Monitor

• US 7,498,970 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bythrow; Peter M
• Application Number:
  US11/575,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20080030394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 342 70- 72, 342/74, 342/75, 342/118, 342/147, 342/81, 343/733, 343/767, 343/764, 343/795, 343/805, 343/806, 701/49
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9327 Sensor installation details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93275 in the bumper area
• 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 13/106 Microstrip slot antennas patch antenna elements H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/24 the primary active element being centre-fed and substantially straight, e.g. H-antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/247 by switching different parts of a primary active element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/446 the radiating element being at the centre of one or more rings of auxiliary elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop

Abstract

A monitoring apparatus of the present application includes: a transmission antenna section that transmits a radio wave of single beam having a wide angle or alternatively a radio wave having a narrower (angular) range in a plurality of beam directions. A receiving antenna section receives the radio wave transmitted by the transmission antenna section and then reflected by a target. A beam switching instrument performs a switching operation such that power is fed to either a first power feed section or a second power feed section, which thereby controls the beam directions of the radio waves to monitor a specified area.

Claims

1. A monitoring apparatus for being installed on a vehicle, sending out a radio wave, then receiving a radio wave generated by reflection of the radio wave, and thereby detecting a target including a material body and/or a human body, said apparatus comprising:

a transmission antenna section for sending out from a common location a radio wave beam in different angular directions within an angular range of interest, wherein the beam has an angular range which is narrower than the angular range of interest;

a receiving antenna section for receiving in each different beam direction the radio wave transmitted by said transmission antenna section and then reflected by said target;

a transmission section of transmitting for said transmission antenna section a signal to be sent out as said radio wave;

a receiving section to which the radio wave received by said receiving antenna section is transmitted as a signal from said receiving antenna section;

beam switching instrument which switches the beam direction sequentially through the angular range of interest when said receiving antenna section receives said radio wave in said each different beam direction, in order to detect the target within the angular range of interest, and the beams are sequentially switched in directions that ensure that the angular range of each beam does not overlap substantially; and

a running information storing section for storing running state information of said vehicle, wherein

said receiving antenna section includes a first power feed section and a second power feed section, and wherein

on the basis of said running state information stored in said running information storing section, said beam switching instrument performs switching such that power is fed to either said first power feed section or said second power feed section.

2. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said transmission antenna section sends out said radio wave in different beam directions, said beam switching instrument sequentially switches the beam direction of the transmitted radio wave to control a monitoring area.

3. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, comprising transmission and reception switching instrument which switches a signal transmitted from said transmission section and a signal transmitted to said receiving section, wherein

said receiving antenna section serves also as said transmission antenna section, while transmission or reception of the radio wave is switched by said transmission and reception switching instrument.

4. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said receiving antenna section includes a reflector plate and a rectangular antenna element parallel to said reflector plate, and wherein

said rectangular antenna element retains said first power feed section and said second power feed section at a pair of two opposing corners thereof and detour elements at the other opposing corners.

5. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said rectangular antenna element has a substantially square shape, while one side thereof has a length of substantially ⅓

of a wavelength of an operating frequency, and while each of said detour elements has a length of substantially ¼

of the wavelength of the operating frequency.

6. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

said rectangular antenna element is a slot loop antenna having a slot section where a conductor on a conductor face of a dielectric substrate is removed in a rectangular shape, while said detour elements are detour slot parts located at a pair of opposing corners of said slot section, and wherein

each of the other pair of opposing corners of said slot section receives power fed by electromagnetic coupling from an end of one of microstrip lines formed on a surface opposite to the conductor face of said dielectric substrate, while the other end of one of said microstrip lines is said first power feed section, and while the other end of the other of said microstrip lines is said second power feed section.

7. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the surface opposite to the conductor face of said dielectric substrate faces said reflector plate.

8. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first target position determination section for determining a distance to said target on the basis of the signal transmitted to said receiving section, then determining a direction toward said target on the basis of a value obtained when a difference of amplitudes of two signals among a plurality of signals corresponding to a plurality of radio waves received from said different beam directions is normalized by a sum of the amplitudes of said two signals, to determine a position of said target on the basis of said distance and said direction toward said target.

9. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

at least said transmission antenna section and said receiving antenna section are provided in a front central part and/or a rear central part of said vehicle, and wherein

among said different beam directions, one is directed leftward of said vehicle, while another one is directed rightward of said vehicle.

10. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

at least said transmission antenna section and said receiving antenna section are provided within a side mirror of said vehicle, and wherein

among said different beam directions, one is directed forward of said vehicle, while another one is directed rearward of said vehicle.

11. A surroundings monitoring system wherein a plurality of said monitoring apparatuses according to claim 1 are provided and aligned so that a larger region becomes a monitoring area in comparison with the case that said monitoring apparatus is employed in stand-alone.

12. A surroundings monitoring system according to claim 11, wherein a timing that all of a plurality of said monitoring apparatuses monitor the same predetermined side and a timing that all of a plurality of said monitoring apparatuses monitor the side opposite to said same predetermined side are switched and controlled in time sharing.

