Beam architecture for improving angular resolution
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An antenna system for use in a vehicle radar, the antenna system comprising:
- a beamformer circuit having a plurality of antenna ports and a plurality of beam ports, said beam former circuit adapted to receive an RF signal at each of the antenna ports and in response thereto, to simultaneously form a plurality of antenna beams at fixed locations in space, with each of the respective antenna beams coupled to a respective one of the beam ports; and
a beam combiner circuit adapted to receive signals from the beam ports of said beamformer circuit and to combine the signals provided thereto in such a way as to provide a resultant number of combined beams which is less than the number of beams formed by said beamformer circuit and with each of the beams having a desired beam shape.
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Abstract
An automotive radar system includes a beamformer circuit and a beamcombiner circuit. The beamformer circuit forms a plurality of antenna beams at a plurality of beam ports. The beam combiner circuit receives the beams provided thereto from the beamformer circuit and combines the beams to provide a desired number of beams, with each of the beams having a desired beam shape. In one embodiment, the beamcombiner provides first and second end beams having a beamwidth which is less than a beamwidth of middle beams.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An antenna system for use in a vehicle radar, the antenna system comprising:
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a beamformer circuit having a plurality of antenna ports and a plurality of beam ports, said beam former circuit adapted to receive an RF signal at each of the antenna ports and in response thereto, to simultaneously form a plurality of antenna beams at fixed locations in space, with each of the respective antenna beams coupled to a respective one of the beam ports; and
a beam combiner circuit adapted to receive signals from the beam ports of said beamformer circuit and to combine the signals provided thereto in such a way as to provide a resultant number of combined beams which is less than the number of beams formed by said beamformer circuit and with each of the beams having a desired beam shape. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An antenna system comprising:
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a beamformer circuit having a plurality of antenna ports and a plurality of beam ports; and
a beam combiner circuit adapted to receive signals from the beam ports of said beamformer circuit and to combine the signals provided thereto in such a way as to provide one or more combined beams with each of the beams having a desired beam shape wherein said beam combiner circuit combines beams from said beamformer circuit to provide a set of antenna beams with a first end beam and a second end beam each having an antenna beamwidth which is narrower than a beamwidth of a middle beam. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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- 12. An automotive radar system comprising an antenna system which provides a set of antenna beams with a first end beam and a second end beam each having an antenna beamwidth which is narrower than a beamwidth of a middle beam.
- 20. A method of operating a radar system comprising providing a set of antenna beams with each of the antenna beams having an antenna beamwidth selected such that a first end beam and a second end beam are each provided having an antenna beamwidth which is narrower than a beamwidth of a middle beam.
Specification