Signal transmission structure, dielectric waveguide connection structure, vehicle and electronic equipment

Abstract

The present application provides a signal transmission structure, a dielectric waveguide connection structure, a vehicle, and an electronic device for reducing signal loss and improving signal transmission quality. The signal transmission structure includes a connector, a metal waveguide, and a dielectric waveguide, wherein the connector includes a first end and a second end disposed opposite each other, the connector is provided with a first through-hole extending from the first end to the second end, the first through-hole having a metal inner wall; the metal waveguide has a second through-hole, one end of the metal waveguide is connected to the first end of the connector, and the second through-hole is connected to the first through-hole; the dielectric waveguide includes a core and a cladding covering the outer periphery of the core, the dielectric waveguide has an insertion end that is inserted into the first through-hole by the second end of the connector, and at the insertion end of the dielectric waveguide, the core has an extension section that extends beyond the cladding, the end of the extension section extends into the second through-hole and is spaced apart from the inner wall of the second through-hole, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the end portion of the extension section gradually decreases from the second end to the first end.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of signal transmission technology, and in particular to a signal transmission structure, a dielectric waveguide connection structure, a vehicle, and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] With the development of autonomous driving technology, more and more sensors are being used in the vehicle's autonomous driving system, such as high-definition cameras, lidar, etc. The large amount of data generated by these sensors during operation needs to be transmitted back to the vehicle's electronic control unit (ECU), which processes the data and performs corresponding control. In order to increase the signal transmission rate, the signal between the sensor and the ECU can usually be modulated into an electromagnetic wave in the millimeter wave / terahertz wave band and transmitted using a dielectric waveguide as a carrier. Specifically, the sensor's detection signal can be modulated into a millimeter wave / terahertz wave signal by a millimeter wave / terahertz transmitter module, and the modulated millimeter wave / terahertz wave signal is transmitted to the millimeter wave / terahertz receiver module through a dielectric waveguide, and then transmitted to the electronic control unit after demodulation by the receiver module.

[0003] In existing technology, millimeter-wave / terahertz transmitter and receiver modules are typically connected to dielectric waveguides via metal connectors. During the connection process, the metal connectors come into direct contact with the dielectric waveguide or its core. Because the electromagnetic field of the dielectric waveguide is primarily concentrated there, the addition of these metal connectors introduces conductor losses. Furthermore, the dissimilar materials of the dielectric waveguide's outer layer and the metal connector create impedance discontinuities at the junction, leading to reflection losses. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a signal transmission structure, a dielectric waveguide connection structure, a vehicle, and an electronic device to reduce signal loss and improve signal transmission quality.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a signal transmission structure, which may include a connector, a metal waveguide, and a dielectric waveguide. The connector may include a first end and a second end disposed opposite each other, with a first through-hole extending from the first end to the second end disposed therein. The first through-hole may have a metal inner wall. The metal waveguide may have a second through-hole extending through both ends thereof, and one end of the metal waveguide may be connected to the first end of the connector. After the connection is completed, the second through-hole of the metal waveguide may communicate with the first through-hole of the connector. The dielectric waveguide may include a core and a cladding surrounding the core. The dielectric waveguide may have an insertion end that may be inserted into the first through-hole by the second end of the connector. At the insertion end of the dielectric waveguide, the core may have an extension extending beyond the cladding. The extension may extend into the second through-hole, with the end of the extension spaced apart from the inner wall of the second through-hole. The cross-sectional area of ​​the end portion of the extension may gradually decrease in a direction from the second end of the connector toward the first end.

[0006] In this solution, at the insertion end of the dielectric waveguide, the electric field energy in the dielectric waveguide gradually concentrates at the end of the extension. There, it is then gradually coupled to the metal waveguide, enabling signal transmission between the two. Because the cladding separates the core from the metal inner wall of the connector, the metal boundary reduces disturbances to the electromagnetic field within the dielectric waveguide, thereby reducing reflection losses and improving signal transmission quality.

[0007] In some possible embodiments, the signal transmission structure may have a first cross-section and a second cross-section, wherein the first cross-section may be located between the end of the cladding and the end of the extension section, and the second cross-section may be located between the second end of the connector and the end of the cladding. In order to ensure that the impedance of the signal transmission structure remains matched during assembly, the equivalent dielectric constant ε at the first cross-section is eff1 and the equivalent dielectric constant ε at the second cross section eff2 Satisfy between:

[0008]

[0009] For example, the extension section may be a tapered structure. Alternatively, the extension section may include a uniform section and a gradient section sequentially arranged away from the end of the cladding, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the uniform section remains unchanged and the gradient section is a tapered structure.

[0010] In some possible embodiments, the second through hole may have a first hole segment at the end closest to the connector. The inner diameter of this first hole segment may gradually increase from the first end of the connector to the second end to improve the connector assembly fit. In specific configurations, the length of the first hole segment may be greater than or equal to λ0, where λ0 is the free-space wavelength of the operating frequency of the signal to be transmitted.

[0011] In some possible implementations, the end of the metal waveguide may be inserted into the first through hole through the first end of the connector, thereby reducing the difficulty of connecting the metal waveguide and the connector.

[0012] In some possible embodiments, the inner wall of the first through hole may be provided with a protrusion, which may have a metal surface. At the insertion end of the dielectric waveguide, the end of the cladding may contact the side of the protrusion facing the second end of the connector, and the circumference of the extension section may be spaced apart from the surface of the protrusion. In this way, the protrusion can be used to position the insertion end of the dielectric waveguide.

[0013] In some possible implementations, the end of the metal waveguide may contact the side of the protrusion facing the first end of the connector, so that the metal waveguide is positioned using the protrusion.

[0014] In some other possible implementation schemes, there may also be a certain gap between the end of the metal waveguide and the protrusion, as long as it does not affect the signal transmission quality.

[0015] In a specific configuration, the protrusion may be an annular structure, so that the dielectric waveguide and the metal waveguide can be positioned in the entire circumference, thereby improving the assembly accuracy of the signal transmission structure.

[0016] In some possible implementations, at the end of the metal waveguide inserted into the first through hole, the inner diameter of the second through hole may be substantially equal to the inner diameter of the protrusion to increase the matching degree of the connector assembly.

[0017] In some possible embodiments, when the extension section has a tapered structure, the first cross-section may be located between the end of the cladding and the side of the protrusion facing the first end of the connector. When the extension section includes a uniform section and a gradient section, the first cross-section may be located between the end of the cladding and a first plane, where the first plane is the plane where the uniform section and the gradient section connect, and the plane where the first end of the protrusion facing the connector is located, the plane closer to the first end of the connector.

[0018] In some possible embodiments, the signal transmission structure may further include a sleeve, into which the insertion end of the dielectric waveguide may be fixed. The outer wall of the sleeve may have a first stop step, and the sleeve may be inserted into the first through-hole via the second end of the connector. The first stop step may be used to abut against the second end of the connector, thereby positioning the sleeve on the connector and, in turn, positioning the insertion end of the dielectric waveguide within the connector. When the metal waveguide is inserted into the first through-hole, the end of the metal waveguide may abut against the end of the sleeve, thereby utilizing the sleeve to position the metal waveguide.

[0019] In some possible implementations, the outer wall of the metal waveguide may have a second limiting step that can be abutted against the first end of the connector, thereby positioning the metal waveguide within the connector. Furthermore, within the first through-hole, the end of the dielectric waveguide's cladding may abut against the end of the metal waveguide, thereby utilizing the metal waveguide to position the dielectric waveguide.

[0020] In some possible embodiments, when the extension section has a tapered structure, the first cross-section may be located between the two ends of the first hole section. When the extension section includes a uniform section and a tapered section, the first cross-section may be located between the end of the cladding and a second plane, wherein the second plane is the plane where the end of the uniform section and the tapered section are connected, and the plane where the end of the first hole section near the first end of the connector is located, whichever plane is closer to the first end of the connector.

[0021] In some other possible implementations, the end of the metal waveguide may be directly connected to the end of the connector. In specific implementations, the end of the metal waveguide and the first end of the connector may be relatively fixed by a fastener, a buckle, or a flange.

[0022] In some possible embodiments, the cladding may include at least one layer structure, and the at least one layer structure may be stacked sequentially in a direction away from the core.

[0023] When the cladding is a single-layer structure, the relative dielectric constant of the cladding can be lower than that of the core. When the cladding comprises two or more layers, the relative dielectric constant of at least one layer is lower than that of the core. This design allows the electric field energy of the signal transmitted in the dielectric waveguide to be primarily concentrated within the core, with the electric field energy distributed in the cladding being less than that concentrated in the core. This reduces metal loss caused by the metal inner wall of the connector when the dielectric waveguide is plugged into the connector.

[0024] In some possible implementations, the metal waveguide can be made entirely of metal, in which case the inner wall of the resulting second through-hole is naturally metal. Alternatively, the metal waveguide can be made of plastic, in which case the inner wall of the second through-hole has a metallized layer. The thickness of this metallized layer can be greater than or equal to the skin depth of millimeter waves or terahertz waves at the operating frequency of the signal to be transmitted, thereby ensuring signal integrity.

[0025] Similarly, the connector can be made of all-metal material, in which case the inner wall of the first through hole formed is naturally a metal inner wall. Alternatively, the connector can also be made of plastic material, in which case the inner wall of the first through hole can also be obtained by metallization.

[0026] In a second aspect, the present application also provides a dielectric waveguide connection structure, which may include a first connector assembly, a second connector assembly, and a first metal waveguide. Each connector assembly may include a first connector and a first dielectric waveguide. The first connector may include first and second ends disposed opposite each other, with a first through-hole extending from the first end to the second end, the first through-hole having a metal inner wall. The first dielectric waveguide may include a first core and a first cladding surrounding the first core. The first dielectric waveguide may have an insertion end, which may be inserted into the first through-hole from the second end of the first connector. At the insertion end of the first dielectric waveguide, the first core may have an extension extending beyond the first cladding, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the extension may gradually decrease in a direction from the second end to the first end. The first metal waveguide may have a second through-hole extending through both ends of the first metal waveguide. One end of the first metal waveguide may be connected to the first end of the first connector of the first connector assembly, and the other end of the first metal waveguide may be connected to the first end of the first connector of the second connector assembly. The extensions of the first connector assembly and the second connector assembly may be inserted into the second through-holes from both ends of the first metal waveguide, respectively.

