Radar apparatus for preventing erroneous detection by comparing sensitivities of each combination of transmitting and receiving units

• US 6,335,700 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2000
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1999
• 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: Ashihara, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J.
• Application Number:
  US09/495,925
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 342/70, 342/72, 342/117
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/44 Monopulse radar, i.e. simultaneous lobing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/4436 with means specially adapted to maintain the same processing characteristics between the monopulse signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4004 of parts of a radar system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4056 specially adapted to FMCW

Abstract

A radar apparatus for preventing a problem due to an abnormal state such as degradation of a transmitting or receiving unit. The apparatus includes a transmitting section including beam transmitting units for radiating a plurality of beams, where adjacent beams have an overlapped portion; and a receiving section including beam receiving units for receiving reflection waves reflected from a target object. Transmitting and receiving combinations between the beam transmitting units and the beam receiving units are determined so as to detect the position of the target object. The apparatus further includes a sensitivity comparing section for comparing sensitivities with respect to the transmitting and receiving combinations; and an abnormal state determination section for determining an abnormal state of any one of the above units based on a result of the comparison of the sensitivity comparing section.

Claims

1. A radar apparatus comprising:

a transmitting section including a plurality of beam transmitting units for radiating a plurality of beams, where adjacent beams have an overlapped portion; and

a receiving section including a plurality of beam receiving units for receiving reflection waves reflected from a target object,

wherein transmitting and receiving combinations between the beam transmitting units and the beam receiving units are determined so as to detect the position of the target object, and

the radar apparatus further comprises;

a sensitivity comparing section for comparing sensitivities with respect to the transmitting and receiving combinations; and

an abnormal state determination section for determining an abnormal state of any one of the beam transmitting units and the beam receiving units based on a result of the comparison of the sensitivity comparing section.

2. A radar apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the beam transmitting units respectively correspond to the beam receiving units as transmitting/receiving channels, and the transmitting and receiving combinations are determined in each channel and also between adjacent channels; and

the sensitivity comparing section compares sensitivities with respect to the combination of each channel, and also compares sensitivities with respect to the combination of each pair of the adjacent channels.

3. A radar apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a transmitting and receiving channel switching section for switching the transmitting and receiving channels of a transmitting and receiving combination between the adjacent channels in a manner such that the channel of the beam sending unit and the channel of the beam receiving unit are replaced with each other.

4. A radar apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the abnormal state determination section determines degradation of any one of the beam transmitting units and the beam receiving units, and

the radar apparatus further comprises;

a degradation correcting section for correcting the degradation of the target unit based on the determination of the abnormal state determination section.

5. A radar apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the abnormal state determination section determines degradation of any one of the beam transmitting units and the beam receiving units, and

the radar apparatus further comprises;

a degradation correcting section for correcting the degradation of the target unit based on the determination of the abnormal state determination section.

6. A radar apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the abnormal state determination section determines degradation of any one of the beam transmitting units and the beam receiving units, and

the radar apparatus further comprises;

a degradation correcting section for correcting the degradation of the target unit based on the determination of the abnormal state determination section.