Radar

• US 6,246,359 B1
• Filed: 08/25/1999
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Asano, Yoshikazu, Ohshima, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US09/380,065
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 342/147-158, 342/194, 342/195, 342/417-449, 342/70-72, 342/118-134, 342/374
• US Class Current: 342/158
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/34 using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/345 using triangular modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/44 Monopulse radar, i.e. simultaneous lobing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/584 adapted for simultaneous range and velocity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/30 derived directly from separate directional systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/03 Details of HF subsystems specially adapted therefor, e.g. common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/35 Details of non-pulse systems

Abstract

A signal processing unit detects the azimuthal direction of a target in accordance with the phase difference between signals received by two receiving antennas. Then, by sequentially switching plural transmitting antennas having mutually different beam directions with a switching device, received signals are obtained using each of the transmitting antennas.

Claims

1. A radar device, comprising:

a plurality of sequentially switchable transmitting antennas having mutually different transmission beam directions configured to radiate a radio wave;

a plurality of receiving antennas configured to receive signals reflected from a target, with reference to the radio wave radiated from the plurality of transmitting antennas; and

an azimuthal direction detection device configured to detect an azimuthal direction of the target on the basis of a phase difference or an amplitude difference between the signals received with the plurality of receiving antennas,

wherein the azimuthal direction detection device includes a decision device configured to determine the azimuthal direction of the target from the phase difference between the signals received with the plural receiving antennas, and configured to decide that the detected azimuthal direction of the target is true when it substantially coincides with the azimuthal direction obtained with radio waves from the transmitting antennas having the transmission beam whose azimuthal direction approximates to the detected azimuthal direction of the target.

2. The radar device according to claim 1,

wherein the azimuthal direction detection device determines a final azimuthal direction on the basis of both the azimuthal direction of the target detected from the phase difference or amplitude difference between the signals received with the plurality of receiving antennas, and an azimuthal direction of the transmission beam when the azimuthal direction of the target was detected.

3. The radar device according to claim 2,

wherein the azimuthal direction detection device further determines the final azimuthal direction of the target according to a width of the transmission beam.

4. The radar device according to claim 3,

wherein the azimuthal direction detection device outputs the final azimuthal direction of the target when the target azimuthal direction detected from the phase difference or amplitude difference between the signals received with the plurality of receiving antennas is included in an azimuthal direction range of the radio wave that is determined according to the direction and width of the transmission beam used in the detection of the azimuthal direction of the target.

5. The radar device according to claim 2,

wherein the azimuthal direction detection device detects the final azimuthal direction of the target by adding the azimuthal direction of the target detected from the phase difference or amplitude difference and the azimuthal direction of transmission beam used in the detection of the azimuthal direction of the target.