System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to scanning a surrounding environment of a vehicle by radar during automated driving. In one embodiment, a method includes detecting an object by using a three-dimensional beam formed by a layered array of end-fire antennas. The method also includes scanning the object by using a fine three-dimensional beam formed by a section of the layered array of end-fire antennas. The method also includes tracking the object by using the fine three-dimensional beam.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, an integrated circuit that includes at least one die having transceiver circuitry that generates outbound signals that convey outbound data and that receives inbound signals that convey inbound data. A first array of antenna elements arranged along the top portion of the IC package operate in conjunction with the transceiver circuitry to transmit at least a first portion of the outbound signals as first wireless transmissions and/or generate at least a first portion of the inbound signals from first wireless receptions. A second array of antenna elements arranged along the bottom portion of the IC package operate in conjunction with the transceiver circuitry to transmit at least a second portion of the outbound signals as second wireless transmissions and/or to generate at least a second portion of the inbound signals from second wireless receptions. Other embodiments are disclosed.

An end-fire antenna for wideband low form factor applications includes a first metal layer, a second metal layer, and a dielectric layer disposed between the first and second metal layers. An open cavity formed in the dielectric layer that is filled with air, the cavity defined by a pair of sidewalls that extend from an aperture of the cavity to a rear wall of the cavity, where the depth of the aperture is defined between the aperture and the rear wall. The cavity is formed by selecting the width of the aperture of the cavity and the depth of the cavity such that the antenna achieves the same gain during operation irrespective of a variation in the thickness of the antenna.

A system according to one embodiment includes a phased array antenna comprising a plurality of antenna elements, the plurality of antenna elements configured in a planar array, wherein each of the plurality of antenna elements generates a beam pattern directed at an angle out of the plane of the planar array; and driver circuitry coupled to each of the plurality of antenna elements, wherein the driver circuitry comprises a plurality of transceivers, the plurality of transceivers configured to provide independently adjustable phase delay to each of the plurality of antenna elements.

A radio frequency (RF) jamming device includes a differential segmented aperture (DSA), a jammer source outputting a jamming signal at one or more frequencies or frequency bands to be jammed, and RF electronics that amplify and feed the jamming signal to the DSA so as to emit a jamming beam. The DSA includes an array of electrically conductive tapered projections, and the RF electronics comprise power splitters configured to split the jamming signal to aperture pixels of the DSA. The aperture pixels comprise pairs of electrically conductive tapered projections of the array of electrically conductive tapered projections. The RF electronics further comprise pixel power amplifiers, each connected to amplify the jamming signal fed to a single corresponding aperture pixel of the DSA. The RF jamming device may include a rifle-shaped housing, with the DSA mounted at a distal end of the barrel of the rifle-shaped housing.

An antenna that is formed of a conductor pattern is disposed on a dielectric substrate. A high-frequency semiconductor device that supplies a high-frequency signal to the antenna is mounted on the bottom surface of the dielectric substrate. A plurality of conductor columns project from the bottom surface. The conductor columns are embedded in a dielectric member that is disposed on the bottom surface. An end of each of the conductor columns is exposed through the dielectric member. The dielectric member defines a mounting surface that faces a mounting substrate. A step is formed in a side surface of a composite structure that includes the dielectric substrate and the dielectric member, and a side surface extending from the mounting surface to the step is more recessed than a side surface that is located above the step.

First and second end-fire antennas are arranged on a dielectric substrate. The first end-fire antenna has polarization characteristics being parallel with a first direction. The second end-fire antenna has polarization characteristics being parallel with a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. A patch antenna provided with a first feed point and a second feed point, which are different from each other, is arranged on the dielectric substrate. When the patch antenna is fed from the first feed point, a radio wave whose polarization direction is parallel with the first direction is excited. When the patch antenna is fed from the second feed point, a radio wave whose polarization direction is orthogonal to the first direction is excited. A wireless communication module capable of achieving directivity in a wide range from a direction parallel with the substrate to the direction of the normal to the substrate is provided.

A first dipole antenna is included in a first layer of a dielectric substrate, a second dipole antenna which excites polarized waves in a direction orthogonal to a direction of polarized waves excited by the first dipole antenna is included in a second layer. Power is supplied from a first power supply line to the first dipole antenna and from a second power supply line to the second dipole antenna. The operating frequencies of the first dipole antenna and the second dipole antenna are the same as each other. A distance from an intermediate point between two power supply points of the first dipole antenna to an intermediate point between two power supply points of the second dipole antenna is no greater than an effective wavelength of the operating frequency. At least one of the first power supply line and the second power supply line has a triplate structure.

Antenna systems and methods of detecting RF signals received from a field of view (FOV) are presented, employing intersecting fan beam pluralities formed by associated columns or rows of antenna elements and cross-correlation of components of the received radiation from the fan beam pluralities. The intersecting fan beams pluralities form pencil-like beams persistently spanning the FOV as desired. Angle(s) of arrival and frequency channels of incident RF signals may be determined through power estimation, ranking and filtering, and/or frequency channelization techniques. Higher sensitivity beams may be cued to more accurately characterize the incident signals.

A base block of a flare antenna may be made by: forming a ground plane on a base insulating layer; forming an intermediate insulating layer over the ground plane; patterning radiating and shorting traces on the intermediate insulating layer; forming a top insulating layer over the radiating and shorting traces; forming a top metallization layer; connecting the top metallization layer to the ground plane with vias passing through the intermediate insulating layer; and forming a via that contacts the radiating trace and passes through the ground plane and is not in electrical contact with the top metallization layer or the ground plane.