Automotive radar

• US 6,933,881 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2003
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shinoda, Hiroshi, Izumi, Shiho, Kondoh, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALSOMIRI, ISAM A
• Application Number:
  US10/618,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20050001757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 342 1- 12, 342 70- 72, 342/159
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/027 Constructional details of housings, e.g. form, type, material or ruggedness
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/038 Feedthrough nulling circuits
• 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 1/3283 side-mounted antennas, e.g. bumper-mounted, door-mounted mounted on windscreens H01Q1/1271
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/525 between emitting and receiving antennas

Abstract

An automotive radar having a high level of azimuth accuracy and a broad detectable range by virtue of preventing leaks of unnecessary waves to receiving antennas is to be provided. A transmitting array antenna 1 and receiving array antennas 2a, 2b are arranged on an antenna plate (grounding conductor plate) 3 which serves to ground the antennas, and radio wave absorbers 4 are arranged on two sides of the edges 15 of the antenna plate 3. The radio wave absorbers 4 may be configured of, for instance, a sponge material containing radio wave absorbing grains.

Claims

1. An automotive radar comprising:

a transmitting antenna and receiving antennas arranged on the top face of a grounding conductor plate, and

a radar transmitter/receiver apparatus for supplying a signal to the transmitting antenna and detecting the azimuth of an obstacle from signals of a wave reflected by the obstacle and received by the receiving antennas,

wherein a diffracted wave prevention structure is provided at edges of the top face of said grounding conductor plate at least in part, said diffracted wave prevention structure being arranged to prevent a diffracted wave being generated through radiation from the transmitting antenna, reflection by the obstacle and diffraction at the edges and then being received by the receiving antenna.

2. The automotive radar according to claim 1, wherein said diffracted wave prevention structure comprises a radio wave absorber covering said top face edges at least in part and arranged on the top face of said grounding conductor plate.

3. The automotive radar according to claim 2, wherein a radio wave absorber is also arranged between said transmitting antenna and said receiving antennas.

4. The automotive radar according to claim 3, wherein said radio wave absorbers are comprised of a sponge material containing radio wave absorbing grains.

5. The automotive radar according to claim 3, further comprising a radome covering the front of said transmitting antenna and said receiving antennas.

6. The automotive radar according to claim 5, wherein said radio wave absorbers are fitted in advance to the radome.

7. The automotive radar according to claim 3, wherein the height of said radio wave absorbers from the top face of said transmitting antenna is so selected as to prevent radio waves from radiating outside the range of obstacle detecting angles, and their height from the top faces of said receiving antennas is so selected as to prevent radio waves from arriving from outside the range of obstacle detecting angles.

8. The automotive radar according to claim 2, wherein said radio wave absorber is comprised of a sponge material containing radio wave absorbing grains.

9. The automotive radar according to claim 2, further comprising a radome covering the front of said transmitting antenna and said receiving antennas.

10. The automotive radar according to claim 9, wherein said radio wave absorber is fitted in advance to the radome.

11. The automotive radar according to claim 2, wherein the height of said radio wave absorber from the top face of said transmitting antenna is so selected as to prevent radio waves from radiating outside the range of obstacle detecting angles, and its height from the top faces of said receiving antennas is so selected as to prevent radio waves from arriving from outside the range of obstacle detecting angles.

12. The automotive radar according to claim 1, wherein the top face edges of said grounding conductor plate are at least in part made up of at least two faces.

13. The automotive radar according to claim 1, wherein the top face edges of said grounding conductor plate at least in part have a curved face.

14. The automotive radar according to claim 1, wherein the top face edges of said grounding conductor plate are provided with projections.