Method for detecting target objects and for determining their direction and the like for a radar device

• US 6,762,711 B1
• Filed: 07/09/2001
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Doerfler, Reiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US09/869,937
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 342/59, 342/118, 342/128-133, 342/147, 342/148, 342/155-158, 342/27, 342/28, 342/70, 342/71, 342/72, 342/175, 342/195, 342/149-154
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/4409 HF sub-systems particularly adapted therefor, e.g. circuits for signal combination multi-lobing aerials or aerial systems H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/48 using multiple beams at emission or reception
• 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 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles

Abstract

In a method for detecting target objects and determining their direction, range, speed and the like for a radar device, the invention provides that at least three transmitting and receiving devices for radar beams are arranged in such a manner that their beam fields (a, b, c, d, e) form the dectection area of the radar device, and the at least three transmitting and receiving devices are activated and deactivated successively in such a manner that at least two adjacent transmitting and recieving devices are activated simultaneously.

Claims

1. A method for detecting target objects using a radar device, comprising:

arranging at least three transmitting and receiving devices for radar beams such that their beam fields form a detection area of the radar device;

successively activating and deactivating the at least three transmitting and receiving devices such that at least two but not all of the at least three adjacent transmitting and receiving devices are operated simultaneously; and

evaluating echo signals from the transmitting and receiving devices using monopulse-radar.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pair of adjacent transmitting and receiving devices are activated simultaneously.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the deactivated transmitting and receiving devices is reactivated for activation of the at least three transmitting and receiving devices.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the position angle of the target object relative to the radar device is determined by comparison of beam intensities of the at least three transmitting and receiving devices.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the echo signals from the transmitting and receiving devices are evaluated individually on the basis of range, speed and intensity.