Accurate millimeter-wave antennas and related structures
View Patent ↗A method for accurately guiding millimeter-waves includes the following steps: Filtering millimeter-waves by applying the millimeter-waves at a first shape aperture of a filter waveguide, resulting in filtered millimeter-waves exiting a second shape aperture of the filter waveguide. Transporting the filtered millimeter-waves over a distance of between 9 centimeters and 25 centimeters, by applying the filtered millimeter-waves to an extruded waveguide having a length of between 9 centimeters and 25, and having a cavity featuring a cross-section that is accurate to within +/−0.05 millimeters throughout the length of the extruded waveguide, resulting in transported millimeter-waves. And producing, on a reflector, an illumination pattern that is accurate to a degree that allows conforming to a first level of radiation pattern accuracy, by applying the transported millimeter-waves at a focal point of the reflector.
1. A system for guiding millimeter-waves over long millimeter-wave guides while maintaining a certain accurate filtered form operative to produce a certain accurate millimeter-wave illumination pattern, comprising:
a filter waveguide, having a first end featuring a first shape aperture and a second end featuring a second shape aperture; the filter waveguide is configured to filter millimeter-waves applied at the first shape aperture;
an extruded waveguide, of length between 9 centimeters and 25 centimeters, having a cavity featuring a cross-section that is accurate to within +/−0.05 millimeters throughout the length of the extruded waveguide; the extruded waveguide is placed in series with the filter waveguide, such that a first aperture of the extruded waveguide is substantially aligned with the second shape aperture; and
a reflector having a focal point; the reflector is positioned such that the focal point is substantially located after a second aperture of the extruded waveguide;
wherein the system is configured to: (i) filter millimeter-waves prior to guiding said millimeter-waves over long millimeter-wave distances of between 9 centimeters and 25 centimeters, (ii) guide said millimeter-waves in their filtered form over said long millimeter-wave distances and up to the location of the focal point while maintaining said filtered form as a direct result of said accuracy of said extruded waveguide, and (iii) produce, on the reflector, an illumination pattern that is accurate to a degree that allows conforming to a first level of radiation pattern accuracy.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the filter waveguide is configured to filter the millimeter-waves by suppressing cross-polarization products of the millimeter-waves applied at the first shape aperture.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first shape aperture of the filter waveguide has a non-circular shape, and the non-circular shape is operative to suppress cross-polarization products of the millimeter-waves applied at the first shape aperture.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the non-circular shape is a rectangular shape.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the filter waveguide is not extruded due to having a first shape aperture and a second shape aperture, resulting in manufacturing accuracy worse than +/−0.1 millimeters.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first shape aperture of the filter waveguide has a rectangular shape, the second shape aperture of the filter waveguide has a circular shape, and the second aperture of the extruded waveguide has a circular shape as well.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the reflector is substantially parabolic, and the circular shape of the second aperture of the extruded waveguide is operative to illuminate the reflector.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the millimeter-waves have a frequency of between 20 GHz and 100 GHz.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the millimeter-waves have a frequency of between 57 GHz and 86 GHz.
10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lens having one side substantially flat, while the other side convex and attached to the extruded waveguide, at the second aperture of the extruded waveguide; and
a substantially flat sub-reflector attached to the substantially flat side of the lens;
wherein the lens and the substantially flat sub-reflector are configured to reflect and refract millimeter-waves exiting the extruded waveguide, onto the reflector, and the substantially flat surface of the lens and the substantially flat sub-reflector are inherently tolerant to inaccuracies in attaching the substantially flat sub-reflector to the substantially flat side of the lens, facilitating the first level of radiation pattern accuracy.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the lens is attached to the extruded waveguide using a protrusion of the lens having a cross-section substantially equal to the cross-section of the cavity of the extruded waveguide, causing the substantially flat sub-reflector to be positioned substantially perpendicularly to the extruded waveguide, facilitating the first level of radiation pattern accuracy.
12. A method for accurately guiding millimeter-waves over long millimeter-wave guides while maintaining a certain accurate filtered form operative to produce a certain accurate millimeter-wave illumination pattern, comprising:
filtering millimeter-waves by applying the millimeter-waves at a first shape aperture of a filter waveguide, resulting in filtered millimeter-waves exiting a second shape aperture of the filter waveguide;
transporting the filtered millimeter-waves, in their filtered form, over a distance of between 9 centimeters and 25 centimeters, by applying the filtered millimeter-waves to an extruded waveguide having a length of between 9 centimeters and 25 centimeters, and having a cavity featuring a cross-section that is accurate to within +/−0.05 millimeters throughout the length of the extruded waveguide, resulting in transported millimeter-waves, while maintaining said filtered form as a direct result of said accuracy of said extruded waveguide; and
producing, on a reflector, an illumination pattern that is accurate to a degree that allows conforming to a first level of radiation pattern accuracy, by applying the transported millimeter-waves in their filtered form at a focal point of the reflector.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the filter waveguide is configured to filter the millimeter-waves by suppressing cross-polarization products of the millimeter-waves applied at the first shape aperture.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first shape aperture of the filter waveguide has a non-circular shape, and the non-circular shape is operative to suppress cross-polarization products of the millimeter-waves applied at the first shape aperture.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the non-circular shape is a rectangular shape.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the filter waveguide is not extruded due to having a first shape aperture and a second shape aperture, resulting in manufacturing accuracy worse than +/−0.1 millimeters.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first shape aperture of the filter waveguide has a rectangular shape, and the second shape aperture of the filter waveguide has a circular shape.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the reflector is substantially parabolic, and the circular shape of the second shape aperture is operative to illuminate the reflector.
19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the millimeter-waves have a frequency of between 20 GHz and 100 GHz.
20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the millimeter-waves have a frequency of between 57 GHz and 86 GHz.