RADAR APPARATUS AND STARTUP TIMING DETERMINATION METHOD

• US 20170346468A1
• Filed: 05/19/2017
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: OKAZAKI, YUKIO, SATOU, KAZUTOSHI, SAITO, NORIAKI
• Application Number:
  US15/600,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20170346468A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/288 phase modulated
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/023 Interference mitigation, e.g. reducing or avoiding non-intentional interference with other HF-transmitters, base station transmitters for mobile communication or other radar systems, e.g. using electro-magnetic interference [EMI] reduction techniques auxiliary means for detecting or identifying radar signals or the like G01S7/021; means for anti-jamming G01S7/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/032 Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/28 Details of pulse systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/04 Generating or distributing clock signals or signals derived directly therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/014 Modifications of generator to ensure starting of oscillations
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/353 by the use, as active elements, of field-effect transistors with internal or external positive feedback H03K3/023, H03K3/027 take precedence

Abstract

A radar apparatus includes a transmitter including a plurality of circuits that intermittently transmit one or more radar signals, the plurality of circuits being suspended power supplying during a period in which the one or more radar signals are not transmitted, variation detection circuitry that detects process variations of the plurality of circuits, and determination circuitry that determines a startup timing of each of the plurality of circuits in response to the process variations and outputs startup commands in response to the determined startup timings to the plurality of circuits.

Claims

1. A radar apparatus comprising:

a transmitter including a plurality of circuits that intermittently transmit one or more radar signals, the plurality of circuits being suspended power supplying during a period in which the one or more radar signals are not transmitted;

variation detection circuitry that detects process variations of the plurality of circuits; and

determination circuitry that determines a startup timing of each of the plurality of circuits in response to the process variations and outputs startup commands in response to the determined startup timings to the plurality of circuits.

2. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, comprising temperature detection circuitry that detects a temperature of the transmitter,

wherein the determination circuitry determines the startup timing in response to the process variations and the temperature.

3. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, comprising power source voltage detection circuitry that detects a power source voltage of the transmitter,

wherein the determination circuitry determines the startup timing in response to the process variations and the power source voltage.

4. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of circuits includes a baseband circuit and a high-frequency circuit,

wherein the determination circuitry sets a startup timing of the high-frequency circuit to be earlier than a startup timing of the baseband circuit.

5. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination circuitry sorts operational conditions of the plurality of circuits responsive to the process variations into a higher-speed state, a standard state, and a lower-speed state, sets the startup timing in the higher-speed state to be later than the startup timing in the standard state, and sets the startup timing in the lower-speed state to be earlier than the startup timing in the standard state.

6. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises an adjuster that adjusts a modulation error of the one or more radar signals, and

wherein the adjuster is powered for the period which the one or more radar signals are not transmitted.

7. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a local oscillator that generates a local signal and a receiver that receives a signal reflected from an object in response to the one or more radar signals that are reflected on the object,

wherein the local oscillator and the receiver are powered for the period which the one or more radar signals are not transmitted.

8. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the process variation is a variation in resistance of a resistor included in the circuits.

9. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the process variation is a variation in a threshold value of each of one or more transistors included in the transmitter.

10. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an orthogonal modulator that orthogonally modulates the one or more radar signals.

11. A startup timing determination method, comprising:

detecting process variations of a plurality of circuits included in a transmitter that intermittently transmits one or more radar signals, the plurality of circuits being suspending power supplying during a period in which the one or more radar signals are not transmitted; and

determining a startup timing of each of the plurality of circuits in response to the process variations,

outputting startup commands in response to the determined startup timings to the plurality of circuits.