Waveguide-type power distributor, waveguide-type combiner,and radar equipment

Abstract

A waveguide-type power distributor of the present invention comprises: an input waveguide for being inputted an electromagnetic wave into a waveguide, formed on the waveguide E-plane that is orthogonal to the electric field of the electromagnetic wave; a first resonator, arranged on the E-plane, for resonating the electromagnetic wave; a plurality of second resonator, arranged on the E-plane, for resonating the electromagnetic wave; an output waveguide for outputting the electromagnetic wave from each of the plurality of second resonator; a first iris for transmitting the electromagnetic wave from the input waveguide into the first resonator, formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the waveguide between the input waveguide and the first resonator; a plurality of second iris for transmitting the electromagnetic wave from the first resonator into each of the second resonator, respectively, formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the waveguide between the first resonator and the second resonator, respectively; and a plurality of third iris for transmitting the electromagnetic wave from the second resonator into the output waveguide, respectively, formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the waveguide between the second resonator and the output waveguide, respectively.

Description

WAVEGUIDE-TYPE POWER DISTRIBUTOR, WAVEGUIDE-TYPE COMBINER,AND RADAR EQUIPMENT

[0001] The present invention relates to a waveguide-type power distributor, a waveguide-type combiner and radar equipment.

[0002] A non-patent document 1 discloses a waveguide antenna utilizing a branch circuit branching an electromagnetic wave at an E-plane.

[0003] A. Rogers, "Wideband Squintless Linear Arrays", The Marconi Review, No.187, Fourth Quarter 1972, p.221-243

[0004] The waveguide antenna apparatus described in the above non-patent document 1 has the problem that the apparatus size is relatively large. The present invention has been made in view of the above problem, and its main purpose is to provide a waveguide-type power distributor, a waveguide-type combiner, an antenna apparatus, and radar equipment capable of being a small size.

[0005] To solve the problem, the waveguide-type power distributor according to one aspect of the present invention comprise: an input waveguide configured to be inputted an electromagnetic wave into a waveguide, wherein it is formed on the waveguide E-plane that is orthogonal to the electric field of the electromagnetic wave, a first resonator, arranged on the E-plane, configured to resonate the electromagnetic wave; a plurality of second resonator, arranged on the E-plane, configured to resonate the electromagnetic wave; and an output waveguide configured to output the electromagnetic wave.

[0006] The waveguide-type power distributor further comprises: a first iris configured to transmit the electromagnetic wave from the input waveguide into the first resonator, wherein it is formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the waveguide between the input waveguide and the first resonator; a plurality of second iris configured to transmit the electromagnetic wave from the first resonator into each of the second resonator, respectively, wherein it is formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the waveguide between the first resonator and the second resonator, respectively; and a plurality of third iris configured to transmit the electromagnetic wave from the second resonator into the output waveguide, respectively, wherein it is formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the waveguide between the second resonator and the output waveguide, respectively.

[0007] The waveguide-type power distributor according to another aspect of the present invention comprise: a first waveguide-type resonator configured to be inputted the electromagnetic wave; a second waveguide-type resonator configured to be connected to the first waveguide-type resonator through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes; a third waveguide-type resonator configured to be connected to the first waveguide-type resonator through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes; a first output waveguide configured to be connected to the second waveguide-type resonator through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes; a second output waveguide configured to be connected to the second waveguide-type resonator through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes; a third output waveguide configured to be connected to the third waveguide-type resonator through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes; and a fourth output waveguide configured to be connected to the third waveguide-type resonator through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes.

[0008] The waveguide-type power distributor may further comprise an input waveguide configured to be connected to the first waveguide-type resonator through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes.

[0009] In the waveguide-type power distributor, the iris formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the first waveguide-type resonator connected to the second waveguide-type resonator may be located on the opposite side of the iris formed the opposing pair of H-planes of the first waveguide-type resonator connected to the input waveguide, and the iris formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the first waveguide-type resonator connected to the third waveguide-type resonator may also be located on the opposite side of the iris formed the opposing pair of H-planes of the first waveguide-type resonator connected to the input waveguide.

