Integrated MIMO and SAR radar antenna architecture for self driving cars

• US 10,082,570 B1
• Filed: 02/26/2016
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Izadian, Jamal, Smith, Russell, Campbell, Tim, Brown, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Bythrow, Peter M
• Application Number:
  US15/054,540
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/90 using synthetic aperture techniques , e.g. synthetic aperture radar [SAR] techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/182 Waveguide phase-shifters H01P1/181, H01P1/185, H01P1/19 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/12 Coupling devices having more than two ports H01P5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/182 the waveguides being arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3233 particular used as part of a sensor or in a security system, e.g. for automotive radar, navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/06 Waveguide mouths horns H01Q13/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0037 linear waveguide fed arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/064 using horn or slot aerials slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005

Abstract

A radar system includes a split-block assembly unit comprising a first portion and second portion, where the first portion and the second portion form a seam. The radar system further includes a plurality of ports located on a bottom side of the second portion opposite the seam. Additionally, the radar system includes a plurality of radiating elements located on a top side of the first portion opposite the seam. The plurality of radiating elements is arranged in a plurality of arrays. The plurality of arrays includes a set of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission arrays, a set of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) transmission arrays, and at least one reception array. Further, the radar system includes a set of waveguides configured to couple each array to a port.

Claims

1. A radar system comprising:

a split-block assembly comprising a first portion and second portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion form a seam, wherein the first portion has a top side opposite the seam and the second portion has a bottom side opposite the seam;

a plurality of ports located on a bottom side of the second portion;

a plurality of radiating elements located on a top side of the first portion, wherein;

the plurality of radiating elements is arranged in a plurality of arrays, and

the plurality of arrays comprises;

a set of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission arrays,

a set of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) transmission arrays, and

at least one reception array, and;

a set of waveguides in the split-block assembly configured to couple each array to a port.

2. The radar system according to claim 1, further comprising a circuit board coupled to the bottom side of the second portion.

3. The radar system according to claim 2, wherein the circuit board is configured to provide an electromagnetic signal to at least one of the plurality of ports.

4. The radar system according to claim 2, wherein the circuit board is configured to receive an electromagnetic signal from at least one of the plurality of ports.

5. The radar system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reception array comprises:

a SAR reception array; and

a uniform linear array.

6. The radar system according to claim 5, wherein the SAR reception array is a six by ten array and the uniform linear array is a sixteen by ten array.

7. The radar system according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the uniform linear array and the SAR reception array has an electronically scanned beam.

8. The radar system according to claim 1, wherein the set of SAR transmission arrays comprises four arrays.

9. The radar system according to claim 7, wherein each SAR transmission array is a six by ten array.

10. The radar system according to claim 1, wherein the set of MIMO transmission arrays comprises four arrays.

11. The radar system according to claim 7, wherein each MIMO transmission array is a six by ten array.

12. The radar system according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the set of waveguides have the seam at the center of the height of the waveguides.

13. The radar system according to claim 3, wherein at least one waveguide has an edge located at the seam.

14. The radar system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the ports has dimensions based on impedance matching between a waveguide coupled to the port and a coupling component coupled to the port.

15. The radar system according to claim 1, wherein the set of waveguides includes a plurality of waveguides having edges located at the seam of the split-block assembly, wherein each edge is adjacent to an edge of another waveguide in the plurality of waveguides.

16. The radar system according to claim 1, wherein each array comprises a plurality of radiating elements and a subset of the radiating elements of each respective array is coupled to a feed waveguide, and wherein the feed waveguide has a waveguide feed that is located between two radiating elements coupled to the feed waveguide.

17. The radar system according to claim 1, wherein each MIMO transmission array has a beam width of approximately 90 degrees and each SAR transmission array has a beam width of approximately 45 degrees pointed at 22.5 degrees.

18. The radar system according to claim 1, wherein the waveguides form a reactive beamforming network.

19. An antenna configuration for a vehicle-mounted radar system comprising:

four multiple-output (MIMO) transmission antenna arrays, wherein each MIMO array is configured as a six by ten array;

four synthetic aperture radar arrays (SAR) transmission antenna arrays, wherein each SAR array is configured as a six by ten array;

a SAR reception array configured as a six by ten array; and

a uniform linear array configured as a sixteen by ten array.

20. A vehicle-mounted radar system comprising:

four multiple-output (MIMO) transmission antenna arrays, wherein each MIMO array has a beam width of approximately 90 degrees;

four synthetic aperture radar arrays (SAR) transmission antenna arrays, wherein each SAR array has a beam width of approximately 45 degrees;

a SAR reception array having an electronically steerable beam; and

a uniform linear array having an electronically steerable beam.