[0027] In the above scheme, when a signal is transmitted from the first connector assembly to the second connector assembly, the electric field energy in the first dielectric waveguide of the first connector assembly is concentrated at the end of its extended section. There, the electric field energy is gradually coupled to the first metal waveguide, propagating along the first metal waveguide. The energy is then gradually coupled from the first metal waveguide to the extended section of the first dielectric waveguide of the second connector assembly, thereby enabling signal transmission between the two first dielectric waveguides. Because the first core and the metal inner wall of the first connector are separated by the first cladding, the disturbance of the electromagnetic field within the first dielectric waveguide caused by the metal boundary is reduced, thereby reducing reflection loss and improving signal transmission quality.

[0028] In some possible embodiments, the second through hole includes a first hole segment, a second hole segment, and a third hole segment, wherein the first hole segment is located near the first connector component, the second hole segment is located near the second connector component, and the third hole segment is located between the first and second hole segments. The inner diameters of the first and second hole segments may gradually increase in a direction away from the third hole segment to improve the fit of the first connector assembly on both sides.

[0029] In a specific configuration, the length of the first hole segment may be greater than or equal to λ0, where λ0 is the free space wavelength of the operating frequency of the signal to be transmitted. Similarly, the length of the second hole segment may be greater than or equal to λ0, and the length of the third hole segment may be greater than or equal to λ0.

[0030] In some possible implementations, one end of the first metal waveguide can be inserted into the first through hole of the first connector of the first connector component, and the other end of the first metal waveguide can be inserted into the first through hole of the first connector of the second connector component, so as to reduce the difficulty of connecting the first metal waveguide with the first connectors on both sides.

[0031] In some other possible implementations, one end of the first metal waveguide can be directly connected to the first end of the first connector of the first connector assembly, and the other end of the first metal waveguide can be directly connected to the first end of the first connector of the second connector assembly. In specific implementations, the end of the first metal waveguide and the first end of the first connector can be relatively fixed using a fastener, a snap, or a flange.

[0032] In a third aspect, the present application also provides a dielectric waveguide connection structure, which may include a first connector component, a second connector component, a first metal waveguide, a second metal waveguide, and an intermediate connection component. Each connector component may include a first connector and a first dielectric waveguide, and the first connector may include a first end and a second end disposed opposite to each other, with a first through hole extending from the first end to the second end disposed therein, the first through hole having a metal inner wall. The first dielectric waveguide may include a first core and a first cladding wrapped around the outer periphery of the first core, the first dielectric waveguide having an insertion end, the insertion end being insertable into the first through hole from the second end of the first connector. At the insertion end of the first dielectric waveguide, the first core has an extension extending beyond the first cladding, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the extension may gradually decrease in the direction from the second end to the first end. The two metal waveguides may be respectively provided with a second through hole extending through both ends thereof. The intermediate connection assembly may include a second connector and a second dielectric waveguide. The second connector may include a first connection end and a second connection end disposed opposite each other, with a third through-hole extending from the first connection end to the second connection end. The second dielectric waveguide may be disposed within the third through-hole. The second dielectric waveguide may include a second core and a second cladding surrounding the second core, with both ends of the second core extending beyond the second cladding. One end of the first metal waveguide may be connected to the first end of the first connector of the first connector assembly, the other end of the first metal waveguide may be connected to the first connection end, and an extension of the first connector assembly and an end of the second core proximate to the first connection end may be respectively inserted into the second through-hole of the first metal waveguide. One end of the second metal waveguide may be connected to the first end of the first connector of the second connector assembly, the other end of the second metal waveguide may be connected to the second connection end, and an extension of the second connector assembly and an end of the second core proximate to the second connection end may be respectively inserted into the second through-hole of the second metal waveguide.

[0033] In the above scheme, when a signal is transmitted from the first connector component to the second connector component, the electric field energy on the first dielectric waveguide of the first connector component will gradually concentrate at the end of its extended section, and then gradually couple to the first metal waveguide at the end of the extended section and propagate along the first metal waveguide. Thereafter, the first metal waveguide will gradually couple to the second dielectric waveguide, and then the second dielectric waveguide will couple to the second metal waveguide and propagate along the second metal waveguide. Finally, the second metal waveguide will gradually couple to the extended section of the first dielectric waveguide of the second connecting component, thereby realizing signal transmission between the two first dielectric waveguides. Because the first core and the metal inner wall of the first connector are separated by a first cladding layer, and the second core and the metal inner wall of the second connector are separated by a second cladding layer, the disturbance of the electromagnetic field in the first dielectric waveguide caused by the metal boundary can be reduced, thereby reducing reflection loss and improving signal transmission quality.

[0034] In some possible embodiments, the second through hole includes a first hole segment, a second hole segment, and a third hole segment, wherein the first hole segment is located away from the intermediate connecting component, the second hole segment is located closer to the intermediate connecting component, and the third hole segment is located between the first and second hole segments. The inner diameters of the first and second hole segments may each gradually increase in a direction away from the third hole segment to improve the fit of the first connector assembly on both sides.

[0035] In a specific configuration, the length of the first hole segment may be greater than or equal to λ0, where λ0 is the free space wavelength of the operating frequency of the signal to be transmitted. Similarly, the length of the second hole segment may be greater than or equal to λ0, and the length of the third hole segment may be greater than or equal to λ0.

[0036] In some possible implementations, one end of the first metal waveguide can be inserted into the first through hole of the first connector of the first connector component, and the other end of the first metal waveguide can be inserted into the first through hole of the second connector of the intermediate connection component, so as to reduce the difficulty of connecting the first metal waveguide with the first connector and the second connector.

[0037] Similarly, one end of the second metal waveguide can be inserted into the first through hole of the first connector of the second connector component, and the other end of the second metal waveguide can be inserted into the first through hole of the second connector of the intermediate connection component, so as to reduce the difficulty of connecting the second metal waveguide with the first connector and the second connector.

[0038] In some other possible implementations, one end of the first metal waveguide may be directly connected to the first end of the first connector of the first connector assembly, and the other end of the first metal waveguide may be directly connected to the first connection end of the second connector. Similarly, one end of the second metal waveguide may be directly connected to the first end of the first connector of the second connector assembly, and the other end of the second metal waveguide may be directly connected to the second connection end of the second connector.

[0039] In a fourth aspect, the present application also provides a vehicle, which may include a sensor, a transmitting module, a receiving module, an electronic control unit, and a signal transmission structure in any possible implementation scheme of the aforementioned first aspect. The sensor can be used to detect the driving information of the vehicle; the transmitting module can be electrically connected to the sensor to modulate the detection signal of the sensor into a high-frequency signal; the number of signal transmission structures can be two, wherein the metal waveguide of one signal transmission structure can be electrically connected to the transmitting module, and the metal waveguide of the other signal transmission structure can be electrically connected to the receiving module, and the dielectric waveguides of the two signal transmission structures are electrically connected; the receiving module can be used to demodulate the received high-frequency signal and send the demodulated signal to the electronic control unit. By using the signal transmission structure, high-frequency signals can be transmitted between the sensor and the electronic control unit of the vehicle to meet the high-speed data transmission requirements of the sensor and the electronic control unit, and the signal transmission quality can be improved.

[0040] In some possible implementations, the dielectric waveguides of the two signal transmission structures may be an integrated structure.

[0041] In some other possible embodiments, the vehicle may also include the dielectric waveguide connection structure of any possible embodiment of the second and third aspects mentioned above. Among the two signal transmission structures, the dielectric waveguide of one signal transmission structure can be electrically connected to the first dielectric waveguide of the first connector component, and the dielectric waveguide of the other signal transmission structure can be electrically connected to the first dielectric waveguide of the second connector component, thereby utilizing the dielectric waveguide connection structure to achieve electrical connection between the dielectric waveguides on both sides.

[0042] In a fifth aspect, the present application also provides an electronic device, which may include a server, a switch, a transmitting module, a receiving module, and a signal transmission structure in any possible implementation scheme of the first aspect. The transmitting module can be electrically connected to the server and the switch, respectively, for modulating the signals sent by the server and the switch into high-frequency signals; the number of signal transmission structures can be two, wherein the metal waveguide of one signal transmission structure is electrically connected to the transmitting module, and the metal waveguide of the other signal transmission structure is electrically connected to the receiving module, and the dielectric waveguides of the two signal transmission structures are electrically connected; the receiving module can be electrically connected to the server and the switch, respectively, for demodulating the high-frequency signal received from the server and sending it to the switch, and demodulating the high-frequency signal received from the switch and sending it to the server. By using the signal transmission structure, high-frequency signals can be transmitted between the server and the switch to meet the high-speed data transmission requirements of the server and the switch, and the signal transmission quality can be improved.

