# US 10,120,063 B1 · 2D compact reactive beam forming network for automotive radars > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,120,063 B1 - Document ID: US10120063B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 14/977,964 - Filed: 2015-12-22 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-22 - Assignees: Waymo LLC - Applicants: Waymo LLC - Inventors: Jamal Izadian - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120063B1 ## CPC - G01S 7/32: Shaping echo pulse signals; Deriving non-pulse signals from echo pulse signals - G01S 7/03: Details of HF subsystems specially adapted therefor, e.g. common to transmitter and receiver - H01Q 1/3233: {particular used as part of a sensor or in a security system, e.g. for automotive radar, navigation systems} - H01Q 3/40: with phasing matrix - H01Q 21/0037: {linear waveguide fed arrays} - G01S 13/931: of land vehicles - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72) ## Abstract A radar system includes a plurality of radiating elements configured to radiate electromagnetic energy and a plurality of feed waveguides defining a common plane and configured to guide electromagnetic energy to the plurality of radiating elements. The radar system also includes a plurality of waveguides arranged as a dividing network. The dividing network is also configured to 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. Additionally, the dividing network is configured to adjust a phase of the electromagnetic energy received by each waveguide. The splitting and adjusting of the dividing network may be based on differences in width between the waveguides of the dividing network and the feed waveguides. The dividing network of waveguides is located in the common plane of the feed waveguides. ## Claims ### Claim 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 having an associated taper profile, 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 waveguide, wherein the splitting and adjusting are based in part based on differences in width between the waveguides of the dividing network and the feed waveguides, and wherein the taper profile specifies a phase and amplitude for each feed waveguide; and wherein the dividing network of waveguides is located in the common plane of the feed waveguides. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The radar system according to claim 1, wherein the dividing network comprises reactive elements and no absorption load elements. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The radar system according to claim 1, wherein the radar system is manufactured using a split-block construction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) 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. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The radar system according to claim 3, wherein a seam of the split-block is at the center of the height of the dividing network of waveguides. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The radar system according to claim 1, wherein the dividing network is configured to split the electromagnetic energy based on taper profile. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The radar system according to claim 6, wherein the taper profile is selected based on a desired radiation pattern for the radar system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The radar system according to claim 8, 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. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The radar system according to claim 9, 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. ### Claim 11 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 a plurality of feed waveguides by a dividing network based on a taper profile, 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 based on differences in width between the waveguides of the dividing network and the feed waveguides, and wherein the dividing network of waveguides is located in a common plane of the feed waveguides. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein each of the divided signals have approximately the same amplitude as each other divided signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein each of the divided signals have approximately the same phase as each other divided signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the splitting and dividing are performed by reactive elements and no absorption load elements. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, 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. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the seam of the split-block is at the center of the height of the feed waveguides. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the splitting and dividing are performed based on a predetermined phase shift for each respective divided signal. ### Claim 18 A waveguide system comprising: a plurality of feed waveguides located in a common plane having a common height, each feed waveguide configured to guide electromagnetic energy from an end of the feed waveguide to at least one radiating element coupled to the feed waveguide; a waveguide source; a dividing network having an associated taper profile comprising a plurality of waveguides, wherein the dividing network is located in the common plane and has the common height, 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 a respective portion of the electromagnetic energy from the source based on the taper profile, adjust a phase of the electromagnetic energy received by each feed waveguide, and wherein the splitting and adjusting are based in part based on differences in 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. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The waveguide system of claim 18, 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.