Radar

• US 20050083227A1
• Filed: 01/28/2002
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kuroda, Hiroshi, Takano, Kazuaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,091,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles

Abstract

A radar of the present invention has: (1) an antenna unit for transmitting a radio wave and receiving a reflected wave of the radio wave; (2) rotating means for rotating the antenna unit about an axis along a direction of transmitting the radio wave; and (3) control means for detecting an azimuth of a target from the reflected wave, the azimuth using the axis as a reference and being defined in a plane determined from a posture of the antenna unit and the axis.

Claims

1. A radar for detecting a target, comprising:

an antenna unit for transmitting a radio wave and receiving a reflected wave of said radio wave;

rotating means for rotating said antenna unit about an axis along a direction of transmitting said radio wave; and

control means for detecting an azimuth of said target from said reflected wave, the azimuth using said axis as a reference and being defined in a plane determined from a posture of said antenna unit and said axis.

2. The radar according to claim 1, further comprising:

a frame accommodating said antenna unit and said control means,

wherein said rotating means rotates said frame about said axis.

3. A radar to be mounted on a moving body, comprising:

an antenna unit for transmitting a radio wave along a moving direction of said moving body and receiving a reflected wave of said radio wave;

rotating means for rotating said antenna unit about an axis along a direction of transmitting said radio wave; and

control means for detecting a distance to a target reflected said radio wave an azimuth of said target from said reflection wave, the azimuth using said axis as a reference and being defined in a plane determined from a posture of said antenna unit and said axis,

wherein when said antenna unit receives in a first posture a reflected wave from said target in a standstill state, said control means controls said rotating means so as to make said antenna unit take a second posture, and outputs information corresponding to said distance and said azimuth detected from a reflected wave received by said antenna unit in said second posture.

4. The radar according to claim 3, further comprising:

output means for outputting an alarm corresponding to said information output from said control means.

5. The radar according to claim 3, wherein:

said control means outputs said information to at least one of an alarm apparatus and a follow-up control apparatus.