[0010] Also, the iris formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the second waveguide-type resonator respectively connected to the first output waveguide may be located on the opposite side of the iris formed the opposing pair of H-planes of the second waveguide-type resonator connected to the first waveguide-type resonator; and the iris formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the second waveguide-type resonator respectively connected to the second output waveguide may be located on the opposite side of the iris formed the opposing pair of H-planes of the second waveguide-type resonator connected to the first waveguide-type resonator.

[0011] The iris formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the third waveguide-type resonator connected to the third output waveguide may be located on the opposite side of the iris formed the opposing pair of H-planes of the third waveguide-type resonator connected to the first waveguide-type resonator, and the iris formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the third waveguide-type resonator connected to the fourth output waveguide may be located on the opposite side of the iris formed the opposing pair of H-planes of the third waveguide-type resonator connected to the first waveguide-type resonator.

[0012] The first waveguide-type resonator, the second waveguide-type resonator, and the third waveguide-type resonator may be formed on the common E-plane. The first output waveguide, the second output waveguide, the third output waveguide and the fourth output waveguide also may be formed on the common E-plane.

[0013] The first waveguide-type resonator, the second waveguide-type resonator, and the third waveguide-type resonator are formed on the common E-planes, the first output waveguide, the second output waveguide, the third output waveguide and the fourth output waveguide may include concave portions formed on one face of the block, respectively, and further may include a cover that covers the concave portions.

[0014] The waveguide-type power distributor further may comprise a fourth waveguide-type resonator to which the first waveguide-type resonator is connected through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes. The waveguide-type power distributor may further comprise an input waveguide to which the fourth waveguide-type resonator is connected through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes.

[0015] A waveguide-type combiner for combining electromagnetic waves of the present invention comprises: a first input waveguide configured to be inputted the electromagnetic wave; a second input waveguide configured to be inputted the electromagnetic wave; a third input waveguide configured to be inputted the electromagnetic wave; a fourth input waveguide configured to be inputted the electromagnetic wave; a first waveguide-type resonator configured to be connected to the first input waveguide and the second input waveguide through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes, respectively; a second waveguide-type resonator configured to be connected to the third input waveguide and the fourth input waveguide through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes, respectively; a third waveguide-type resonator configured to be connected to the first waveguide-type resonator and the second waveguide-type resonator through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes, respectively.

[0016] In the waveguide-type power distributor, the width of the second iris may be barrower than that of the first iris. Also, the width of the second iris may be barrower than that of the third iris.

[0017] A radar equipment of the invention comprises: an electromagnetic wave generator configured to generate an electromagnetic wave; and the waveguide-type power distributor above mentioned.

[0018] Figure 1 shows an example of basic configuration of radar equipment.Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the waveguide-type power distributor.Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of an antenna directivity.Figure 4 is a plan view showing an example of the waveguide-type power distributor.Figure 5 indicates the width of each iris in the waveguide-type power distributor shown in FIG. 1.Figures 6A and 6B are diagrams showing the relationship between the power ratio of the output waveguide to the input waveguide (frequency characteristic of the scattering matrix).

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In the present specification and the figures, elements like those described above with respect to the previous figures may be denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions may be omitted accordingly.Radar

[0020] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a radar equipment 100 according to an embodiment. The radar equipment 100 includes an antenna apparatus 10 according to the embodiment. In addition to the antenna apparatus 10, the radar equipment 100 also includes a transmission / receiver 11, a signal processor 12, and a controller 13.

[0021] The transmission / receiver 11 includes a modulation unit and a magnetron (not shown in the figure), and intermittently drives the magnetron with a pulse voltage generated by the modulation unit in response to a trigger signal from the signal processor 12 to generate a transmission signal. The antenna apparatus 10 transmits the transmission signal from the transmission / receiver 11 as the electromagnetic wave pulses.

[0022] The antenna apparatus 10 converts the received reflected wave into a reception signal. The reception signal from the antenna apparatus 10 passes through a frequency conversion / amplification circuit and a detection circuit included in the transmission / receiver 11, is processed by the signal processor 12, and is sent to the control unit 13 as a digital signal.

[0023] The radar equipment 100 is, for example, a marine radar that transmits and receives microwaves. The radar equipment 100 may be, for example, an on-vehicle radar for obstacle detection or collision prevention that transmits and receives millimeter waves.

