Radar module and antenna device

• US 6,091,363 A
• Filed: 06/06/1997
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Urabe, Masanobu, Komatsu, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Wimer, Michael C.
• Application Number:
  US08/870,548
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700 MS, 343/778, 343/853, 343/840
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• 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 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/032 Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• 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 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/132 Horn reflector antennas; Off-set feeding
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0006 Particular feeding systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0025 Modular arrays
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00

Abstract

A radar module has an antenna assembly, a plurality of transmitting and receiving assemblies, and a plurality of circulators all mounted on a dielectric substrate. The antenna assembly has a plurality of transmitting and receiving channels including respective planar array antenna elements each composed of a plurality of patches connected to and spaced along a linear distal end portion of a feeder line. The planar array antenna elements are arrayed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the linear distal end portion of the feeder line. The transmitting and receiving assemblies, implemented as monolithic microwave integrated circuits, selectively transmit high-frequency signals to the planar array antenna elements and selectively receive echo signals from the planar array antenna elements. The circulators are associated with the transmitting and receiving channels, respectively, and connect the respective linear distal end portions of the feeder lines to transmission and reception end portions which are connected to the transmitting and receiving assemblies, respectively.

Claims

1. An antenna device comprising:

a parabolic secondary reflector having a focal point;

a single dielectric substrate, said single dielectric substrate defining a plane;

an array of antenna elements mounted on said single dielectric substrate substantially at said focal point of said parabolic secondary reflector, each of said antenna elements comprising a plurality of patches interconnected in a direction transverse to said array; and

a scanning control circuit for selecting the antenna elements in a time-sharing fashion wherein each antenna element radiates a beam towards the parabolic secondary reflector at a predetermined angle to said plane when selected by said scanning control circuit, and wherein the beam is reflected by said parabolic secondary reflector as a scanning beam such that as said scanning control circuit selects said antenna elements in said time-sharing fashion said scanning beam scans across said plane.

2. The antenna device of claim 1 wherein said scanning control circuit includes a plurality of field effect transistors for selecting said antenna elements in said time-sharing fashion.

3. The antenna device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of circulators mounted on said dielectric substrate and connected in series to said antenna elements, respectively wherein said circulators are arranged in pairs of adjacent circulators, said circulators in each of the pairs being arranged such that DC magnetic fields in mutually opposite directions are applied to the circulators, respectively, for rotating signals in mutually opposite directions in the circulators.

4. An antenna device comprising:

a secondary radiator;

a single dielectric substrate, said single dielectric substrate defining a plane;

an array of antenna elements mounted on said single dielectric substrate, each of said antenna elements comprising at least one patch arranged transverse to said array; and

a scanning control circuit for selecting the antenna elements in a time-sharing fashion wherein each antenna element radiates a beam towards the secondary radiator at a predetermined angle to said plane when selected by said scanning control circuit, and wherein the beam is radiated by said secondary radiator as a scanning beam such that as said scanning control circuit selects said antenna elements in said time-sharing fashion said scanning beam scans across said plane.

5. The antenna device of claim 4 wherein said scanning control circuit includes a plurality of field effect transistors for selecting said antenna elements in said time-sharing fashion.

6. The antenna device of claim 4 further comprising a plurality of circulators mounted on said dielectric substrate and connected in series to said antenna elements, respectively wherein said circulators are arranged in pairs of adjacent circulators, said circulators in each of the pairs being arranged such that DC magnetic fields in mutually opposite directions are applied to the circulators, respectively, for rotating signals in mutually opposite directions in the circulators.