Antenna cluster for a motor road vehicle collision warning system

• US 5,999,092 A
• Filed: 08/25/1998
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Clouston, Eric Nicol, Smith, Graeme Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US09/140,286
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 340/436 OR, 340/901, 340/903, 340/933, 340/943, 342/70, 342/71, 342/158, 343/711, 343/713, 343/715
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/003 Bistatic radar systems; Multistatic radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/0209 Systems with very large relative bandwidth, i.e. larger than 10 %, e.g. baseband, pulse, carrier-free, ultrawideband
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9314 Parking operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9317 Driving backwards
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93275 in the bumper area
• 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 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/005 providing two patterns of opposite direction; back to back antennas H01Q25/004 takes precedence

Abstract

A motor vehicle collision warning system 1 comprises an obstacle sensing system 3 including a plurality of sensors 5 together capable of sensing obstacles around the vehicle 7 and generating obstacle of concern signals when obstacles are sensed, and a warning control system 9 for receiving the obstacle of concern signals and for determining whether a collision warning signal should be generated. The sensing system includes at least one antenna cluster 11 mounted in the region of a corner 13 of the vehicle 7, the antenna cluster 11 comprising a radar transmit antenna 15 and two receive antennas 17 and 19. The transmit antenna 15 is mounted between the receive antennas 17 and 19. Receive antenna 17 faces towards the front of the vehicle and receive antenna 19 faces towards the rear of the vehicle. A trigger means 21 triggers the operation of the transmit antenna 15 and one or both of the receive antennas 17 and 19.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle collision warning system comprising:

an obstacle sensing system including a plurality of sensors together capable of sensing obstacles around said vehicle and generating obstacle of concern signals when obstacles are sensed, and a warning control system for receiving said obstacle of concern signals and for determining whether a collision warning signal should be generated;

wherein said plurality of sensors includes at least one antenna cluster mounted substantially at a corner of said vehicle, said antenna cluster comprising a transmit antenna and first and second receive antennas, said transmit antenna mounted between said receive antennas, said first receive antenna facing towards the front of said vehicle and said second receive antenna facing towards the rear of said vehicle.

2. The collision warning system according to claim 1 wherein said plurality sensors includes a plurality of antenna clusters, each cluster including a transmit and two receive antennas.

3. The collision warning system according to claim 2 including four antenna clusters, one at each corner of said vehicle.

4. The collision warning system according to claim 1 further comprising a scanning timer which operates said transmit and receive antennas in a timed scheduled order.

5. The collision warning system according to claim 4 wherein each scan comprises transmitting a signal from one transmit antenna and receiving signals from three receive antennas.