[0024] The antenna apparatus 10 includes a waveguide-type power distributor 1 according to the embodiment described below. The waveguide-type power distributor 1 also serves as the waveguide-type combiner (synthesizer) according to the embodiment. That is, the input-output relationship can be replaced.first embodiment

[0025] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the waveguide-type power distributor 1A according to the first embodiment. The waveguide-type power distributor 1A includes a block 2 in which a concave portion 20 is formed in the top surface 23, and a cover 3 in contact with the top surface 23 of the block 2 to cover the concave portion 20. The block 2 and the cover 3 are formed of a conductive metal material such as aluminum, for example.

[0026] The waveguide-type power distributor 1A has the waveguide-type waveguide 40 for input, first waveguide-type resonator 51, second waveguide-type resonator 52, third waveguide-type resonator 53, the waveguide-type waveguide 61 for first output, the waveguide-type waveguide 62 for second output, the waveguide-type waveguide 63 for third output, and the waveguide-type waveguide 64 for fourth output. These are constituted by concave portion 20 of the block 2.

[0027] The X-direction in FIG. 2 is the direction in which the output the waveguide-type waveguide 61-64 is arranged relative to the input the waveguide-type waveguide 40. In the following description, the X-direction is also referred to as the "forward direction" and the opposite direction as the "backward direction".

[0028] The Y-direction is the direction in which the output the waveguide-type waveguide 61-64 is arranged. In the following description, the Y-direction is also referred to as the "right direction" and the opposite direction as the "left direction".

[0029] The Z-direction is the direction in which the cover 3 is arranged relative to the block 2. In the following description, the Z-direction is also referred to as the "up direction" and the opposite direction as the "down direction". The up and down direction is the electric field direction of the electromagnetic wave propagating in the waveguide-type power distributor 1. An electromagnetic wave propagates in TE mode.

[0030] In this description of the embodiments, a plane orthogonal to the electric field direction is called "E-plane," and the plane orthogonal to E-plane is called "the H-plane". That is, the lower surface of the bottom surface 25 and the cover 4 of the concave portion 20 of the block 2 is defined "E-plane" and the side 27 of the concave portion 20 is defined "H-plane".

[0031] In an input waveguide-type waveguide 40 (hereinafter simply referred to as "input waveguide 40"), the electromagnetic wave from the transmitting / receiver 11 (see FIG. 1) is inputted. The first waveguide-type resonator 51 (hereinafter also referred to simply as "first resonator 51") is connected to the input waveguide 40 through the iris 5a, and the electromagnetic wave is input from the input waveguide 40.

[0032] A second waveguide-type resonator 52 (hereinafter also referred to simply as "second resonator 52") is connected to the first resonator 51 through the iris 5b, and the electromagnetic wave is input from the first resonator 51.

[0033] A third waveguide-type resonator 53 (hereinafter also referred to simply as "third resonator 53") is also connected to first resonator 51 through the iris 5c, and the electromagnetic wave is input from first resonator 51. The electromagnetic wave input to the first resonator 51 is distributed from the first resonator 51 to the second resonator 52 and the third resonator 53.

[0034] A waveguide-type waveguide 61 (hereinafter simply referred to as "first output waveguide 61") for the first output is connected to the second resonator 52 through the iris 6a, and the electromagnetic wave is input from the second resonator 52.

[0035] A waveguide-type waveguide 62 (hereinafter simply referred to as "second output waveguide 62") for second output is also connected to the second resonator 52 through the iris 6b, and the electromagnetic wave is input from the second resonator 52. The electromagnetic wave input to the second resonator 52 is distributed from the second resonator 52 to the first output waveguide 61 and the second output waveguide 62.

[0036] A third output the waveguide-type waveguide 63 (hereinafter simply referred to as "third output waveguide 63") is connected to the third resonator 53 through the iris 6c, and the electromagnetic wave is input from the third resonator 53.

[0037] A fourth output the waveguide-type waveguide 64 (hereinafter simply referred to as "fourth output waveguide 64") is also connected to the third resonator 53 through the iris 6d, and the electromagnetic wave is input from the third resonator 53. The electromagnetic wave input to the third resonator 53 is distributed from the third resonator 53 to the third output waveguide 63 and the fourth output waveguide 64.

[0038] The output waveguide 61-64 opens forward and serves as the antenna element of the antenna apparatus 10 (see FIG. 1). Alternatively, the output waveguide 61-64 may output the electromagnetic wave to a separate the antenna element.