[0043] In some possible implementations, the electronic device may further include a hub switch. In this case, the transmitting module may be electrically connected to the hub switch to modulate the signals sent by the hub switch into high-frequency signals. The receiving module may also be electrically connected to the hub switch to demodulate the high-frequency signals received from the switches and transmit them to the hub switch, and vice versa. The signal transmission structure can also be used to transmit high-frequency signals between the switches and the hub switch, meeting the high-speed data transmission requirements between the switches and the hub switch. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a signal transmission path between a vehicle sensor and an ECU provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of another signal transmission path between a vehicle sensor and an ECU provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the millimeter wave / terahertz transmission module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the millimeter wave / terahertz transmitting chip provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the millimeter wave / terahertz receiving chip provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 6 for Figure 1Detailed structural diagram of the signal transmission path between the vehicle sensor and the ECU shown in ;

[0050] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a signal transmission structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure at AA in the middle;

[0052] Figure 9 for Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure at the middle BB;

[0053] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of another signal transmission structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of another signal transmission structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] Figure 12 A structural diagram of another signal transmission structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] Figure 13 A structural diagram of another signal transmission structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of another signal transmission path between a vehicle sensor and an ECU provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] Figure 15 An exploded schematic diagram of a dielectric waveguide connection structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Figure 16 for Figure 15 A schematic structural diagram of the dielectric waveguide connection structure shown in FIG;

[0060] Figure 17 A schematic structural diagram of another dielectric waveguide connection structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] Figure 18 A partially exploded schematic diagram of another dielectric waveguide connection structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] Figure 19 for Figure 18 A schematic structural diagram of the dielectric waveguide connection structure shown in FIG;

[0063] Figure 20 A schematic structural diagram of another dielectric waveguide connection structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] Figure 21 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application clearer, this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0066] With the development of autonomous driving technology, the types of sensors installed on vehicles are increasing, including but not limited to high-definition cameras, lidar, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic sensors, etc. These sensors can be used to detect various driving information during the vehicle's operation, such as vehicle speed, wheel speed, and images of road conditions, pedestrians, or other vehicles, to support the implementation of autonomous driving functions. During operation, these sensors generate a large amount of data (such as images and point clouds). This data needs to be transmitted back to the vehicle's ECU for analysis and processing, and then corresponding control is performed.

[0067] Since the signals emitted by the sensor are generally low-frequency baseband signals or bit streams, as the amount of data increases, traditional copper wire transmission technology is difficult to meet the requirements of high-speed data transmission. To address this problem, in current data transmission structures, the signals emitted by the sensor are usually modulated into high-frequency signals with a large bandwidth and transmitted through a dielectric waveguide as a carrier to increase the data transmission rate between the sensor and the ECU. It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, high-frequency signals can be understood as signals with a frequency greater than 3MHz, such as but not limited to electromagnetic waves in the microwave, millimeter wave (millimeter wave) or terahertz wave frequency bands. Among them, microwaves are electromagnetic waves in the frequency band of 300MHz to 300GHz, corresponding to wavelengths in the range of 1mm to 1m, millimeter waves are electromagnetic waves in the frequency band of 30 to 300GHz, corresponding to wavelengths in the range of approximately 1 to 10mm, and terahertz waves are electromagnetic waves in the frequency band of 0.1 to 10THz, corresponding to wavelengths in the range of approximately 0.03 to 3mm.

[0068] refer to Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1A schematic diagram of a signal transmission path between a vehicle sensor and an ECU provided in an embodiment of the present application. In addition to the dielectric waveguide 31, a transmitting module 4 and a receiving module 5 are typically provided on the transmission path between the sensor 1 and the ECU 2. The transmitting module 4 is connected to the sensor 1 and one end of the dielectric waveguide 31, respectively, and the receiving module 5 is connected to the other end of the dielectric waveguide 31 and the ECU 2, respectively. The transmitting module 4 can be used to modulate the signal emitted by the sensor 1 and shift the spectrum to a specified high-frequency band, such as a microwave band or a millimeter-wave / terahertz wave band. The modulated high-frequency signal is coupled to the dielectric waveguide 31 and transmitted to the receiving module 5 through the dielectric waveguide 31. The receiving module 5 can shift the spectrum and demodulate the high-frequency signal received from the dielectric waveguide, converting the high-frequency signal into a signal in a frequency band receivable by the ECU 2 and then transmitting it to the ECU 2.

[0069] It should be noted that the vehicle's automatic driving system is usually equipped with more than one sensor 1. When transmitting the signals of these sensors 1 to the ECU, in order to reduce the complexity of the transmission path, the signals emitted by multiple sensors 1 can be transmitted through the same dielectric waveguide. Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle may also be provided with a combiner 11, which may be provided between the multiple sensors 1 and the transmitting module 4. The respective input interfaces of the combiner 11 are respectively connected to the multiple sensors 1, and the output interface of the combiner 11 is connected to the transmitting module 4, so that the signals emitted by the multiple sensors 1 are combined and sent to the transmitting module 4, and then transmitted to the ECU 2 in sequence by the transmitting module 4, the dielectric waveguide 31 and the receiving module 5.

[0070] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the transmitting module provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the transmitting module 4 may include a first circuit board 41 and a transmitting chip 42 disposed on the first circuit board 41. The first circuit board 41 may be used to power the transmitting chip 42 and transmit high-frequency signals, high-speed signals, control signals, etc. When connecting the transmitting chip 42 to the dielectric waveguide 31, a transmission line 43 and a metal waveguide 32 may also be generally provided on the first circuit board 41. The ends of the transmission line 43 may be connected to the transmitting chip 42 and the metal waveguide 32, respectively, to transmit the high-frequency signal emitted by the transmitting chip 42 to the metal waveguide 32. For example, the transmission line 43 may be a microstrip line, a coplanar waveguide, a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW), etc. The end of the metal waveguide 32 away from the transmission line 43 may be connected to the dielectric waveguide 31. The metal waveguide 32 may be used to convert the received high-frequency signal into a waveguide mode that can be transmitted in the waveguide and couple the waveguide mode to the dielectric waveguide 31.

[0071] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the transmitting chip provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, the transmitter chip 42 may integrate a modulator 411, an upconverter 412, and a first local oscillator 413. The input of the modulator 411 is connected to the sensor 1, the output of the modulator 411 is connected to one of the inputs of the upconverter 412, and the first local oscillator 413 is connected to the other input of the upconverter 412. The output of the upconverter 412 may be connected to the dielectric waveguide via the metal waveguide 32. The modulator 411 may be used to format-modulate the signal output by the sensor 1 before outputting it to the upconverter 412. Format modulation includes, but is not limited to, amplitude / level modulation, phase modulation, or quadrature amplitude modulation. The first local oscillator 413 may generate a high-frequency carrier signal corresponding to the operating frequency of the dielectric waveguide. The upconverter 412 may use the carrier signal generated by the first local oscillator 413 to frequency-shift the output signal of the modulator 411 and couple it into the dielectric waveguide via the metal waveguide 32. An amplifier may typically be included between the up-converter 412 and the metal waveguide 32. The input of the amplifier may be connected to the output of the up-converter 412, and the output of the amplifier may be connected to the dielectric waveguide via the metal waveguide 32. The amplifier may be used to amplify the amplitude of the output signal of the up-converter 412, thereby increasing the transmission distance.

[0072] Similarly, the receiving module may include a second circuit board and a receiving chip disposed on the second circuit board. When connecting the receiving chip to the dielectric waveguide, a transmission line and a metal waveguide may also be disposed on the second circuit board. The ends of the transmission line may be connected to the receiving chip and the metal waveguide, respectively. The end of the metal waveguide remote from the transmission line may be connected to the dielectric waveguide, thereby converting the waveguide signal coupled from the dielectric waveguide into the metal waveguide into a high-frequency signal, which is then transmitted to the receiving chip via the transmission line.

[0073] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the receiving chip provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 5As shown, the receiving chip may integrate a demodulator 511, a downconverter 512, and a second local oscillator 513. One input of the downconverter 512 is connected to the dielectric waveguide via the metal waveguide 32, while the other input of the downconverter 512 is connected to the second local oscillator 513. The output of the downconverter 512 is connected to the input of the demodulator 511, and the output of the demodulator 511 is connected to the ECU 2. The metal waveguide 32 converts the waveguide signal received from the dielectric waveguide into a high-frequency signal and transmits it to the downconverter 512. The second local oscillator 513 generates a signal corresponding to the frequency band of signals receivable by the ECU 2. The downconverter 512 uses the signal generated by the second local oscillator 513 to perform spectrum shifting on the high-frequency signal and transmits the converted signal to the demodulator 511. The demodulator 511 modulates the signal format and outputs it to the ECU 2. A low-noise amplifier may also be typically included between the downconverter 512 and the metal waveguide 32. The input of the low-noise amplifier may be connected to the dielectric waveguide via the metal waveguide 32, and the output of the low-noise amplifier may be connected to the output of the downconverter 512. The low-noise amplifier may be used to amplify the amplitude of the received high-frequency signal and improve the sensitivity of the receiving chip.

[0074] When coupling the metal waveguide on the first circuit board or the second circuit board with the dielectric waveguide, this can be achieved specifically through a connector. In this case, the connector, the metal waveguide and the dielectric waveguide can constitute a signal transmission structure between the transmitting module and the receiving module. Figure 6 As shown, the transmitting module 4 and the receiving module 5 can be connected via the two aforementioned signal transmission structures 3. The metal waveguide of one signal transmission structure 3 is electrically connected to the transmitting module 4, and the metal waveguide of the other signal transmission structure 3 is electrically connected to the receiving module 5. The dielectric waveguides 31 of the two signal transmission structures are also electrically connected to each other, thereby achieving signal transmission between the transmitting module 4 and the receiving module 5. The signal transmission structure 3 is described in detail below.

[0075] refer to Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of a signal transmission structure provided in an embodiment of the present application. As previously described, the signal transmission structure 3 may include a dielectric waveguide 31, a metal waveguide 32, and a connector 33. The connector 33 may include a first end 331 and a second end 332 disposed opposite each other, with a first through-hole 333 disposed therein that can extend from the first end 331 to the second end 332, thereby forming the connector 33 into a hollow tubular structure. The metal waveguide 32 is also a generally hollow tubular structure, with a second through-hole 321 disposed therein. One end of the metal waveguide 32 can be used to connect to a transmitting chip or a receiving chip, and the other end can be connected to the first end 331 of the connector 33. After the connection is completed, the second through-hole 321 of the metal waveguide 32 is connected to the first through-hole 333 of the connector 33. The dielectric waveguide 31 is provided with an insertion end 311, which can be inserted into the first through hole 333 through the second end 332 of the connector 33, and a part of the structure of the insertion end 311 can extend into the second through hole 321 of the metal waveguide 32 to achieve a coupling connection between the metal waveguide 32 and the dielectric waveguide 31.

