IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,539,107
Granted Patent B2
US 11,539,107 · App. 17/135,268 · Granted Dec 27, 2022

Substrate integrated waveguide transition including a metallic layer portion having an open portion that is aligned offset from a centerline

Inventors: Edwin Lim (Mountain View, CA); Tegan Argo (Mountain View, CA); Marvin Weinstein (Mountain View, CA)
Assignee: Waymo LLC
H01P5/107H01P3/082H01P3/121H05K1/024H05K2201/0195
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,539,107
App. No.
17/135,268
Granted
Dec 27, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Example embodiments relate to substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) transitions. An example SIW may include a dielectric substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface and a first metallic layer portion coupled to the top surface of the dielectric substrate that includes a single-ended termination, an impedance transformer, and a metallic rectangular patch located within an open portion in the first metallic layer portion such that the open portion forms a non-conductive loop around the metallic rectangular patch. The SIW also includes a second metallic layer portion coupled to the bottom surface of the dielectric substrate and metallic via-holes electrically coupling the first metallic layer to the second metallic layer. The SIW may be implemented in a radar unit to couple antennas to a printed circuit board (PCB). In some examples, the SIW may be implemented with only a non-conductive opening that lacks the metallic rectangular patch.

Claims (51)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a dielectric substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface;

a first metallic layer portion coupled to the top surface of the dielectric substrate, wherein the first metallic layer portion comprises:

a single-ended termination,

an impedance transformer, and

a metallic rectangular patch located within an open portion in the first metallic layer portion such that the open portion forms a non-conductive loop around the metallic rectangular patch, wherein a centerline extends through a center of the single-ended termination and a center of the impedance transformer, and wherein the open portion is aligned offset relative to the centerline;

a second metallic layer portion coupled to the bottom surface of the dielectric substrate; and

a set of metallic via-holes electrically coupling the first metallic layer portion to the second metallic layer portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the top surface and the bottom surface of the dielectric substrate include a printed circuit board (PCB) laminate, and wherein the first metallic layer portion is coupled to the PCB laminate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first metallic layer portion is coupled to a first half of the top surface of the dielectric substrate with only the impedance transformer and the single-ended termination coupled to a second half of the top surface of the dielectric substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the single-ended termination is configured to couple to a transmission line on a PCB.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the single-ended termination is configured to couple a first signal from the PCB into a waveguide via a combination of the metallic rectangular patch and the non-conductive loop, and wherein the single-ended termination is configured to couple a second signal from the waveguide to the PCB via the combination of the metallic rectangular patch and the non-conductive loop.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the impedance transformer includes a tapered transition configuration.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first metallic layer portion is configured to couple to a waveguide such that electromagnetic energy is able to propagate between the metallic rectangular patch and the waveguide.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the set of metallic via-holes comprises:

a pair of parallel lines of metallic via-holes extending in parallel relative to a length of the metallic rectangular patch such that the metallic rectangular patch is located between the pair of parallel lines of metallic via-holes; and

a baseline of metallic via-holes extending between ends of the pair of parallel lines of metallic via-holes and in parallel relative to a width of the metallic rectangular patch.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the pair of parallel lines of metallic via-holes are equal in length, and wherein a length of each parallel line of metallic via-holes is greater than a given length of the baseline of metallic via-holes.

10. A method comprising:

conducting electromagnetic energy via a transmission line on a printed circuit board (PCB);

coupling the electromagnetic energy into a waveguide via an SIW transition, wherein the SIW transition comprises:

a dielectric substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface;

a first metallic layer portion coupled to the top surface of the dielectric substrate, wherein the first metallic layer portion comprises: (i) a single-ended termination, (ii) an impedance transformer, and (iii) a metallic rectangular patch located within an open portion in the first metallic layer portion such that the open portion forms a non-conductive loop around the metallic rectangular patch, wherein a centerline extends through a center of the single-ended termination and a center of the impedance transformer, and wherein the open portion is aligned offset relative to the centerline;

a second metallic layer portion coupled to the bottom surface of the dielectric substrate; and

a set of metallic via-holes electrically coupling the first metallic layer portion to the second metallic layer portion; and

transmitting the electromagnetic energy as signals via one or more antennas coupled to the waveguide.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving one or more signals from the one or more antennas coupled to the waveguide; and

coupling electromagnetic energy corresponding to the one or more signals from the waveguide and to the PCB via the SIW transition.

12. A system comprising:

a waveguide;

a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) transition coupled to the waveguide, wherein the SIW transition comprises:

a dielectric substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface;

a first metallic layer portion coupled to the top surface of the dielectric substrate, wherein the first metallic layer portion comprises:

a single-ended termination,

an impedance transformer, and

a metallic rectangular patch located within an open portion in the first metallic layer portion such that the open portion forms a non-conductive loop around the metallic rectangular patch, wherein a centerline extends through a center of the single-ended termination and a center of the impedance transformer, and

wherein the open portion is aligned offset relative to the centerline;

a second metallic layer portion coupled to the bottom surface of the dielectric substrate; and

a set of metallic via-holes electrically coupling the first metallic layer portion to the second metallic layer portion.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first metallic layer portion is coupled to a first half of the top surface of the dielectric substrate with only the impedance transformer and the single-ended termination coupled to a second half of the top surface of the dielectric substrate.

14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB) having a transmission line; and

wherein the single-ended termination is configured to couple to the transmission line on the PCB.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the single-ended termination is configured to couple a first signal from the PCB into the waveguide via the SIW transition, and

wherein the single-ended termination is configured to couple a second signal from the waveguide to the PCB via the SIW transition.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the top surface and the bottom surface of the dielectric substrate include a printed circuit board (PCB) laminate, and wherein the first metallic layer portion is coupled to the PCB laminate.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the set of metallic via-holes comprises:

a pair of parallel lines of metallic via-holes extending in parallel relative to a length of the metallic rectangular patch such that the metallic rectangular patch is located between the pair of parallel lines of metallic via-holes; and

a baseline of metallic via-holes extending between ends of the pair of parallel lines of metallic via-holes and in parallel relative to a width of the metallic rectangular patch.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the pair of parallel lines of metallic via-holes are equal in length, and wherein the length of the parallel lines of metallic via-holes is greater than a given length of the baseline of metallic via-holes.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 28, 2020
From: LIM, EDWIN; ARGO, TEGAN; WEINSTEIN, MARVIN
To: WAYMO LLC
Reel/Frame 054756/0279 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220209385A1 · Jun 30, 2022
Cited By (2)
US 12,444,823 US 12,489,213