[0039] When the waveguide-type power distributor 1A is used as the waveguide-type combiner, the input waveguide 40 is used as the output waveguide, and the output waveguide 61-64 is used as the input waveguide. The input waveguide 40, the first resonator 51, the second resonator 52, the third resonator 53, the first output waveguide 61, the second output waveguide 62, the third output waveguide 63, and the fourth output waveguide 64 have a common E-plane. That is, each E-plane is contained in the same plane. The common E-plane is constituted by the lower surface of the bottom surface 25 and the cover 3 of the concave portion 20.

[0040] The iris 5a-5c, 6a-6d are formed between the opposing pair of H-planes, respectively. That is, the iris 5a-5c, 6a-6d are formed to penetrate the side 27 of the concave portion 20 formed in the block 2A. The iris 5a is formed between the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the input waveguide 40 and the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the first resonator 51. The iris 5b is formed between the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of first resonator 51 and the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of second resonator 52. Specifically, the iris 5b is formed between the left part of the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of first resonator 51 and the right part of the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of second resonator 52.

[0041] The iris 5c is formed between the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of first resonator 51 and the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of third resonator 53. Specifically, the iris 5c is formed between the right side of the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the first resonator 51 and the left side of the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the third resonator 53. The iris 6a is formed between the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the second resonator 52 and the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the first output waveguide 61. Specifically, the iris 6a is formed on the left side of the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the second resonator 52. The waveguide 61 for first output is opened forward.

[0042] The iris 6b is formed between the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the second resonator 52 and the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the second output waveguide 62. Specifically, the iris 6b is formed on the right side of the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the second resonator 52. The second output waveguide 62 is opened forward. The iris 6c is formed between the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the third resonator 53 and the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the third output waveguide 63. Specifically, the iris 6c is formed on the left side of the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the third resonator 53. The third output waveguide 63 is opened toward the front.

[0043] The iris 6d is formed between the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the third resonator 53 and the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the fourth output waveguide 64. In detail, the iris 6d is formed in the right part of the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the third resonator 53. The fourth output waveguide 64 is opened toward the front.

[0044] Thus, a planar circuit including a plurality of waveguides connected to each other by the iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes, that is, a planar circuit including a plurality of waveguides arranged in the in-plane direction of the E-plane, is called a "H-plane waveguide circuit."

[0045] The input waveguide 40 is connected to the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the first resonator 51. The second resonator 52 and the third resonator 53 are connected to the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the first resonator 51. That is, the opposing pair of H-planes of the first resonator 51 connected to the second resonator 52 and third resonator 53 is located on the opposite side of the opposing pair of H-planes of the first resonator 51 connected to the input waveguide 40.

[0046] The first resonator 51 is connected to the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the second resonator 52, and the first output waveguide 61 and the second output waveguide 62 are connected to the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of second resonator 52. That is, the opposing pair of H-planes of the second resonator 52 connected to the first output waveguide 61 and the second output waveguide 62 is located on the opposite side of the opposing pair of H-planes of the second resonator 52 connected to the first resonator 51.

[0047] The first resonator 51 is connected to the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the third resonator 53, and the third output waveguide 63 and the fourth output waveguide 64 are connected to the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the third resonator 53. That is, the opposing pair of H-planes of the third resonator 53 connected to the third output waveguide 63 and the fourth output waveguide 64 is located on the opposite side of the opposing pair of H-planes of the third resonator 53 connected to the first resonator 51.

[0048] In the waveguide-type power distributor 1A described above, since the three resonators 51-53 and the four output waveguides 61-64 are branched by the opposing pair of H-planes and arranged in a tree structure (or tournament shape), small size distributor can be realized. In the waveguide-type power distributor 1A, since the three resonators 51-53 are arranged in a tree structure between the input waveguides 40 and the four output waveguides 61-64, each input / output path between the input waveguides 40 and the four output waveguides 61-64 goes through two of the three resonators 51-53.

[0049] By selecting the desired value of the coupling coefficient connecting two of the three resonators 51-53 and the amount obtained by the energy ratio Q outside the input / output path, the input to the input waveguides 40 is distributed to the output waveguides 61-64 with the desired distribution ratio. Furthermore, by designing these resonators 51-53 to have a filter function, unnecessary noise radiation can be suppressed.

