Radar device

• US 7,561,099 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Wakayama, Toshio, Inaba, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bythrow; Peter M
• Application Number:
  US11/747,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20080165049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 342/26.R, 342/26.A, 342/26.B, 342/26.C, 342/26.D, 342/85, 342/91, 342/92, 342/175, 342368-377, 342 70- 72
• US Class Current: 342/85
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/46 using antennas spaced apart and measuring phase or time difference between signals therefrom, i.e. path-difference systems
• 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 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/28 varying the amplitude

Abstract

To provide a radar device that is capable of performing both of long-distance detection performance and short-distance wide-angle monitor in a DBF system radar, there is provided a radar device of a digital beam forming system that radiates waves toward a space, receives a reflected wave that is reflected by an object which exists within the space, and subjects the received reflected wave to signal processing to thereby measure the object, the radar device including a transmitting antenna that radiates waves toward an observation range where required maximum distances different in respective azimuths are assumed, and has a directivity characteristic in which the transmitting gains in the respective azimuths are set on the basis of the distance attenuation characteristic at the required maximum distances.

Claims

1. A radar device of a digital beam forming system that radiates waves toward a space, receives a reflected wave that is reflected by an object which exists within the space, and subjects the received reflected wave to signal processing to thereby measure the object, the radar device comprising:

a transmitting antenna configured to radiate waves toward an observation range where required maximum distances different in respective azimuths are assumed, has a directivity characteristic in which the transmitting gains in the respective azimuths are set on the basis of the distance attenuation characteristic at the required maximum distances,

wherein the transmitting antenna has a directivity characteristic that is set on the basis of the distance attenuation characteristic and a signal processing gain that is determined according to a time resolution of the signal processing at the required maximum distances.

2. A radar device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting antenna has a directivity characteristic in which the gains in the respective azimuths are in inverse proportion to a fourth power of the required maximum distance.

3. A radar device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting antenna has a directivity characteristic in which the gains in the respective azimuths are larger than the transmitting gains that are in inverse proportion to the fourth power of the required maximum distance.

4. A radar device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting antenna has a directivity characteristic in which the distance attenuation characteristic is set taking atmospheric attenuation characteristic into consideration in a case where the atmospheric attenuation is large.

5. A radar device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting antenna has a directivity characteristic that is set taking the distance attenuation characteristic in a near field into consideration in a case where the required maximum distances are in the near field.

6. A radar device according to claim 1,

wherein the radar device further includes target detecting means that inputs a received signal obtained from the reflected wave and detects the target signal with a time resolution that is different depending on the required maximum distances.

7. A radar device according to claim 6, wherein the signal processing gain is in proportion to the time resolution.

8. A radar device according to claim 6, wherein the signal processing gain is in proportion to a square root of the time resolution.

9. A radar device according to claim 1, wherein the target detecting means applies the time resolution of the signal processing at the required maximum distances that are assumed in each of the azimuths to signals at the same distance in other azimuths.

10. A radar device according to claim 1,

wherein the transmitting antenna has the directivity characteristic that is set on the basis of the distance attenuation characteristic and the directivity gain of the beam for reception, and

wherein the radar device further includes a plurality of receiving antennas that receive the reflected waves, and beam forming means that combines the reflected waves received by the plurality of receiving antennas together to form a beam for reception, and forms a beam for reception having beam for reception patterns that are different depending on the required maximum distances.

11. A radar device according to claim 1, wherein the time resolution is a period of time during which scanning is conducted by the antenna in one cycle.