RADAR SYSTEM

• US 20130147666A1
• Filed: 12/12/2012
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Abe, Yoshihiro, Mizutani, Akiyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,075,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/451
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/345 using triangular modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/584 adapted for simultaneous range and velocity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/74 Multi-channel systems specially adapted for direction-finding, i.e. having a single antenna system capable of giving simultaneous indications of the directions of different signals systems in which the directions of different signals are determined sequentially and displayed simultaneously G01S3/04, G01S3/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/354 Extracting wanted echo-signals Doppler systems G01S13/50

Abstract

A radar system for detecting positions of targets using a high resolution algorithm is presented. The number of incorrect target detections due to incorrect estimation of the number of radar reflections is reduced. A two-dimensional (azimuth and distance) peak having maximum power is detected, and a virtual beam formed centering on that peak. If that two-dimensional peak is buried in the virtual beam it is assumed to be a noise peak and removed. This is repeated for all two-dimensional peaks, thereby removing noise peaks and reducing the number of unnecessary target detections. The system can also correctly detect peaks that are close together at a certain resolution but have a power larger than the virtual beam.

Claims

1. A radar system comprising:

an electromagnetic wave transmitting means for transmitting electromagnetic waves;

an electromagnetic wave receiving means for receiving electromagnetic waves reflected from targets;

a position estimating means for estimating a position of each target that has reflected the electromagnetic waves, using at least a high-resolution algorithm, according to received signals acquired from the electromagnetic wave receiving means;

a virtual beam creating means for creating virtual beams having a predetermined beam width centering on respective targets'"'"' positions estimated by the position estimating means; and

a removing means for removing targets that are located within a range of the respective virtual beams and a received power with respect to the respective target'"'"'s position is smaller than that of the respective virtual beams.

2. The radar system according to claim 1, wherein a width of the virtual beam is set to a value corresponding to a desired resolution.

3. The radar system according to claim 2, wherein the removing means processes the estimated targets in descending order of their power.

4. The radar system according to claim 3, wherein the position estimated by the position estimating means is a two-dimensional position which is defined by both azimuth and distance.

5. The radar system according to claim 1, wherein the removing means processes targets whose position is estimated by the position estimating means in descending order of their power.

6. The radar system according to claim 1, wherein the position estimated by the position estimating means is a two-dimensional position which is defined by both azimuth and distance.

7. The radar system according to claim 2, wherein the position estimated by the position estimating means is a two-dimensional position which is defined by both azimuth and distance.