[0050] Figure 3 shows an example of antenna directivity when the antenna structure of the waveguide-type power distributor 1A is designed in the 24 GHz band. Radiation from the antenna aperture of the output waveguide 61-64 is approximately in phase in the equivalent circuit. According to the figure, the waveguide-type power distributor 1A exhibits high performance antenna characteristics despite its simple structure.second embodiment

[0051] Figure 4 is a plan view showing an example of the waveguide-type power distributor 1B according to the second embodiment. The waveguide-type power distributor 1B includes an input waveguide 40, a first or eighth resonator 51-56, 71, 72, and a first or eighth output waveguide 61-68.

[0052] The first or third resonator 51-53 and the first or fourth output waveguide 61-64 are as described in the waveguide-type power distributor 1A above. The same applies to the fourth or sixth resonator 54-56 and the fifth or eighth output waveguide 65-68.

[0053] The first resonator 51 is connected to the seventh resonator 71 through the iris 5d, and the electromagnetic wave is input from the seventh resonator 71. The seventh resonator 71 is connected to the input waveguide 40 through the iris 7a, and the electromagnetic wave is inputted from the input waveguide 40.

[0054] The iris 5d is formed between the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the seventh resonator 71 and the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the first resonator 51. Specifically, the iris 5d is formed between the left part of the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the seventh resonator 71 and the right part of the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the first resonator 51.

[0055] The iris 7a is formed between the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the input waveguide 40 and the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the seventh resonator 71. Specifically, the iris 7a is formed between the left portion of the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the input waveguide 40 and the right portion of the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the seventh resonator 71.

[0056] The fourth resonator 54 is connected to the eighth resonator 72 through the iris 5e, and the electromagnetic wave is input from the eighth resonator 72. The eighth resonator 72 is connected to the input waveguide 40 through the iris 7b, and the electromagnetic wave is input from the input waveguide 40.

[0057] The iris 5e is formed between the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the eighth resonator 72 and the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the fourth resonator 54. Specifically, the iris 5e is formed between the right part of the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the eighth resonator 72 and the left part of the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the fourth resonator 54.

[0058] The iris 7b is formed between the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the input waveguide 40 and the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the eighth resonator 72. Specifically, the iris 7b is formed between the right part of the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the input waveguide 40 and the right part of the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the eighth resonator 72.

[0059] The input to the input waveguide 40 is distributed from the input waveguide 40 to the seventh resonator 71 and the eighth resonator 72. Both seventh resonator 71 and the eighth resonator 72 may be configured by one resonator.

[0060] The input waveguide 40 is connected to the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the seventh resonator 71, and a first resonator 51 is connected to the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the seventh resonator 71. That is, the opposing pair of H-planes of the seventh resonator 71 connected to the first resonator 51 is located on the opposite side of the opposing pair of H-planes of the seventh resonator 71 connected to the input waveguide 40.

[0061] The input waveguide 40 is connected to the opposing pair of H-planes on the rear side of the eighth resonator 72, and the fourth resonator 54 is connected to the opposing pair of H-planes on the front side of the eighth resonator 72. That is, the opposing pair of H-planes of the eighth resonator 72 connected to the fourth resonator 54 is located on the opposite side of the opposing pair of H-planes of the eighth resonator 72 connected to the input waveguide 40.

[0062] As described above, in the waveguide-type power distributor 1B, eight resonators 51-56, 71 and 72 are arranged in a tree structure between the input waveguide 40 and the eight output waveguides 61-68. Therefore, each input / output path between the input waveguide 40 and the eighth output waveguides 61-68 goes through 3 of the eighth resonators 51-56,71, and 72. As a result, in the waveguide-type power distributor 1B, a higher frequency selection system and a narrower beam width are possible compared with those in the waveguide-type power distributor 1A.

[0063] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is limited to the embodiments described above. It should be noted that various modifications are possible for those skilled in the art.

[0064] The shape of the cover 3 is not limited to a plate. It is also possible to compose a waveguide structure by combining the concave portion 20 of the block 2 and the other concave portioned part having surface symmetry each other. The waveguide may also be formed in three, and the concave portions may be aligned with each other. The number of output waveguides 61-68 is not limited to four or eight. The output waveguide may be further increased by using the configuration of the resonator tree structure.