[0076] In this embodiment, the connector 33 can be a circular ring structure, or can also be a rectangular ring, an elliptical ring, or other regular or irregular shapes, which is not limited by the present application. The first through hole 333 of the connector 33 can have a metal inner wall, so as to perform impedance matching between the interconnected dielectric waveguide 31 and the metal waveguide 32, so as to reduce reflection loss and improve the transmission quality of the signal. In a specific implementation, the connector 33 can be made of all-metal material, such as copper, aluminum, stainless steel, etc. In this case, the first through hole 333 formed on the connector 33 is naturally a through hole with a metal inner wall. In addition, in order to prevent the metal inner wall of the first through hole 333 from oxidizing, the metal inner wall can be subjected to anti-oxidation treatment such as gold plating or silver plating. Alternatively, the connector 33 can also be made of plastic. In this case, the metal inner wall can be obtained by performing metallization treatment such as electroplating on the inner wall of the first through hole 333, and the material of the metal inner wall can be copper, aluminum, etc. It is understandable that when the connector 33 is made of plastic, after the first through hole 333 is formed with a metal inner wall, the metal inner wall may be subsequently subjected to an anti-oxidation treatment to ensure the reliability of the connector 33 .

[0077] The dielectric waveguide 31 may include a core 312 and a cladding 313 wrapped around the outer periphery of the core 312. The core 312 may be made of a polymer material, such as polyethylene (PE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), etc., which have a low loss tangent, as well as improved materials based on these polymer materials. The loss tangent refers to the energy consumed by the dielectric to convert electrical energy into heat energy per unit volume per unit time, and is a physical quantity used to characterize the dielectric loss of the electrolyte material after an electric field is applied. The cladding 313 may also be made of the above-mentioned polymer material or a foam of the above-mentioned polymer material. In specific implementation, the cladding 313 may be a one-layer structure or a multi-layer structure, which is not limited in this application. When the cladding 313 is a single-layer structure, the relative dielectric constant of the cladding 313 can be lower than the relative dielectric constant of the core 312. When the cladding 313 includes two or more layers, the relative dielectric constant of at least one layer can be lower than the relative dielectric constant of the core 312. In this way, the electric field energy of the high-frequency signal transmitted in the dielectric waveguide 31 is primarily concentrated within the core 312, while the electric field energy distributed in the cladding 313 is less than the electric field energy concentrated in the core 312. Therefore, when the dielectric waveguide 31 is plugged into the connector 33, the metal loss caused by the metal inner wall of the connector 33 can be reduced. Furthermore, the provision of the cladding 313 can also reduce the disturbance of the electromagnetic field within the dielectric waveguide 31 by the metal boundary, thereby reducing reflection loss.

[0078] In some possible embodiments, the dielectric waveguide 31 may further include a conductor layer (not shown), which may be coated on the outside of the cladding 313 to electromagnetically shield the core 312, thereby further improving signal transmission quality. For example, the conductor layer may be made of a metal material, such as copper, aluminum, stainless steel, or the like.

[0079] It should be noted that the cross-sectional shape of the dielectric waveguide 31 can be the same as that of the first through-hole 333 to ensure that the outer wall of the insertion end 311 of the dielectric waveguide 31 can fit closely with the inner wall of the first through-hole 333. Furthermore, after the insertion end 311 of the dielectric waveguide 31 is inserted into the first through-hole 333, a uniform and symmetrical external force can be applied to the outer circumference of the connector 33 corresponding to the insertion end 311 to ensure that the dielectric waveguide 31 is securely assembled within the connector 33.

[0080] At the insertion end 311 of the dielectric waveguide 31, the core 312 may have an extension section 3121 extending beyond the cladding 313. This extension section 3121 may partially or completely extend into the second through-hole 321 of the metal waveguide 32 and be spaced from the inner wall of the second through-hole 321. The cross-sectional area of ​​the end of the extension section 3121 may gradually decrease in the direction from the second end 332 of the connector 33 toward the first end 331. In some embodiments, the extension section 3121 may have an entire tapered structure. In other embodiments, the extension section 3121 may include a uniform section 31211 and a tapered section 31212, which are sequentially arranged away from the end of the cladding 313. The cross-sectional area of ​​the uniform section 31211 may remain constant along the axial direction, while the tapered section 31212 may have a tapered structure. As the extension section 3121 gradually changes, the electric field energy on the dielectric waveguide 31 will slowly concentrate at the end of the extension section 3121, and then gradually couple to the metal waveguide 32 at the end of the extension section 3121, thereby realizing signal transmission between the dielectric waveguide 31 and the metal waveguide 32.

[0081] In some embodiments, the metal waveguide 32 can be made of all-metal. For example, the material of the metal waveguide 32 includes, but is not limited to, copper, aluminum, stainless steel, etc. In this case, the inner wall of the second through-hole 321 is naturally also made of metal. In other embodiments, the metal waveguide 32 can also be a plastic structure with a metallized inner wall. In specific implementations, the inner wall of the second through-hole 321 can be formed into a metallized layer through an electroplating process. The material of the metallized layer can be copper, aluminum, etc., and the thickness of the metallized layer can be no less than the skin depth of the high-frequency signal to be transmitted at its operating frequency to ensure the integrity of signal transmission. The skin depth can be understood as the fact that when a very high-frequency current passes through a conductor, it can be considered that the current only flows in a very thin layer on the surface of the conductor. Therefore, in high-frequency circuits, hollow conductors can be used instead of solid conductors. The thickness of this conductor is the skin depth.

[0082] The metal waveguide 32 can be a circular ring structure, or can also be a rectangular ring, an elliptical ring, or other regular or irregular shapes, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this. Taking the circular ring metal waveguide 32 as an example, according to the basic theory of the inner diameter of the metal waveguide 32, the cutoff frequency of its main mode TE11 mode should be less than the lowest frequency in the working frequency band of the signal to be transmitted. In addition, the second through hole 321 can include a first hole section 3211 arranged near one end of the connector 33, and the inner diameter of the first hole section 3211 can gradually increase from the first end 331 of the connector 33 to the direction of the second end 332. That is to say, the end of the second through hole 321 near the connector 33 can be a flared structure. In specific implementation, the inner diameter of the first hole section 3211 can increase linearly and uniformly, or can gradually increase in a step-like manner, or can adopt other design forms, as long as the trend of gradual increase can be achieved, this application does not impose any restrictions on this. Figure 7 The linear uniform increase is used as an example for illustration. In a specific design, the length of the first hole segment 3211 may be no less than λ0, where λ0 is the free-space wavelength of the operating frequency of the signal to be transmitted. The operating frequency may be the center frequency within the operating frequency band of the signal to be transmitted. In this case, λ0 is the speed of light divided by the center frequency.

[0083] When assembling the signal transmission structure 3, the end of the extension section 3121 of the dielectric waveguide 31 can be inserted into the second through hole 321. Specifically, when the dielectric waveguide 31 is a tapered structure as a whole, the extension section 3121 can be inserted into the second through hole 321 as a whole or at its end portion. When the dielectric waveguide 31 includes a uniform section 31211 and a gradient section 31212, the gradient section 31212 can be inserted into the second through hole 321 at its end portion, or the gradient section 31212 can be inserted into the second through hole 321 as a whole, or the uniform section 31211 can be partially inserted into the second through hole 321. This is not specifically limited in this application. With this design, the flared structure of the first hole section 3211 can match the tapered structure 31212 of the extension section 3121, thereby avoiding a sudden change in the transmission impedance of the signal energy on the dielectric waveguide 31 during the coupling process to the metal waveguide 32, thereby ensuring the matching degree of the connector 33 assembly.

[0084] Please continue to refer to Figure 7 In some embodiments, the end of the metal waveguide 32 can extend outside the circuit board of the transmitting module or receiving module, and the first end 331 of the connector 33 can be inserted into the first through-hole 333. In this case, the cross-sectional shape of the outer wall of the metal waveguide 32 can be the same as the cross-sectional shape of the first through-hole 333 to ensure that the outer wall of the metal waveguide 32 can fit closely with the inner wall of the first through-hole 333. Similarly, after the end of the metal waveguide 32 is inserted into the first through-hole 333, a uniform and symmetrical external force can be applied to the outer circumference of the connector 33 corresponding to the end of the metal waveguide 32 to ensure that the metal waveguide 32 is securely assembled within the connector 33.

[0085] In one specific embodiment, the inner wall of the first through hole 333 may be provided with a protrusion 334. At the insertion end 311 of the dielectric waveguide 31, the end of the cladding 313 may contact the side of the protrusion 334 facing the second end 332 of the connector 33, thereby utilizing the protrusion 334 to position the insertion end 311 of the dielectric waveguide 31, ensuring that the dielectric waveguide 31 is properly plugged in. The extension section 3121 of the core 312 may extend through the protrusion 334 toward the first end 331 of the connector 33, with the circumference of the extension section 3121 spaced from the surface of the protrusion 334. Similarly, the end of the metal waveguide 32 may contact the side of the protrusion 334 facing the first end 331 of the connector 33, thereby utilizing the protrusion 334 to position the metal waveguide 32, ensuring that the metal waveguide 32 is properly plugged in. It should be noted that at the end of the metal waveguide 32, the inner diameter of the second through-hole 321 and the inner diameter of the protrusion 334 can be approximately equal, and a certain difference is permitted, as long as the difference is within the tolerance range. This helps to improve the matching accuracy of the connector 33 during assembly. Furthermore, in a specific configuration, the protrusion 334 can also have a metal surface to achieve impedance matching between the interconnected dielectric waveguide 31 and metal waveguide 32, thereby reducing reflection loss and improving signal transmission quality.

[0086] In the above embodiment, during the specific design, the protrusion 334 can be a separate component. In this case, the protrusion 334 and the connector 33 can be separately processed and then assembled and fixed within the first through-hole 333. Alternatively, the protrusion 334 can be integrally formed with the connector 33, thereby omitting subsequent assembly steps and simplifying the assembly process of the entire signal transmission structure 3. Of course, in other embodiments, the protrusion 334 can also be integrally formed with the metal waveguide 32. In this case, the protrusion 334 can be considered a positioning structure extending from the end of the metal waveguide 32. The present application does not limit the specific arrangement of the protrusion, as long as the metal waveguide 32 and the dielectric waveguide 31 can be positioned within the first through-hole 333.

[0087] Exemplarily, the protrusion 334 may be an annular structure, so that the dielectric waveguide 31 and the metal waveguide 32 on both sides can be positioned along the entire circumference, further improving the overall assembly accuracy of the signal transmission structure 3 .

[0088] In some other embodiments, a certain gap may be provided between the end of the metal waveguide 32 and the first end 331 of the protrusion 334 facing the connector 33. Since the energy of the signal transmitted in the dielectric waveguide 31 is primarily concentrated within the core 312, and the extension section 3121 of the core 312 can extend into the second through hole 321 of the metal waveguide 32, even if a gap exists between the end of the metal waveguide 32 and the protrusion 334, the energy leaked from the dielectric waveguide 31 will be relatively small, and the impact on the quality of the transmitted signal will be relatively small.

[0089] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure at AA in the middle, Figure 9 for Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the cross-section structure at BB in the middle. For reference Figure 7 、 Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the signal transmission structure 3 may have a first cross-section and a second cross-section, wherein the first cross-section may be located between the end of the cladding 313 of the insertion end 311 and the end of the extension section 3121. It should be noted that when the extension section 3121 includes a uniform section 31211 and a gradient section 31212, the plane where the end where the uniform section 31211 and the gradient section 31212 are connected and the plane where the side of the protrusion 334 facing the first end 331 of the connector 33 is located, the plane closer to the first end 331 of the connector 33 of the two planes is defined as the first plane, for example, Figure 7 In the embodiment shown, the first plane is the plane where the protrusion 334 faces the first end 331 of the connector 33. In this case, the first cross section may be located between the end of the cladding 313 and the first plane. Figure 8 The second cross section may be located between the second end 332 of the connector 33 and the end of the cladding 313 of the insertion end 311, for example Figure 9 BB cross section shown in .

[0090] The following takes the connector 33 as an example with a circular ring structure and introduces the equivalent dielectric constant ε eff The concept of is used to analyze the matching characteristics of the two-segment structure, where the equivalent dielectric constant ε eff It can be understood that the waveguide is equivalently filled with a dielectric constant of ε eff of homogeneous substance.

[0091] For the first cross section AA, its equivalent dielectric constant ε eff1 It can be expressed as:

[0092]

[0093] Among them, ε r0 is the relative dielectric constant of air, ε r1 is the relative dielectric constant of the core 312 of the dielectric waveguide 31, S1 is the cross-sectional area of ​​the core 312 at the first section AA, S1 = π(d1 / 2) 2 , d1 is the diameter of the core 312 at the first section AA; S0 is the cross-sectional area of ​​the hole structure at the first section AA, for example Figure 8 The cross-sectional area of ​​the inner hole formed by the annular protrusion 334 is shown in FIG. , S0=π(d0 / 2) 2, d0 is the inner diameter of the hole structure at the first section AA.

[0094] For the second cross section BB, its equivalent dielectric constant ε eff2 It can be expressed as:

[0095]

[0096] Among them, ε r2 is the relative dielectric constant of the cladding 313 of the dielectric waveguide 31, S2 is the cross-sectional area of ​​the dielectric waveguide 31 at the second cross section BB, S2 = π(d2 / 2) 2 , d2 is the outer diameter of the cladding 313 of the dielectric waveguide 31.

[0097] After simulation and experimental verification, when ε eff1 With ε eff2 The connector can work properly when the following tolerance relationship is met:

[0098]

[0099] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another signal transmission structure provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 10 As shown, when the extension section 3121 is a tapered structure as a whole, the first cross section may be located between the end of the cladding 313 and the side of the protrusion facing the first end 331 of the connector 33. Figure 10 As shown in the figure, the A'-A' section is used as an example for explanation. It can be understood that the diameter of the core 312 at A'-A' is the diameter of the conical structure at the cross section, and the inner diameter of the hole-shaped structure at A'-A' is the inner diameter of the protrusion 334. At this time, the equivalent dielectric constant ε at the first cross section A'-A' is eff1 The equivalent dielectric constant ε at the second cross section BB eff2 It can also be limited by the relationship in the aforementioned embodiment to ensure the impedance matching state of the signal transmission structure during the assembly process.

[0100] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of another signal transmission structure provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 11As shown, in this embodiment, the signal transmission structure 3 may further include a sleeve 34. The insertion end 311 of the dielectric waveguide 31 may be fixed in the sleeve 34, and the end of the cladding 313 of the insertion end 311 may be flush with the end of the sleeve 34. A first positioning step 341 is provided on the outer wall of the sleeve 34. The sleeve 34 may be inserted into the first through-hole 333 via the second end 332 of the connector 33. The first positioning step 341 may abut against the second end 332 of the connector 33, thereby achieving positioning of the sleeve 34 on the connector 33 and, in turn, positioning of the insertion end 311 of the dielectric waveguide 31 within the connector 33. At this time, when the metal waveguide 32 is inserted into the first through-hole 333, the end of the metal waveguide 32 may abut against the end of the sleeve 34, thereby using the sleeve 34 to position the metal waveguide 32 and ensure that the metal waveguide 32 is inserted into the right position. That is to say, in this embodiment, the inner wall of the first through hole 333 does not need to be provided with a protrusion, and the positioning of the dielectric waveguide 31 and the metal waveguide 32 on the connector 33 can be achieved by adding the sleeve 34 .

[0101] In a specific implementation, the sleeve 34 can be an all-metal structure, or a plastic structure with a metallized inner wall, which is not limited in this application. In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the outer wall of the sleeve 34 can be the same as the cross-sectional shape of the first through hole 333 to ensure that the outer wall of the sleeve 34 can fit closely with the inner wall of the first through hole 333, thereby improving the assembly reliability of the sleeve 34 and the connector 33.

[0102] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of another signal transmission structure provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 12 As shown, in this embodiment, the outer wall of the metal waveguide 32 can be provided with a second limiting step 322. When the metal waveguide 32 is inserted into the first through-hole 333, the second limiting step 322 can abut against the first end 331 of the connector 33, thereby achieving the positioning of the metal waveguide 32 within the connector 33. In the first through-hole 333, the end of the cladding 313 of the insertion end 311 of the dielectric waveguide 31 can abut against the end of the metal waveguide 32, thereby using the metal waveguide 32 to position the dielectric waveguide 31 and ensure that the dielectric waveguide 31 is inserted into place. Similarly, in this embodiment, the inner wall of the first through-hole 333 does not need to be provided with a protrusion. By improving the structure of the metal waveguide 32, the positioning of the dielectric waveguide 31 and the metal waveguide 32 on the connector 33 can also be achieved.

[0103] It should be noted that in Figure 11 and Figure 12In the embodiment shown, when the extension section includes a uniform section 31211 and a gradient section 31212, the plane where the end of the uniform section 31211 connected to the gradient section 31212 is located, and the plane where the end of the first hole section 3211 close to the first end 331 of the connector 33 is located, the plane closer to the first end 331 of the connector 33 of the two planes is defined as the second plane, for example, Figure 11 and Figure 12 In the figure, the second plane is the plane where the end of the first hole section 3211 close to the first end 331 of the connector 33 is located. In this case, the first cross section can be specifically located between the end of the cladding 313 and the second plane. The figure takes the A"-A" cross section as an example for illustration. The equivalent dielectric constant ε of the signal transmission structure 3 at the first cross section A"-A" is eff1 And the equivalent dielectric constant ε at the second cross section BB eff2 It can also be limited by the relationship in the aforementioned embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0104] In addition, when the extension section 3121 is a tapered structure as a whole, the first cross section may be located between the two ends of the first hole section 3211. In this case, the equivalent dielectric constant ε at the first cross section is eff1 And the equivalent dielectric constant ε at the second cross section eff2 It can also be defined by the relationship in the aforementioned embodiments.

[0105] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of another signal transmission structure provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 13 As shown, in some embodiments, the metal waveguide 32 can also directly connect to the first end 331 of the connector 33 without being inserted into the first through-hole 333. In this case, the metal waveguide 32 can be completely located on the circuit board of the transmitting module or the receiving module, or the end can extend outside the circuit board, which is not limited in this application. In specific implementations, the end of the metal waveguide 32 and the first end 331 of the connector 33 can be relatively fixed using fasteners, snaps, flanges, or other connecting devices.

[0106] In addition, in this embodiment, the equivalent dielectric constant ε of the signal transmission structure 3 at the first cross section is eff1 and the equivalent dielectric constant ε at the second cross section eff2 It can also be limited by the relationship in the aforementioned embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0107] refer to Figure 14 As shown, Figure 14A schematic diagram of another signal transmission path between a vehicle sensor and an ECU provided in an embodiment of the present application. As previously mentioned, the transmitting module 4 and the receiving module 5 can be connected via the two aforementioned signal transmission structures 3, wherein the metal waveguide of one signal transmission structure 3 is electrically connected to the transmitting module 4, and the metal waveguide of the other signal transmission structure 3 is electrically connected to the receiving module 5, and the dielectric waveguides 31 of the two signal transmission structures are also electrically connected. In specific implementation, the dielectric waveguides 31 of the two signal transmission structures 3 can be either an integrated structure or a split structure, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this. When the dielectric waveguides 31 of the two signal transmission structures 3 are split structures, in order to ensure smooth communication between the transmitting module 4 and the receiving module 5, an embodiment of the present application further provides a dielectric waveguide connection structure 6, by which the ends of the two dielectric waveguides 31 can be electrically connected. It should be noted that, in addition to being used to connect the two separate dielectric waveguides 31 described above, the dielectric waveguide connection structure 6 provided in the embodiment of the present application can also be used to reconnect a damaged (e.g., disconnected) integrated dielectric waveguide 31 to ensure uninterrupted signal transmission between the transmitting module 4 and the receiving module 5 connected at both ends of the dielectric waveguide 31. The dielectric waveguide connection structure 6 is described in detail below.

[0108] For reference Figure 15 and Figure 16 As shown, Figure 15 This is an exploded schematic diagram of a dielectric waveguide connection structure provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 16 for Figure 15Schematic diagram of the structure of the dielectric waveguide connection structure shown in . In the embodiment of the present application, the dielectric waveguide connection structure 6 may include a first connector component 61, a second connector component 62 and a first metal waveguide 63. Each connector component may include a first connector 611 and a first dielectric waveguide 612. Taking the first connector component 61 as an example, the first connector 611 may include a first end 6111 and a second end 6112 arranged opposite to each other, and a first through hole 6113 extending from the first end 6111 to the second end 6112 is provided inside. The first dielectric waveguide 612 includes a first core 6121 and a first cladding 6122 covering the outer periphery of the first core 6121, and the first dielectric waveguide 612 is provided with an insertion end 6123, which can be inserted into the first through hole 6113 from the second end 6112 of the connector 611. A second through-hole 631 is provided within the first metal waveguide 63. One end of the first metal waveguide 63 can be connected to the first end 6111 of the first connector 611 of the first connector assembly 61, and the other end can be connected to the first end 6211 of the first connector 621 of the second connector assembly 62. Once connected, the second through-hole 631 of the first metal waveguide 63 can communicate with the first through-holes 6113 and 6213 of the first connectors 611 and 621 on either side, respectively. The insertion end 6123 of the first dielectric waveguide 612 of the first connector assembly 61 can be inserted into the second through-hole 631 from the left end of the first metal waveguide 63, and the insertion end 6223 of the first dielectric waveguide 622 of the second connector assembly 62 can be inserted into the second through-hole 631 from the right end of the first metal waveguide 63, thereby achieving coupling between the first metal waveguide 63 and the first dielectric waveguides 612 and 622 on either side. It can be understood that the first dielectric waveguide 612 of the first connector component 61 and the first dielectric waveguide 622 of the second connector component 62 are two dielectric waveguides that need to be connected.

[0109] In specific implementations, the structural form of the first connector 611 and the first dielectric waveguide 612 can refer to the arrangement of the connector and dielectric waveguide in the aforementioned signal transmission structure embodiment, and will not be further described here. The extension section 61211 of the first core 6121 of the left first dielectric waveguide 612 can extend from the left end of the first metal waveguide 63 partially or completely into the second through hole 63, and the end of the extension section 62211 of the first core 6221 of the right first dielectric waveguide 622 can extend from the right end of the first metal waveguide 63 partially or completely into the second through hole 631. When a signal is transmitted from the first connector component 61 to the second connector component 62, the electric field energy on the first dielectric waveguide 622 of the first connector component 61 is concentrated at the end of its extension section 61211, and then gradually coupled to the first metal waveguide 63 at the end of the extension section 61211, propagating from the left end to the right end of the first metal waveguide 63, and then gradually coupled to the extension section 61221 of the first dielectric waveguide 622 of the second connector component 62 at the right end of the first metal waveguide 63, thereby realizing signal transmission between the two first dielectric waveguides 612 and 622.

[0110] The second through hole 631 of the first metal waveguide 63 may include a first hole segment 6311, a second hole segment 6312, and a third hole segment 6313. The first hole segment 6311 is located near the first connector component 61, the second hole segment 6312 is located near the second connector component 62, and the third hole segment 6313 is connected between the first and second hole segments 6311 and 6312. The inner diameter of the first hole segment 6311 may gradually increase as the third hole segment 6313 moves toward the first connector component 61. Similarly, the inner diameter of the second hole segment 6312 may also gradually increase as the third hole segment 6313 moves toward the second connector component 62, while the inner diameter of the third hole segment 6313 remains substantially unchanged. In other words, both ends of the second through hole 631 have flared structures. In a specific design, the lengths of the first, second, and third hole segments 6311, 6312, and 6313 may all be no less than λ0, where λ0 is the free-space wavelength of the operating frequency of the signal to be transmitted.

[0111] Please continue to refer to Figure 15 and Figure 16 In some embodiments, both ends of the first metal waveguide 63 can be respectively inserted into the first through-holes 6113 and 6213 of the first connectors 611 and 621. In this case, the cross-sectional shape of the outer wall of the first metal waveguide 63 can be the same as the cross-sectional shape of the first through-holes 6113 and 6213 of the first connectors 611 and 621, to ensure that the outer wall of the first metal waveguide 63 can fit closely with the inner walls of the first through-holes 6113 and 6213.

[0112] The first connector component 61 may have a first cross section and a second cross section, wherein the first cross section may be located between the end of the cladding 6122 of the insertion end 6123 and the end of the extension section 61211 . Figure 15 Taking the CC section as an example, the second section may be located between the second end 6112 of the first connector 611 and the end of the cladding 6122 of the insertion end 6123, for example Figure 15 The DD section shown in . The equivalent dielectric constant ε at the first section CC eff1 , and the equivalent dielectric constant ε at the second cross section DD eff2 The calculation method is the same as that in the above-mentioned signal transmission structure embodiment and will not be repeated here. eff1 The equivalent dielectric constant ε at the second cross section DD eff2 When the following tolerance relationship is met, the first connector 611 of the first connector assembly can work normally:

[0113]

[0114] Similarly, the equivalent dielectric constant at the first section EE and the equivalent dielectric constant at the second section FF of the second connector assembly 62 can also be defined by the above relationship to ensure that the first connector 621 of the second connector assembly 62 can work normally, and the details will not be repeated here.

[0115] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of another dielectric waveguide connection structure provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 17 As shown, in this embodiment, the left end of the first metal waveguide 63 can be directly connected to the first end 6111 of the left first connector 611. Similarly, the right end of the first metal waveguide 63 can also be directly connected to the first end 6211 of the right first connector 621. In specific implementations, the two ends of the first metal waveguide 63 can be fixedly connected to the first connectors 611 and 621 on both sides by fasteners, snaps, or flanges.

[0116] It should be noted that in Figure 16 In the embodiment shown, the equivalent dielectric constants of the first connector component 61 at the first cross-section and the second cross-section can also be defined by the relationship in the aforementioned embodiment, and the equivalent dielectric constants of the second connector component 62 at the first cross-section and the second cross-section can also be defined by the relationship in the aforementioned embodiment, which will not be elaborated here.

[0117] For reference Figure 18 and Figure 19 As shown, Figure 18 A partially exploded schematic diagram of another dielectric waveguide connection structure provided in an embodiment of the present application, Figure 19 for Figure 18 Schematic diagram of the structure of the dielectric waveguide connection structure shown in . In the embodiment of the present application, the dielectric waveguide connection structure 70 may include a first connector component 71, a second connector component 72, a first metal waveguide 73, a second metal waveguide 74 and an intermediate connection component 75. Each connector component may include a first connector 711 and a first dielectric waveguide 712. Taking the first connector component 71 as an example, the first connector 711 may include a first end 7111 and a second end 7112 arranged opposite to each other, and a first through hole 7113 extending from the first end 7111 to the second end 7112 is provided inside. The first dielectric waveguide 712 includes a first core 7121 and a first cladding 7122 covering the outer periphery of the first core 7121, and the first dielectric waveguide 712 is provided with an insertion end 7123, which can be inserted into the first through hole 7113 from the second end 7112 of the first connector 711. The first metal waveguide 73 may have a second through-hole 731, and the second metal waveguide 74 may have a second through-hole 741. The intermediate connection assembly 75 may include a second connector 751 and a second dielectric waveguide 752. The second connector 751 includes a first connection end 7511 and a second connection end 7512 disposed opposite each other. A third through-hole 7513 is disposed therein, extending from the first connection end 7511 to the second connection end 7512. The second dielectric waveguide 752 is disposed within the third through-hole 7513 and includes a second core 7521 and a second cladding 7522 surrounding the outer periphery of the second core 7521. Both ends of the second core 7521 may extend beyond the second cladding 7522.

[0118] One end of the first metal waveguide 73 can be connected to the first end 7111 of the first connector 711 of the first connector assembly 71, and the other end can be connected to the first connection end 7511 of the second connector 751. After the connection is completed, the second through-hole 731 of the first metal waveguide 73 can be respectively connected to the first through-hole 7113 of the first connector 711 and the third through-hole 7513 of the second connector 751. The insertion end 7123 of the first dielectric waveguide 712 of the first connector assembly 71 can be inserted into the second through-hole 731 from the left end of the first metal waveguide 73, and the end of the second core 7521 near the first connection end 7511 can be inserted into the second through-hole 731 from the right end of the first metal waveguide 73. One end of the second metal waveguide 74 can be connected to the first end 7211 of the first connector 721 of the second connector assembly 72, and the other end can be connected to the second connection end 7512 of the second connector 751. Once connected, the second through-hole 741 of the second metal waveguide 74 can communicate with the first through-hole 7213 of the first connector 721 and the third through-hole 7513 of the second connector 751, respectively. The insertion end 7223 of the first dielectric waveguide 722 of the second connector assembly 72 can be inserted into the second through-hole 741 from the right end of the second metal waveguide 74, and the end of the second core 7521 near the second connection end 7512 can be inserted into the second through-hole 741 from the left end of the second metal waveguide 74. In this way, the first metal waveguide 73, the second metal waveguide 74, and the intermediate connector assembly 75 can achieve a coupled connection between the first dielectric waveguides 712 and 722 on both sides. It can be understood that the first dielectric waveguide 712 of the first connector component 71 and the first dielectric waveguide 722 of the second connector component 72 are two dielectric waveguides that need to be connected.