13. A surroundings monitoring system according to claim 11, comprising a target position determination section for determining a position of a target on the basis of a distance from one monitoring apparatus, among a plurality of said monitoring apparatuses having been aligned, to said target determined by said one monitoring apparatus and a distance from another monitoring apparatus to said target determined by said another monitoring apparatus arranged distant from said one monitoring apparatus.

15. A surroundings monitoring system according to claim 11, wherein said monitoring apparatuses are installed in both side door mirrors of said vehicle, and

among said different beam directions of said monitoring apparatus of said each side door mirror, one is directed forward of said vehicle, while another one is directed rearward to said vehicle.

16. A surroundings monitoring system according to claim 15, wherein

when said running state information of said vehicle indicates that said vehicle is running at a low speed, said beam switching instrument switches the beam directions to monitor the forward directions of said vehicle, and

when said running state information of said vehicle indicates that said vehicle is running at a high speed, said beam switching instrument switches the beam directions to monitor the rearward directions of said vehicle.

17. A surroundings monitoring system according to claim 15, wherein

when said running state information of said vehicle indicates that said vehicle moves forward in a state that the steering wheel is turned left, said beam switching instrument switches the beam directions of a left side of said vehicle to monitor said forward direction and said rearward direction alternately, and sets the beam direction of a right side of said vehicle to monitor said forward direction, and

when said running state information of said vehicle indicates that said vehicle moves forward in a state that the steering wheel is turned right, said beam switching instrument switches the beam directions of a right side of said vehicle to monitor said forward direction and said rearward direction alternately, and sets the beam direction of a left side of said vehicle to monitor said forward direction.

18. A surroundings monitoring system according to claim 11, wherein said monitoring apparatuses are installed at the corners of said vehicle,

among said different beam directions of said monitoring apparatus installed at a left forward corner of said vehicle, one is directed forward left side of said vehicle, while another one is directed left forward side of said vehicle,

among said different beam directions of said monitoring apparatus installed at a right forward corner of said vehicle, one is directed forward right side of said vehicle, while another one is directed right forward side of said vehicle,

among said different beam directions of said monitoring apparatus installed at a right rearward corner of said vehicle, one is directed rearward right side of said vehicle, while another one is directed right rearward side of said vehicle, and

among said different beam directions of said monitoring apparatus installed at a left rearward corner of said vehicle, one is directed rearward left side of said vehicle, while another one is directed left rearward side of said vehicle.

19. A surroundings monitoring system according to claim 18, wherein

when said running state information of said vehicle indicates that said vehicle is running at a high speed, (a) said beam switching instrument of said monitoring apparatus installed at a left forward corner of said vehicle sets the beam direction to monitor the forward left side of said vehicle, (b) said beam switching instrument of said monitoring apparatus installed at a right forward corner of said vehicle sets the beam direction to monitor the forward right side of said vehicle, (c) said beam switching instrument of said monitoring apparatus installed at a right rearward corner of said vehicle sets the beam directions to monitor the rearward right side of said vehicle, and (d) said beam switching instrument of said monitoring apparatus installed at a left rearward corner of said vehicle sets the beam direction to monitor the rearward left side of said vehicle.

20. A surroundings monitoring system according to claim 18, wherein

when said running state information of said vehicle indicates that said vehicle is starting, (a) said beam switching instrument of said monitoring apparatus installed at a left forward corner of said vehicle sets the beam direction to monitor the forward left side of said vehicle, simultaneously said beam switching instrument of said monitoring apparatus installed at a right forward corner of said vehicle sets the beam direction to monitor the right forward side of said vehicle, and afterward (b) said beam switching instrument of said monitoring apparatus installed at a left forward corner of said vehicle switches the beam direction to monitor the left forward side of said vehicle, simultaneously said beam switching instrument of said monitoring apparatus installed at a right forward corner of said vehicle switches the beam direction to monitor the forward right side of said vehicle.

14. A monitoring control method in a vehicle-installed monitoring apparatus of sending out a radio wave, then receiving a radio wave generated by reflection of the radio wave, and thereby detecting a target including a material body and/or a human body, said method includes the steps of:

transmitting from a common location a radio wave beam in different angular directions within an angular range of interest, wherein the beam has an angular range which is narrower than the angular range of interest;

switching the beam direction sequentially through the angular range of interest when said radio wave is received in said each different beam direction, in order to detect the target within the angular range of interest, and the beams are sequentially switched in directions that ensure that the angular range of each beam does not overlap substantially; and

determining which monitoring area among a plurality of monitoring areas that can be monitored when a beam direction of the radio wave is switched should be activated at which timing on the basis of running state information of said vehicle, to control the monitoring area.