[0065] Next, a description will be given of the improvement of the characteristics of the electric power cost of the electromagnetic wave inputted from the input waveguide and the electromagnetic wave outputted from the output waveguide.

[0066] Figures 6A and 6B are diagrams showing the relationship between the power ratio of the output waveguide to the input waveguide (frequency characteristic of the scattering matrix). The horizontal axis shows the frequency of the electromagnetic wave input to the input waveguide, and the vertical axis shows the absolute value of the scattering parameter in decibels.

[0067] FIG. 6A shows the frequency characteristics when the width (Wb) of the iris between the first waveguide type resonator and the second waveguide type resonator is narrow against the width (Wa in FIG. 5) of the iris between the input waveguide and the first waveguide type resonator and the width (Wc) of the iris between the second waveguide type resonator and the output waveguide. FIG. 6B shows the frequency characteristics when Wb is equal to Wa and Wc.

[0068] S11 represents the amount of power applied to the input port that is reversely returned, and more power is returned as it goes up on the vertical axis. It is desirable to reduce this amount because backflow reduces power to the output port.

[0069] Comparing both characteristics, it can be seen that the amount of S11 improves the backflow to about -28dB by reducing the width of Wb, compared with -12dB when the widths of Iris Wa and Wb are made the same. From this, it can be seen that the power ratio is improved by reducing the width of Wb without making the widths of Iris Wa, Wb and Wc the same.Terminology

[0070] It is to be understood that not necessarily all objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment described herein. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that certain embodiments may be configured to operate in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

[0071] All of the processes described herein may be embodied in, and fully automated via, software code modules executed by a computing system that includes one or more computers or processors. The code modules may be stored in any type of non-transitory computer-readable medium or other computer storage device. Some or all the methods may be embodied in specialized computer hardware.

[0072] Many other variations than those described herein will be apparent from this disclosure. For example, depending on the embodiment, certain acts, events, or functions of any of the algorithms described herein can be performed in a different sequence, can be added, merged, or left out altogether (e.g., not all described acts or events are necessary for the practice of the algorithms). Moreover, in certain embodiments, acts or events can be performed concurrently, e.g., through multi-threaded processing, interrupt processing, or multiple processors or processor cores or on other parallel architectures, rather than sequentially. In addition, different tasks or processes can be performed by different machines and / or computing systems that can function together.

[0073] The various illustrative logical blocks and modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed by a machine, such as a processor. A processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be a controller, microcontroller, or state machine, combinations of the same, or the like. A processor can include electrical circuitry configured to process computer-executable instructions. In another embodiment, a processor includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable device that performs logic operations without processing computer-executable instructions. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a digital signal processor (DSP) and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Although described herein primarily with respect to digital technology, a processor may also include primarily analog components. For example, some or all of the signal processing algorithms described herein may be implemented in analog circuitry or mixed analog and digital circuitry. A computing environment can include any type of computer system, including, but not limited to, a computer system based on a microprocessor, a mainframe computer, a digital signal processor, a portable computing device, a device controller, or a computational engine within an appliance, to name a few.

[0074] Conditional language such as, among others, "can," "could," "might" or "may," unless specifically stated otherwise, are otherwise understood within the context as used in general to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and / or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and / or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements and / or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

[0075] Disjunctive language such as the phrase "at least one of X, Y, or Z," unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with the context as used in general to present that an item, term, etc., may be either X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and / or Z). Thus, such disjunctive language is not generally intended to, and should not, imply that certain embodiments require at least one of X, at least one of Y, or at least one of Z to each be present.

[0076] Any process descriptions, elements or blocks in the flow diagrams described herein and / or depicted in the attached figures should be understood as potentially representing modules, segments, or portions of code which include one or more executable instructions for implementing specific logical functions or elements in the process. Alternate implementations are included within the scope of the embodiments described herein in which elements or functions may be deleted, executed out of order from that shown, or discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved as would be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0077] Unless otherwise explicitly stated, articles such as "a" or "an" should generally be interpreted to include one or more described items. Accordingly, phrases such as "a device configured to" are intended to include one or more recited devices. Such one or more recited devices can also be collectively configured to carry out the stated recitations. For example, "a processor configured to carry out recitations A, B and C" can include a first processor configured to carry out recitation A working in conjunction with a second processor configured to carry out recitations B and C. The same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce embodiment recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced embodiment recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).

