrication. Therefore, the apparatuses for waveguide transition of the present disclosure can be readily miniaturized and integrated with other electronic systems.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description of the disclosure that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be described hereinafter, and form the subject of the claims of the disclosure. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures or processes for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims.
A more complete understanding of the present disclosure may be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the Figures, where like reference numbers refer to similar elements throughout the Figures, and:
Embodiments, or examples, of the disclosure illustrated in the drawings are now described using specific language. It shall be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is hereby intended. Any alteration or modification of the described embodiments, and any further applications of principles described in this document, are to be considered as normally occurring to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosure relates. Reference numerals may be repeated throughout the embodiments, but this does not necessarily mean that feature(s) of one embodiment apply to another embodiment, even if they share the same reference numeral.
It shall be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers or sections are not limited by these terms. Rather, these terms are merely used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present inventive concept.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limited to the present inventive concept. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It shall be further understood that the terms “comprises” and “comprising,” when used in this specification, point out the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or groups thereof.
With reference to
In some embodiments, the apparatus 100 for waveguide transition further includes a metal member 150 disposed above the ground aperture portion 113. The metal member 150 may serve as a backshort layer configured and spaced to optimize the impedance matching for the center frequency of the waveguide 130. In some embodiments, the vias 140 form a plurality of fence via structures 146 which may be configured to further optimize the transition of the waveguide 130. In some embodiments, the fence via structures 146 may be configured to have a polygonal shape with one side greater than twice the length of another side. In some embodiments, according, to the particular application, the transmission line structure 110 may be a microstrip line, a stripline, or a coplanar waveguide. In some embodiments, the configurations, spacing, and dimensions of the dielectric substrate 101, the conductor pattern 120, the vias 140, the ground conductor pattern 111, and the strip conductor pattern 112 may also be adjusted according to the center frequency of the waveguide 130.
Although the dielectric substrate 101 may be depicted as a single-layer dielectric substrate, as shown in
In some embodiments, the ground aperture portion 213 has a polygonal shape such as a rectangle similar to the ground aperture portion 113 depicted in
In some embodiments, the transmission line structure 210 may further include the first transmission line-splitting portion 10 and the second transmission line-splitting portion 20 depicted in
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, the apparatus 100 for waveguide transition and the apparatus 200 for waveguide transition may be utilized in an antenna array.
Accordingly, the apparatuses 100 for waveguide transition and the apparatuses 200 for waveguide transition of the present disclosure enable impedance matching and power distribution in a compact footprint. Compared to the feed network 820 of the comparative antenna array 800, the apparatuses 100 for waveguide transition in the feed network 620 of the antenna array 600 include impedance-matching and power-dividing or power-combining functions within a compact area without sacrificing performance or complicating fabrication. Therefore, the apparatuses 100 for waveguide transition and the apparatuses 200 for waveguide transition can be readily miniaturized and integrated with other electronic systems.
One aspect of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for waveguide transition, including a dielectric substrate, a transmission line structure, a conductor pattern for shorting a waveguide, and a plurality of vias. The transmission line structure includes a ground conductor pattern separated from a strip conductor pattern by the dielectric substrate, wherein the ground conductor pattern has a ground aperture portion. The waveguide is electrically coupled to the strip conductor pattern. The vias are electrically coupled to the ground conductor pattern and the conductor pattern for shorting the waveguide. The waveguide is connected to the dielectric substrate so as to correspond to the ground aperture portion.
Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an antenna array, including a plurality of antenna elements spaced apart from each other, and a feed network electrically coupled to the antenna elements for signal distribution. The feed network includes a plurality of apparatuses for waveguide transition. At least one the apparatuses for waveguide transition includes a dielectric substrate, a transmission line structure, a conductor pattern for shorting a waveguide, and a plurality of vias. The transmission line structure includes a wound conductor pattern separated from a strip conductor pattern by the dielectric substrate, wherein the ground conductor pattern has a ground aperture portion. The waveguide is electrically coupled to the strip conductor pattern. The vias are electrically coupled to the ground conductor pattern and the conductor pattern for shorting the waveguide. The waveguide is connected to the dielectric substrate so as to correspond to the ground aperture portion.
Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. For example, many of the processes discussed above can be implemented in different methodologies and replaced by other processes, or a combination thereof.
Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps. described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the present disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed, that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein, may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture compositions of matter, means, methods, an steps.
