3D compact reactive beam forming network for automotive radars

1. A radar system comprising:

a plurality of radiating elements, wherein the radiating elements are configured to radiate electromagnetic energy;

a plurality of feed waveguides, wherein each feed waveguide is configured to guide electromagnetic energy to at least one of the plurality of radiating elements such that each radiating element corresponds to one of the plurality of feed waveguides, wherein each feed waveguide has a height and width dimension in common with each other feed waveguide, and wherein the plurality of feed waveguides is arranged such that centers of the heights of the feed waveguides are located in a common plane; and

a plurality of waveguides arranged as a dividing network, wherein the dividing network is configured to:

receive electromagnetic energy from a source,

split the electromagnetic energy from the source among the plurality of feed waveguides, such that each feed waveguide receives a respective portion of the electromagnetic energy from the source,

adjust a phase of the electromagnetic energy received by each feed waveguide,

wherein the splitting and adjusting are based in part on differences in height and/or width between the waveguides of the dividing network and the feed waveguides, and

wherein at least a portion of the dividing network is located in a plane other than the common plane of the feed waveguides.

2. The radar system according to claim 1 , wherein the dividing network comprises reactive elements and no absorption load elements.

3. The radar system according to claim 1 , wherein the radar system is manufactured using a split-block construction.

4. The radar system according to claim 3 , wherein a seam of the split-block is at a location of the waveguide having approximately zero current.

5. The radar system according to claim 3 , wherein a seam of the split-block is at the center of the height of the feed waveguides.

6. The radar system according to claim 3 , wherein the split-block construction comprises a top half and a bottom half, and wherein the dividing network of waveguides includes at least one waveguide having an edge located at a seam of the split-block.

7. The radar system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of feed waveguides has an an associated taper profile, wherein the taper profile provides a phase and amplitude adjustment.

8. The radar system according to claim 7 , wherein the dividing network is configured to split the electromagnetic energy from the source based on the taper profile.

9. The radar system according to claim 1 , wherein a power splitting section of the dividing network is further configured to evenly split the electromagnetic energy from the source among the plurality of feed waveguides.

10. The radar system according to claim 9 , wherein the power splitting section is configured to output a plurality of divided signals, each having approximately the same amplitude and phase of each other divided signal.

11. The radar system according to claim 10 , wherein a phase adjusting section of the dividing network is further configured to adjust the phase of each respective divided signal based on a predetermined phase shift for each respective divided signal.

12. A method of radiating a radar signal comprising:

receiving electromagnetic energy from a source;

splitting the electromagnetic energy from the source as a divided signal among the plurality of feed waveguides by a dividing network, such that each feed waveguide receives a respective portion of the electromagnetic energy from the source;

for each of the plurality of feed waveguides, adjusting a phase of the electromagnetic energy received by each feed waveguide by the dividing network;

for each of the plurality of feed waveguides, coupling electromagnetic energy to a plurality of radiating elements coupled to the feed waveguide; and

radiating electromagnetic energy by the plurality of radiating elements coupled to the plurality of feed waveguides;

wherein the splitting and adjusting are based in part on differences in height and/or width between the waveguides of the dividing network and the feed waveguides, and

wherein at least a portion of the dividing network is located in a plane other than a common plane of the feed waveguides.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein each of the divided signals has approximately the same amplitude as each other divided signal.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein each of the divided signals has approximately the same phase as each other divided signal.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the splitting by the dividing network is performed by reactive elements and without absorption load elements.

16. The method according to claim 12 , wherein each feed waveguide is further configured to conduct electromagnetic energy from the dividing network to the plurality of radiating elements, wherein the conduct electromagnetic energy has approximately zero current at a seam of a split-block.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the seam of the split-block is at the center of the height of the feed waveguides.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the split-block construction comprises a top half and a bottom half, and wherein the dividing network of waveguides includes at least one waveguide having an edge located at a seam of the split-block.

19. A waveguide system comprising:

a plurality of feed waveguides located in a common plane, each feed waveguide configured to conduct electromagnetic energy from an end of the feed waveguide to at least one radiating element coupled to the feed waveguide;

a source of electromagnetic energy;

a dividing network comprising a plurality of waveguides, wherein the dividing network is configured to:

receive electromagnetic energy from the source,

split the electromagnetic energy from the source among the plurality of feed waveguides, such that each feed waveguide receives an approximately equal respective portion of the electromagnetic energy from the source, and

adjust a phase of the electromagnetic energy received by each feed waveguide,

wherein the splitting and adjusting are based in part on differences in height and/or width between the waveguides of the dividing network and the feed waveguides, and wherein the dividing network comprises reactive elements and no absorption load elements.

20. The waveguide system of claim 19 , wherein the waveguide system is manufactured using a split-block construction, and wherein the seam of the split-block is at a location of the waveguide having approximately zero current.