[0078] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.).

[0079] For expository purposes, the term "horizontal" as used herein is defined as a plane parallel to the plane or surface of the floor of the area in which the system being described is used or the method being described is performed, regardless of its orientation. The term "floor" can be interchanged with the term "ground" or "water surface." The term "vertical" refers to a direction perpendicular to the horizontal as just defined. Terms such as "above," "below," "bottom," "top," "side," "higher," "lower," "upper," "over," and "under," are defined with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0080] As used herein, the terms "attached," "connected," "mated" and other such relational terms should be construed, unless otherwise noted, to include removable, moveable, fixed, adjustable, and / or releasable connections or attachments. The connections / attachments can include direct connections and / or connections having intermediate structure between the two components discussed.

[0081] Numbers preceded by a term such as "approximately," "about," and "substantially" as used herein include the recited numbers, and also represent an amount close to the stated amount that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms "approximately," "about," and "substantially" may refer to an amount that is within less than 10% of the stated amount. Features of embodiments disclosed herein preceded by a term such as "approximately," "about," and "substantially" as used herein represent the feature with some variability that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result for that feature.

[0082] It should be emphasized that many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments, the elements of which are to be understood as being among other acceptable examples. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.

[0083] 1 waveguide-type power distributor (waveguide-type combiner) 2 block 3 cover 10 antenna apparatus 11 transmitter / receiver 12 signal processor 13 controller 20 concave portion 23 top surface 25 bottom surface (E-plane) 27 side (H-plane) 40 input waveguide (input waveguide) 51-56 waveguide-type resonator 51 first resonator 52,53 second resonator 5a-5g iris 5a first iris 5b,5c second iris 61-68 output waveguide 6a-6h iris 6a,6b,6c,6d third iris 71,72 waveguide-type resonator 7a,7b iris 100 radar equipment

Claims

1. A waveguide-type power distributor for distributing an electromagnetic wave, comprising: an input waveguide configured to be inputted the electromagnetic wave into a waveguide, wherein it is formed on the waveguide E-plane that is orthogonal to the electric field of the electromagnetic wave; a first resonator, arranged on the E-plane, configured to resonate the electromagnetic wave; a plurality of second resonator, arranged on the E-plane, configured to resonate the electromagnetic wave; an output waveguide configured to output the electromagnetic wave from each of the plurality of second resonator; a first iris configured to transmit the electromagnetic wave from the input waveguide into the first resonator, wherein it is formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the waveguide between the input waveguide and the first resonator; a plurality of second iris configured to transmit the electromagnetic wave from the first resonator into each of the second resonator, respectively, wherein it is formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the waveguide between the first resonator and the second resonator, respectively; and a plurality of third iris configured to transmit the electromagnetic wave from the second resonator into the output waveguide, respectively, wherein it is formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the waveguide between the second resonator and the output waveguide, respectively.

2. The waveguide-type power distributor according to any of claim 1, wherein: the width of the second iris is barrower than that of the first iris.

3. The waveguide-type power distributor according to any of claim 2, wherein: the width of the second iris is barrower than that of the third iris.

4. A waveguide-type power distributor for distributing an electromagnetic wave, comprising: a first waveguide-type resonator configured to be inputted the electromagnetic wave; a second waveguide-type resonator configured to be connected to the first waveguide-type resonator through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes; a third waveguide-type resonator configured to be connected to the first waveguide-type resonator through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes; a first output waveguide configured to be connected to the second waveguide-type resonator through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes; a second output waveguide configured to be connected to the second waveguide-type resonator through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes; a third output waveguide configured to be connected to the third waveguide-type resonator through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes; and a fourth output waveguide configured to be connected to the third waveguide-type resonator through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes.

5. The waveguide-type power distributor according to claim 4, further comprising: an input waveguide configured to be connected to the first waveguide-type resonator through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes.

6. The waveguide-type power distributor according to claim 5, wherein: the iris formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the first waveguide-type resonator connected to the second waveguide-type resonator is located on the opposite side of the iris formed the opposing pair of H-planes of the first waveguide-type resonator connected to the input waveguide, and the iris formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the first waveguide-type resonator connected to the third waveguide-type resonator is located on the opposite side of the iris formed the opposing pair of H-planes of the first waveguide-type resonator connected to the input waveguide.

