TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE PHASED ARRAY FOR AUTOMOTIVE RADAR IMPROVEMENT
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus, the apparatus being a phased array radar apparatus comprising:
- a transmit antenna array,a receive antenna array,an electronic control circuit, in electronic communication with the transmit antenna array and the receive antenna array,the transmit antenna array being operable to generate a transmit beam, the transmit beam being steerable by the electronic control circuit,the receive antenna array being operable to receive the receive beam, the receive beam being steerable by the electronic control circuit,the receive beam having a receive main lobe and a grating lobe,the transmit beam having a transmit beam null and a transmit main lobe,the transmit beam and the receive beam being steerable by the electronic control circuit so the transmit main lobe remains generally aligned with the receive main lobe, and the grating lobe of the receive beam remains generally aligned with the transmit beam null.
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Abstract
Examples of the present invention include methods and apparatus for phased array automotive radar which allow reductions in erroneous detections such as sidelobe clutter and ghost images. An example radar includes a steerable transmit antenna and a steerable receive antenna. Transmit and receive beams may be steered using an electronic control circuit so the main lobe of the transmit beam remains generally aligned with the main lobe of the receive beam, and the side lobe of the receive beam remains generally aligned with a null in the transmit beam.
31 Citations
15 Claims
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1. An apparatus, the apparatus being a phased array radar apparatus comprising:
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a transmit antenna array, a receive antenna array, an electronic control circuit, in electronic communication with the transmit antenna array and the receive antenna array, the transmit antenna array being operable to generate a transmit beam, the transmit beam being steerable by the electronic control circuit, the receive antenna array being operable to receive the receive beam, the receive beam being steerable by the electronic control circuit, the receive beam having a receive main lobe and a grating lobe, the transmit beam having a transmit beam null and a transmit main lobe, the transmit beam and the receive beam being steerable by the electronic control circuit so the transmit main lobe remains generally aligned with the receive main lobe, and the grating lobe of the receive beam remains generally aligned with the transmit beam null. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus, the apparatus being a phased array radar having an operating wavelength, the apparatus comprising:
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a transmit antenna array, a receive antenna array, having a receive antenna pitch greater than half the antenna operating wavelength, an electronic control circuit, in electronic communication with the transmit antenna array and the receive antenna array, including a transmit chip and a receive chip, the transmit chip and the receive chip being physically separate and in electrical communication through a local oscillator feedline, the transmit antenna array generating a transmit beam steerable by the transmit chip, the receive antenna array receiving the receive beam, the receive beam being steerable by the receive chip, the receive beam having a receive main lobe and a grating lobe, the transmit beam having a transmit beam null and a transmit main lobe, the transmit beam and the receive beam being steered by the electronic control circuit so that the transmit main lobe remains generally aligned with the receive main lobe, and the grating lobe of the receive beam remains generally aligned with the transmit beam null. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method of operating a phased array radar to reduce erroneous detections, the radar being an automotive radar having a field of view, the method including:
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providing a steerable transmit antenna, generating a transmit beam having a transmit main lobe and a transmit null; providing a steerable receive antenna, receiving a receive beam having a receive main lobe and a grating lobe, and steering the transmit beam and the receive beam across the field of view using an electronic control circuit so the main lobe of the transmit beam is aligned with the main lobe of the receive beam, and the grating lobe of the receive beam is aligned with the transmit null. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification