Radar system with switchable angular resolution

• US 20050128132A1
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Papziner, Uwe, Ziller, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,081,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/034 Duplexers switching devices for waveguides H01P1/10; transmit-receive switching in transceivers H04B1/44
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/002 providing at least two patterns of different beamwidth; Variable beamwidth antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching

Abstract

A radar system with a radar sensor (10) which comprises a transmitting module (20), a receiving module (22) and a supply network (64), wherein the transmitting module (20) comprises a first plurality of partial antennas (26, 28, 30, 32, 34) and the receiving module (22) comprises a second plurality of partial antennas (46, 48, 50), and wherein the supply network (64) operates at least one partial antenna (30) of the transmitting module (20) together with at least one partial antenna (48) of the receiving module (22) in a first operating mode, to obtain a first, low angular resolution, and wherein the supply network operates one group of partial antennas (26, 28, 30, 32, 34) of the transmitting module (20) together with a group of partial antennas (46, 48, 50) of the receiving module (22) in a second operating mode to obtain a second high angular resolution. The radar system is characterized in that the supply network (64) operates at least one partial antenna (30) of the transmitting module (20) together with a group of partial antennas (46, 48, 50) of the receiving module (22) or a group of partial antennas (26, 28, 30, 32, 34) of the transmitting module (20) together with at least one partial antenna (48) of the receiving module (22) in a further operating mode.

Claims

1. A radar system with a radar sensor having a transmitting module, a receiving module and a supply network, wherein the transmitting module and the receiving module each have a plurality of partial antennas, the system comprising:

means for activating the supply network to operate at least one first partial antenna of the transmitting module together with at least one second partial antenna of the receiving module in a first operating mode, to obtain a first, low angular resolution;

means for activating the supply network to operate a first group of partial antennas of the transmitting module together with a second group of partial antennas of the receiving module in a second operating mode to obtain a second, high angular resolution; and

means for activating the supply network in at least one further operating mode to operate at least one third partial antenna of the transmitting module together with a third group of partial antennas of the receiving module or to operated a fourth group of partial antennas of the transmitting module together with at least one fourth partial antenna of the receiving module.

2. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the supply network operates exactly one first partial antenna of the transmitting module together with exactly one second partial antenna of the receiving module in said first operating mode.

3. The radar system of claim 1, wherein said first and said fourth group of partial antennas each include said at least one first partial antenna and said second and said third group of partial antennas each include said at least one second partial antenna.

4. The radar system of claim 1, wherein said first and said fourth group of partial antennas include all partial antennas of the transmitting module and said second and said third group of partial antennas include all partial antennas of the receiving module.

5. The radar system of claim 1, further comprising an excitation switch to separately connect said at least one first partial antenna and said at least one second partial antenna to the supply network.

6. The radar system of claim 5, further comprising a common switch to connect said first or said fourth group of partial antennas, with the exception of said at least one first partial antenna, to said excitation switch and for connecting said second or said third group of partial antennas, with the exception of said at least one second partial antenna, to said excitation switch.

7. The radar system of claim 1, wherein each partial antenna consists essentially of a slit-coupled patch antenna.

8. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting module is disposed on the radar sensor at a spatial separation from the receiving module.

9. The radar system of claim 1, wherein a number of partial antennas of the transmitting module differs from a number of partial antennas of the receiving module.

10. The radar system of claim 7, wherein each partial antenna comprises at least two radiation surfaces disposed along a line.

11. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the radar sensor is operated in a pulsed manner in at least one operating mode.

12. A method for operating a radar system with a radar sensor having a transmitting module, a receiving module and a supply network, wherein the transmitting module and the receiving module each have a plurality of partial antennas, the method comprising the steps of:

a) activating the network to operate at least one first partial antenna of the transmitting module together with at least one second partial antenna of the receiving module in a first operating mode, to obtain a first, low angular resolution;

b) activating the supply network to operate a first group of partial antennas of the transmitting module together with a second group of partial antennas of the receiving module in a second operating mode to obtain a second high angular resolution; and

c) activating the supply network in at least one further operating mode to operate at least one third partial antenna of the transmitting module together with a third group of partial antennas of the receiving module or to operate a fourth group of partial antennas of the transmitting module together with at least one fourth partial antenna of the receiving module.