21. A monitoring apparatus for being installed on a vehicle, sending out a radio wave, then receiving a radio wave generated by reflection of the radio wave, and thereby detecting a target including a material body and/or a human body, said apparatus comprising:

a transmission antenna section for sending out a radio wave beam within an angular range of interest;

a receiving antenna section for receiving in each different beam direction the radio wave transmitted by said transmission antenna section and then reflected by said target;

a transmission section of transmitting for said transmission antenna section a signal to be sent out as said radio wave;

a receiving section to which the radio wave received by said receiving antenna section is transmitted as a signal from said receiving antenna section;

a beam switching instrument which switches the beam direction sequentially through the angular range of interest when said receiving antenna section receives said radio wave in said each different beam direction, in order to detect the target within the angular range of interest, and the beams are sequentially switched in directions that ensure that the angular range of each beam does not overlap substantially; and

a running information storing section for storing running state information of said vehicle, wherein

said angular range of interest of said transmission antenna section includes all of each monitoring area in said each different beam direction of said receiving antenna section,

said receiving antenna section includes a first power feed section and a second power feed section, and wherein

on the basis of said running state information stored in said running information storing section, said beam switching instrument performs switching such that power is fed to either said first power feed section or said section power feed section.

22. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 21, wherein

said receiving antenna section includes a reflector plate and a rectangular antenna element parallel to said reflector plate, and wherein

said rectangular antenna element retains said first power feed section and said second power feed section at a pair of two opposing corners thereof and detour elements at the other opposing corners.

23. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said rectangular antenna element has a substantially square shape, while one side thereof has a length of substantially ⅓

of a wavelength of an operating frequency, and while each of said detour elements has a length of substantially ¼

of the wavelength of the operating frequency.

24. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 22, wherein

said rectangular antenna element is a slot loop antenna having a slot section where a conductor on a conductor face of a dielectric substrate is removed in a rectangular shape, while said detour elements are detour slot parts located at a pair of opposing corners of said slot section, and wherein

each of the other pair of opposing corners of said slot section receives power fed by electromagnetic coupling from an end of one of microstrip lines formed on a surface opposite to the conductor face of said dielectric substrate, while the other end of one of said microstrip lines is said first power feed section, and while the other end of the other of said microstrip lines is said second power feed section.

25. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the surface opposite to the conductor face of said dielectric substrate faces said reflector plate.

26. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a first target position determination section for determining a distance to said target on the basis of the signal transmitted to said receiving section, then determining a direction toward said target on the basis of a value obtained when a difference of amplitudes of two signals among a plurality of signals corresponding to a plurality of radio waves received from said different beam directions is normalized by a sum of the amplitudes of said two signals, to determine a position of said target on the basis of said distance and said direction toward said target.

27. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 21, wherein

at least said transmission antenna section and said receiving antenna section are provided in a front central part and/or a rear central part of said vehicle, and wherein

among said different beam directions, one is directed leftward of said vehicle, while another one is directed rightward of said vehicle.

28. A monitoring apparatus according to claim 21, wherein

at least said transmission antenna section and said receiving antenna section are provided within a side mirror of said vehicle, and wherein

among said different beam directions, one is directed forward of said vehicle, while another one is directed rearward of said vehicle.

29. A surroundings monitoring system wherein a plurality of said monitoring apparatuses according to claim 21 are provided and aligned so that a larger region becomes a monitoring area in comparison with the case that said monitoring apparatus is employed in stand-alone.

30. A surroundings monitoring system according to claim 29, wherein a timing that all of a plurality of said monitoring apparatuses monitor the same predetermined side and a timing that all of a plurality of said monitoring apparatuses monitor the side opposite to said same predetermined side are switched and controlled in time sharing.

31. A surroundings monitoring system according to claim 29, comprising a target position determination section for determining a position of a target on the basis of a distance from one monitoring apparatus, among a plurality of said monitoring apparatuses having been aligned, to said target determined by said one monitoring apparatus and a distance from another monitoring apparatus to said target determined by said another monitoring apparatus arranged distant from said one monitoring apparatus.

32. A monitoring control method in a vehicle-installed monitoring apparatus of sending out a radio wave, then receiving a radio wave generated by reflection of the radio wave, and thereby detecting a target including a material body and/or a human body, said method comprising:

a step of determining which monitoring area among a plurality of monitoring areas that can be monitored when a beam direction of the radio wave is switched should be activated at which timing on the basis of running state information of said vehicle, to control the monitoring area;

a transmission step of sending out the radio wave beam within an angular range of interest;

a receiving step of receiving in each different beam direction the radio wave transmitted by said transmission step and then reflected by said target; and

a beam switching step which switches the beam direction sequentially through the angular range of interest when said receiving step receives said radio wave in said each different beam direction, in order to detect the target within the angular range of interest, and the beams are sequentially switched in directions that ensure that the angular range of each beam does not overlap substantially; and

a step for storing running state information of said vehicle,

wherein said angular range of interest includes all of each monitoring area in said each different beam direction of said receiving step, and

wherein on the basis of said running state information, said beam switching step performs switching such that power is fed to either a first power feed section or a second power feed section, said first and second power feed sections controlling a receiving antenna used in the receiving step.