MIMO ANTENNA WITH ELEVATION DETECTION

• US 20160033632A1
• Filed: 10/12/2015
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Searcy, James F., Alland, Stephen W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,541,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/003 Bistatic radar systems; Multistatic radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/424 Stacked beam radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/4454 phase comparisons monopulse, i.e. comparing the echo signals received by an interferometric antenna arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/03 Details of HF subsystems specially adapted therefor, e.g. common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/2813 Means providing a modification of the radiation pattern for cancelling noise, clutter or interfering signals, e.g. side lobe suppression, side lobe blanking, null-steering arrays specially adapted to secondary radar systems G01S13/762; aerials or aerials systems H01Q21/29, H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/2925 by using shape of radiation pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/354 Extracting wanted echo-signals Doppler systems G01S13/50
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3233 particular used as part of a sensor or in a security system, e.g. for automotive radar, navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037

Abstract

A multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna for a radar system includes a receive antenna, a first transmit-antenna-arrangement, and a second transmit-antenna-arrangement. The receive-antenna is configured to detect radar-signals reflected by a target toward the receive-antenna. The first transmit-antenna-arrangement includes a first vertical-array of radiator elements and a second vertical-array of radiator elements. The first transmit-antenna-arrangement is configured so the first vertical-array can be selectively coupled to a transmitter independent of the second vertical-array. The second transmit-antenna-arrangement includes a third vertical-array of radiator elements and a fourth vertical-array of radiator elements. The second transmit-antenna-arrangement is configured so the third vertical-array can be selectively coupled to a transmitter independent of the fourth vertical-array. The second transmit-antenna-arrangement is vertically offset from the first transmit-antenna-arrangement by a vertical offset distance selected so an elevation angle to the target can be determined by the receive-antenna.

Claims

1. A multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna for a radar system, said antenna comprising:

a receive-antenna configured to detect radar-signals reflected by a target toward the receive-antenna;

a first transmit-antenna-arrangement that includes a first vertical-array of radiator elements and a second vertical-array of radiator elements, said first transmit-antenna-arrangement configured so the first vertical-array can be selectively coupled to a transmitter independent of the second vertical-array; and

a second transmit-antenna-arrangement that includes a third vertical-array of radiator elements and a fourth vertical-array of radiator elements, said second transmit-antenna-arrangement configured so the third vertical-array can be selectively coupled to a transmitter independent of the fourth vertical-array, wherein the second transmit-antenna-arrangement is vertically offset from the first transmit-antenna-arrangement by a vertical offset distance selected so an elevation angle to the target can be determined by the receive-antenna.

2. The antenna in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first vertical-array and the second vertical-array are arranged such that the antenna emits radar-signals characterized by a first-pattern when only the first vertical-array receives an excitation-signal, and emits radar-signals characterized by a second-pattern characterized as narrower than the first-pattern when both of the first vertical-array and the second vertical-array receive the excitation-signal.

3. The antenna in accordance with claim 2, wherein the first transmit-antenna-arrangement is configured to receive an excitation-signal characterized by a wavelength of the excitation-signal, and a first centerline of the first vertical-array is horizontally spaced apart from a second centerline of the second vertical-array by one-half of the wavelength of the excitation-signal.

4. A transmit-portion of a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna for a radar system, said transmit-portion consisting of:

a first transmit-antenna-arrangement that includes a first vertical-array of radiator elements and a second vertical-array of radiator elements, said first transmit-antenna-arrangement configured so the first vertical-array can be selectively coupled to a transmitter independent of the second vertical-array; and

a second transmit-antenna-arrangement that includes a third vertical-array of radiator elements and a fourth vertical-array of radiator elements, said second transmit-antenna-arrangement configured so the third vertical-array can be selectively coupled to a transmitter independent of the fourth vertical-array, wherein the second transmit-antenna-arrangement is vertically offset from the first transmit-antenna-arrangement by a vertical offset distance selected so an elevation angle to the target can be determined by the receive-antenna.