7. The waveguide-type power distributor according to claim 6, wherein: the iris formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the second waveguide-type resonator respectively connected to the first output waveguide is located on the opposite side of the iris formed the opposing pair of H-planes of the second waveguide-type resonator connected to the first waveguide-type resonator; and the iris formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the second waveguide-type resonator respectively connected to the second output waveguide is located on the opposite side of the iris formed the opposing pair of H-planes of the second waveguide-type resonator connected to the first waveguide-type resonator.

8. The waveguide-type power distributor according to claim 7, wherein: the iris formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the third waveguide-type resonator connected to the third output waveguide is located on the opposite side of the iris formed the opposing pair of H-planes of the third waveguide-type resonator connected to the first waveguide-type resonator, and the iris formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the third waveguide-type resonator connected to the fourth output waveguide is located on the opposite side of the iris formed the opposing pair of H-planes of the third waveguide-type resonator connected to the first waveguide-type resonator.

9. The waveguide-type power distributor according to any of claim 4 to 8, wherein: the first waveguide-type resonator, the second waveguide-type resonator, and the third waveguide-type resonator are formed on the common E-plane.

10. The waveguide-type power distributor according to claim 9, wherein: the first output waveguide, the second output waveguide, the third output waveguide and the fourth output waveguide are formed on the common E-plane.

11. The waveguide-type power distributor according to claim 10, wherein: the first waveguide-type resonator, the second waveguide-type resonator, and the third waveguide-type resonator are formed on the common E-planes, the first output waveguide, the second output waveguide, the third output waveguide and the fourth output waveguide include concave portions formed on one face of the block, respectively, and further includes a cover that covers the concave portions.

12. The waveguide-type power distributor according to claim 11, further comprising: a fourth waveguide-type resonator to which the first waveguide-type resonator is connected through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes.

13. The waveguide-type power distributor according to claim 12, further comprising: an input waveguide to which the fourth waveguide-type resonator is connected through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes.

14. A waveguide-type combiner for combining electromagnetic waves, comprising: a first input waveguide configured to be inputted the electromagnetic wave; a second input waveguide configured to be inputted the electromagnetic wave; a third input waveguide configured to be inputted the electromagnetic wave; a fourth input waveguide configured to be inputted the electromagnetic wave; a first waveguide-type resonator configured to be connected to the first input waveguide and the second input waveguide through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes, respectively; a second waveguide-type resonator configured to be connected to the third input waveguide and the fourth input waveguide through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes, respectively; a third waveguide-type resonator configured to be connected to the first waveguide-type resonator and the second waveguide-type resonator through an iris formed between the opposing pair of H-planes, respectively.

15. The waveguide-type power distributor according to any of claim 4, wherein: the width of the second iris is barrower than that of the first iris.

16. The waveguide-type power distributor according to any of claim 15, wherein: the width of the second iris is barrower than that of the third iris.

17. A radar equipment, comprising: an electromagnetic wave generator configured to generate an electromagnetic wave; a waveguide-type power distributor including: an input waveguide configured to be inputted the electromagnetic wave into a waveguide, wherein it is formed on the waveguide E-plane that is orthogonal to the electric field of the electromagnetic wave; a first resonator, arranged on the E-plane, configured to resonate the electromagnetic wave; a plurality of second resonator, arranged on the E-plane, configured to resonate the electromagnetic wave; an output waveguide configured to output the electromagnetic wave from each of the plurality of second resonator; a first iris configured to transmit the electromagnetic wave from the input waveguide into the first resonator, wherein it is formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the waveguide between the input waveguide and the first resonator; a plurality of second iris configured to transmit the electromagnetic wave from the first resonator into each of the second resonator, respectively, wherein it is formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the waveguide between the first resonator and the second resonator, respectively; a plurality of third iris configured to transmit the electromagnetic wave from the second resonator into the output waveguide, respectively, wherein it is formed by the opposing pair of H-planes of the waveguide between the second resonator and the output waveguide, respectively; and an antenna configured to: transmit the distributed electromagnetic wave by the distributor and receive the reflected electromagnetic wave at a reflector.

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