Radar device

• US 7,576,838 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Company Limited (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Shirai, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Alsomiri; Isam
• Application Number:
  US11/796,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20080169969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 356/4.01, 356/5.01, 356/28, 342 70- 72, 342/90, 342/107, 342/195
• US Class Current: 356/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4026 Antenna boresight
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/403 in azimuth, i.e. in the horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4034 in elevation, i.e. in the vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4091 during normal radar operation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4972 Alignment of sensor

Abstract

A radar device has a wave projecting part for projecting pulsed electromagnetic waves to a target object in a specified direction at specified time intervals, a wave receiving part for receiving reflected waves reflected by the target object, an intensity measuring part for measuring the intensity of the reflected waves, a distance measuring part for measuring the distance to the target object based on elapsed time from when the pulsed electromagnetic waves are projected until when the reflected waves are received and also serving to determine a maximum reflection point at which the intensity of the received reflected waves is the largest, and a scanning part for varying the direction of the projected electromagnetic waves and the received reflected waves in horizontal and vertical directions respectively within a specified angular scan range. A calculating part calculates a relative speed of the target object based on the measured distance and the elapsed time and a displacement quantity between the vertical scan direction of the maximum reflection point and a vertical reference direction of the scan range by determining a time constant of a filtering calculation based on the distance to the maximum reflection point and the relative speed and carrying out the filtering calculation by using this determined time constant. A correcting part moves the scan range vertically according to this calculated displacement quantity.

Claims

1. A radar device comprising:

a wave projecting part for projecting pulsed electromagnetic waves to a target object in a specified direction at specified time intervals;

a wave receiving part for receiving reflected waves reflected by said target object in the direction of projection of said pulsed electromagnetic waves;

an intensity measuring part for measuring the intensity of said reflected waves received by said wave receiving part;

a distance measuring part for measuring the distance to said target object based on elapsed time from when said pulsed electromagnetic waves are projected until when said reflected waves are received, said distance measuring part serving to determine a maximum reflection point at which the intensity of said received reflected waves is the largest;

a scanning part for varying the direction of said projected electromagnetic waves and said received reflected waves in horizontal and vertical directions respectively within a specified angular scan range;

a calculating part for calculating a displacement quantity between the vertical scan direction of said maximum reflection point and a vertical reference direction of said scan range, determining a time constant of a filtering calculation based on the distance to said maximum reflection point and said calculated relative speed and carrying out said filtering calculation by using said determined time constant, calculating a relative speed of said target object based on a measured distance and elapsed time, and recording said calculated displacement quantity obtained by said filtering calculation; and

a correcting part for moving said scan range vertically according to said calculated displacement quantity.

2. The radar device of claim 1 wherein said calculating part increases said time constant by specified steps if the distance to said maximum reflecting point is less than a first specified value and said relative speed is less than a second specified value, based on a decrease in the distance to said maximum reflecting point and an increase in said relative speed.

3. The radar device of claim 2 wherein said scanning part moves the direction of projecting said pulsed electromagnetic waves and receiving said reflected waves horizontally for each of vertical directions separated by a specified angle.

4. The radar device of claim 1 wherein said scanning part moves the direction of projecting said pulsed electromagnetic waves and receiving said reflected waves horizontally for each of vertical directions separated by a specified angle.