[0119] In a specific implementation, the structural form of the first connector 711 and the first dielectric waveguide 712 can refer to the configuration of the connector and dielectric waveguide in the aforementioned signal transmission structure embodiment, and will not be further described here. The second core 7521 of the second dielectric waveguide 752, extending beyond the second cladding 7522, can also have a tapered structure at both ends. For example, the second core 7521 can have a tapered structure at both ends. The end of the extended section of the first core 7121 of the first dielectric waveguide 712 on the left can extend partially or completely from the left end of the first metal waveguide 73 to the second through hole 731 thereof. The end of the extended section of the first core 7221 of the first dielectric waveguide 722 on the right can extend partially or completely from the right end of the second metal waveguide 74 to the second through hole 741 thereof. At the same time, the left end of the second core 7521 can extend from the right end of the first metal waveguide 73 to the second through hole 731 thereof, and the right end of the second core 7521 can extend from the left end of the second metal waveguide 74 to the second through hole 741 thereof. When a signal is transmitted from the first connector component 71 to the second connector component 72, the electric field energy on the first dielectric waveguide 712 of the first connector component 71 gradually concentrates at the end of its extended section. The electric field energy is then gradually coupled to the first metal waveguide 73 at the end of the extended section, propagating from the left end to the right end of the first metal waveguide 73. The electric field energy is then gradually coupled to the left end of the second dielectric waveguide 752 at the right end of the first metal waveguide 73. The electric field energy is then coupled to the second metal waveguide 74 at the right end of the second dielectric waveguide 752, propagating from the left end to the right end of the second metal waveguide 74. Finally, the electric field energy is gradually coupled to the extended section of the first dielectric waveguide 722 of the second connecting component 72 at the right end of the second metal waveguide 74, thereby achieving signal transmission between the two first dielectric waveguides 712 and 722.

[0120] The second through hole 731 of the first metal waveguide 73 may include a first hole segment 7311, a second hole segment 7312, and a third hole segment 7313. The first hole segment 7311 is positioned distally from the intermediate connecting assembly 75, the second hole segment 7312 is positioned proximate to the intermediate connecting assembly 75, and the third hole segment 7313 is connected between the first and second hole segments 7311 and 7312. The inner diameters of the first and second hole segments 7311 and 7312 may each gradually increase as they move away from the third hole segment 7313, while the inner diameter of the third hole segment 7313 remains substantially constant. In other words, the second through hole 731 of the first metal waveguide 73 may have flared ends. In a specific design, the lengths of the first, second, and third hole segments 7311, 7312, and 7313 may all be no less than λ0, where λ0 is the free-space wavelength of the operating frequency of the signal to be transmitted. Similarly, the second through hole 741 of the second metal waveguide 74 may also be designed in the same manner as described above, and further details will not be given here.

[0121] Please continue to refer to Figure 18 and Figure 19In some embodiments, the left end of the first metal waveguide 73 can be inserted into the first through-hole 7113 of the left first connector 711, and the right end can be inserted into the third through-hole 7513 of the second connector 751. Similarly, the left end of the second metal waveguide 74 can be inserted into the third through-hole 7513 of the second connector 751, and the right end can be inserted into the first through-hole 7213 of the right first connector 721.

[0122] In addition, the first connector component 71 may have a first cross section and a second cross section, wherein the first cross section may be located between the end of the cladding 7122 of the insertion end 7123 and the end of the extension section. Figure 15 Taking the GG section as an example, the second section may be located between the second end 7112 of the first connector 711 and the end of the cladding 7122 of the insertion end 7123, for example Figure 15 . Similarly, the second connector assembly 72 may have a first cross section II and a second cross section JJ. In a specific implementation, the equivalent dielectric constant at the first cross section GG and the equivalent dielectric constant at the second cross section HH of the first connector assembly 71, as well as the equivalent dielectric constant at the first cross section II and the equivalent dielectric constant at the second cross section JJ of the second connector assembly 72, can be defined by the relationship formulas in the aforementioned embodiments to ensure that the first connector assembly 71 and the second connector assembly 72 can function properly.

[0123] It can be understood that the intermediate connecting component 75 may also have a first cross section and a second cross section, wherein the first cross section may be located between the left end of the second cladding 7522 and the left end of the first core 7521, or between the right end of the second cladding 7522 and the right end of the first core 7521, for example Figure 15 The second cross section may be located between the left and right ends of the second cladding layer 7522, such as the LL cross section shown in FIG15 . In a specific implementation, the equivalent dielectric constant at the first cross section and the equivalent dielectric constant at the second cross section of the intermediate connection assembly 75 may also be defined by the relationship formula in the aforementioned embodiment to ensure that the intermediate connection assembly 75 can function properly.

[0124] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of another dielectric waveguide connection structure provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 20As shown, in this embodiment, the left end of the first metal waveguide 73 can be directly connected to the first end 7111 of the first connector 711 on the left side, and the right end of the first metal waveguide 73 can be directly connected to the first connection end 7511 of the second connector 751. Similarly, the left end of the second metal waveguide 74 can be directly connected to the second connection end 7512 of the second connector 751, and the right end of the second metal waveguide 74 can be directly connected to the first end 7211 of the first connector 721 on the right side. In a specific implementation, the two ends of the first metal waveguide 73 can be fixedly connected to the first connector 711 and the second connector 751 via fasteners, buckles, or flanges. The two ends of the second metal waveguide 74 can also be fixedly connected to the first connector 721 and the second connector 751 via fasteners, buckles, or flanges.

[0125] It should be noted that in Figure 20 In the embodiment shown, the equivalent dielectric constant of the first connector component 71 at the first cross-section and the equivalent dielectric constant of the second cross-section can also be defined by the relationship in the aforementioned embodiment, and the equivalent dielectric constant of the second connector component 72 at the first cross-section and the equivalent dielectric constant of the second cross-section can also be defined by the relationship in the aforementioned embodiment, which will not be elaborated here.

[0126] It should be understood that the signal transmission structure and dielectric waveguide connection structure provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied not only in vehicles, but also in other scenarios with high signal transmission rate requirements, such as data center scenarios. Based on this, the embodiments of the present application can also provide an electronic device to which the above signal transmission structure can be applied, with reference to Figure 21 As shown, the electronic device may include a collection switch 8 and multiple cabinets 9, each cabinet 9 may be provided with a switch 91 and multiple servers 92. For each cabinet 9, the servers 92 and the switches 91 therein may communicate with each other. For the electronic device as a whole, the switches 91 in each cabinet 9 may communicate with the collection switch 8. In a specific design, the electronic device may further include a transmitting module and a receiving module, wherein the transmitting module may be electrically connected to the switch 91 and the server 92, respectively, and is used to modulate the signals sent by the server 92 and the switch 91 and shift the spectrum to a specified high-frequency band; the receiving module may also be electrically connected to the server 92 and the switch 91, respectively, and is used to convert and demodulate the high-frequency signals received from the server 92, convert the high-frequency signals into signals in a frequency band receivable by the switch 91, and then send them to the switch 91; and may also be used to convert and demodulate the high-frequency signals received from the switch 91, convert the high-frequency signals into signals in a frequency band receivable by the server 92, and then send them to the server 92.

[0127] In addition, the transmitting module can also be electrically connected to the aggregation switch 8, and is used to modulate the signal sent by the aggregation switch 8 and move the spectrum to a specified high-frequency band; the receiving module can also be electrically connected to the aggregation switch 8, and can be used to convert and demodulate the high-frequency signal received from the switch 91, and convert the high-frequency signal into a signal of a frequency band that can be received by the aggregation switch 8 and then send it to the aggregation switch 8.

[0128] The transmitting module and the receiving module can be connected through the two above-mentioned signal transmission structures, wherein the metal waveguide of one signal transmission structure is electrically connected to the transmitting module, and the metal waveguide of the other signal transmission structure is electrically connected to the receiving module, and the dielectric waveguides of the two signal transmission structures are also electrically connected, thereby realizing signal transmission between the transmitting module and the receiving module.

[0129] It should be noted that, in practical applications, the dielectric waveguides of the two signal transmission structures can be either integral or split, and this application does not impose any restrictions thereon. When the dielectric waveguides of the two signal transmission structures are split, the dielectric waveguide connection structure provided in the aforementioned embodiment can be used to electrically connect the ends of the two dielectric waveguides, thereby ensuring smooth communication between the switch and the server.

[0130] The above are only specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

[0131] The above are only specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A signal transmission structure, characterized in that: Including connectors, metal waveguides and dielectric waveguides, among which: The connector includes a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the connector is provided with a first through hole extending from the first end to the second end, and the first through hole has a metal inner wall; The metal waveguide has a second through hole, one end of the metal waveguide is connected to the first end of the connector, and the second through hole is in communication with the first through hole; The dielectric waveguide includes a core and a cladding covering the periphery of the core. The dielectric waveguide has an insertion end that is inserted into the first through hole by the second end of the connector. At the insertion end of the dielectric waveguide, the core has an extension section that extends beyond the cladding. The end of the extension section extends into the second through hole and is spaced apart from the inner wall of the second through hole. The cross-sectional area of ​​the end portion of the extension section gradually decreases from the second end to the first end.

2. The signal transmission structure according to claim 1, wherein: The signal transmission structure has a first cross section and a second cross section, wherein the first cross section is located between the end of the cladding and the end of the extension section, and the second cross section is located between the second end of the connector and the end of the cladding. The equivalent dielectric constant ε at the first cross section is eff1 The equivalent dielectric constant ε at the second cross section eff2 Satisfy between: 。 3. The signal transmission structure according to claim 2, wherein: The extension section has a tapered structure; or, the extension section includes a uniform section and a gradient section which are sequentially arranged away from the end of the cladding, and the gradient section has a tapered structure.

4. The signal transmission structure according to claim 3, wherein: The second through hole has a first hole section at one end close to the connector, and the inner diameter of the first hole section gradually increases in a direction from the first end to the second end of the connector.

5. The signal transmission structure according to claim 4, wherein: The length of the first hole segment is greater than or equal to λ0, where λ0 is the free space wavelength of the operating frequency of the signal to be transmitted.

6. The signal transmission structure according to claim 4, wherein: The end portion of the metal waveguide is plugged into the first through hole through the first end of the connector.

7. The signal transmission structure according to claim 6, wherein: The inner wall of the first through hole is provided with a protrusion, and the protrusion has a metal surface; At the insertion end of the dielectric waveguide, the end of the cladding contacts the side of the protrusion facing the second end of the connector, and the peripheral side of the extension section is spaced apart from the protrusion.

8. The signal transmission structure according to claim 7, wherein: The end portion of the metal waveguide is in contact with or spaced from the side of the protrusion facing the first end of the connector.

9. The signal transmission structure according to claim 7, wherein: The protrusion is an annular structure.

10. The signal transmission structure according to claim 9, wherein: At the end portion of the metal waveguide inserted into the first through hole, the inner diameter of the second through hole is equal to the inner diameter of the protrusion.

11. The signal transmission structure according to claim 7, wherein: When the extension section is a tapered structure, the first cross section is located between the end of the cladding and the side of the protrusion facing the first end of the connector; When the extension section includes a uniform section and a gradient section, the first cross-section is located between the end of the cladding and a first plane, and the first plane is a plane where the end of the uniform section connected to the gradient section is located, and a plane where the side of the protrusion facing the first end of the connector is located, which is a plane closer to the first end of the connector.

12. The signal transmission structure according to claim 6, wherein: The signal transmission structure further includes a sleeve, and the insertion end of the dielectric waveguide is fixed in the sleeve; The outer wall of the sleeve has a first limiting step, the sleeve is inserted into the first through hole through the second end of the connector, and the first limiting step abuts against the second end of the connector; In the first through hole, the end of the metal waveguide inserted in the first through hole abuts against the end of the sleeve.

13. The signal transmission structure according to claim 6, wherein: The outer wall of the metal waveguide has a second limiting step, and the second limiting step abuts against the first end of the connector; In the first through hole, the end of the metal waveguide inserted into the first through hole abuts against the end of the cladding.

14. The signal transmission structure according to claim 12, wherein: When the extension section is a tapered structure, the first cross section is located between the two ends of the first hole section; When the extension section includes a uniform section and a gradient section, the first cross-section is located between the end of the cladding and a second plane, and the second plane is a plane where the end of the uniform section connected to the gradient section is located and a plane where the end of the first hole section close to the first end of the connector is located, whichever is closer to the first end of the connector.

15. The signal transmission structure according to claim 4, wherein: The end portion of the metal waveguide contacts and is fixedly connected to the first end of the connector.

16. The signal transmission structure according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein: The cladding includes at least one layer structure, and the at least one layer structure is sequentially stacked in a direction away from the core.

17. The signal transmission structure according to claim 16, wherein: When the cladding comprises a layer structure, the relative dielectric constant of the cladding is lower than the relative dielectric constant of the core; When the cladding includes two or more layer structures, the relative dielectric constant of at least one of the layer structures is lower than the relative dielectric constant of the core.

18. A dielectric waveguide connection structure, characterized in that: The invention comprises a first connector component, a second connector component and a first metal waveguide, wherein: Each of the connector assemblies includes a first connector and a first dielectric waveguide, wherein the first connector includes a first end and a second end disposed opposite to each other, the first connector has a first through hole extending from the first end to the second end, and the first through hole has a metal inner wall; the first dielectric waveguide includes a first core and a first cladding covering the outer periphery of the first core, the first dielectric waveguide has an insertion end inserted into the first through hole by the second end of the first connector, and at the insertion end of the first dielectric waveguide, the first core has a gradient section extending beyond the first cladding, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the gradient section gradually decreases in a direction from the second end to the first end; The first metal waveguide has a second through hole, one end of the first metal waveguide is connected to the first end of the first connector of the first connector assembly, and the other end of the first metal waveguide is connected to the first end of the first connector of the second connector assembly, and the gradient section of the first connector assembly and the gradient section of the second connector assembly are respectively inserted into the second through hole from the two ends of the first metal waveguide.

19. The dielectric waveguide connection structure according to claim 18, wherein: The second through hole includes a first hole segment, a second hole segment and a third hole segment, the first hole segment is arranged close to the first connector component, the second hole segment is arranged close to the second connector component, and the third hole segment is located between the first hole segment and the second hole segment; In a direction away from the third hole section, the inner diameters of the first hole section and the second hole section gradually increase.

20. The dielectric waveguide connection structure according to claim 19, wherein: The length of the first hole segment is greater than or equal to λ0; and / or, the length of the second hole segment is greater than or equal to λ0; and / or, the length of the third hole segment is greater than or equal to λ0; wherein λ0 is the free space wavelength of the operating frequency of the signal to be transmitted.

21. A dielectric waveguide connection structure, characterized in that: The invention comprises a first connector component, a second connector component, a first metal waveguide, a second metal waveguide and an intermediate connection component, wherein: Each of the connector assemblies includes a first connector and a first dielectric waveguide, wherein the first connector includes a first end and a second end disposed opposite to each other, the first connector has a first through hole extending from the first end to the second end, the first through hole having a metal inner wall; the first dielectric waveguide includes a first core and a first cladding covering the outer periphery of the first core, the first dielectric waveguide has an insertion end inserted into the first through hole by the second end of the connector, and at the insertion end of the first dielectric waveguide, the first core has a gradient section extending beyond the first cladding, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the gradient section gradually decreases in a direction from the second end to the first end; Each of the metal waveguides has a second through hole; The intermediate connection assembly includes a second connector and a second dielectric waveguide, the second connector including a first connecting end and a second connecting end opposite to each other, the second connector having a third through hole extending from the first connecting end to the second connecting end, the third through hole having a metal inner wall; the second dielectric waveguide is disposed in the third through hole, the second dielectric waveguide including a second core and a second cladding covering the outer periphery of the second core, with both ends of the second core extending beyond the second cladding; One end of the first metal waveguide is connected to the first end of the first connector of the first connector assembly, the other end of the first metal waveguide is connected to the first connection end, and the gradient section of the first connector assembly and the end of the second core body close to the first connection end are respectively inserted into the second through hole of the first metal waveguide; One end of the second metal waveguide is connected to the first end of a connector of the second connector assembly, the other end of the second metal waveguide is connected to the second connection end, and the gradient section of the second connector assembly and the end of the second core body close to the second connection end are respectively inserted into the second through hole of the second metal waveguide.

22. The dielectric waveguide connection structure according to claim 21, wherein: The second through hole includes a first hole segment, a second hole segment and a third hole segment, the first hole segment is arranged away from the intermediate connection component, the second hole segment is arranged close to the intermediate connection component, and the third hole segment is located between the first hole segment and the second hole segment; In a direction away from the third hole section, the inner diameters of the first hole section and the second hole section gradually increase.

23. The dielectric waveguide connection structure according to claim 22, wherein: The length of the first hole segment is greater than or equal to λ0; and / or, the length of the second hole segment is greater than or equal to λ0; and / or, the length of the third hole segment is greater than or equal to λ0; wherein λ0 is the free space wavelength of the operating frequency of the signal to be transmitted.

24. A vehicle, characterized in that: The device comprises a sensor, a transmitting module, a receiving module, an electronic control unit, and a signal transmission structure according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein: The sensor is used to detect the driving information of the vehicle; The transmitting module is electrically connected to the sensor and is used to modulate the detection signal of the sensor into a high-frequency signal; There are two signal transmission structures, wherein the metal waveguide of one of the signal transmission structures is electrically connected to the transmitting module, the metal waveguide of the other signal transmission structure is electrically connected to the receiving module, and the dielectric waveguides of the two signal transmission structures are electrically connected; The receiving module is electrically connected to the electronic control unit, and is used for demodulating the received high-frequency signal and sending the demodulated signal to the electronic control unit.

25. The vehicle according to claim 24, wherein The dielectric waveguides of the two signal transmission structures are an integrated structure.

26. The vehicle of claim 24, wherein: The vehicle also includes a dielectric waveguide connection structure as described in any one of claims 18 to 23, wherein the dielectric waveguide of one of the two signal transmission structures is electrically connected to the first dielectric waveguide of the first connector component, and the dielectric waveguide of the other signal transmission structure is electrically connected to the dielectric waveguide of the second connector component.

27. An electronic device, characterized in that: The device comprises a server, a switch, a transmitting module, a receiving module, and the signal transmission structure according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein: The transmitting module is electrically connected to the server and the switch respectively, and is used to modulate the signals sent by the server and the switch into high-frequency signals; There are two signal transmission structures, wherein the metal waveguide of one of the signal transmission structures is electrically connected to the transmitting module, the metal waveguide of the other signal transmission structure is electrically connected to the receiving module, and the dielectric waveguides of the two signal transmission structures are electrically connected; The receiving module is electrically connected to the server and the switch respectively, and is used to demodulate the high-frequency signal received from the server and send it to the switch, and to demodulate the high-frequency signal received from the switch and send it to the server.

28. The electronic device according to claim 27, wherein: The electronic device further includes a collection switch; The transmitting module is also electrically connected to the aggregation switch, and is used to modulate the signal sent by the aggregation switch into a high-frequency signal; The receiving module is also electrically connected to the aggregation switch, and is used to demodulate the high-frequency signal received from the switch and send it to the aggregation switch, and demodulate the high-frequency signal from the aggregation switch and send it to the switch.

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