Vehicle radar system using shaped antenna patterns

• US 10,573,959 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2017
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uhnder, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uhnder, Inc.
• Inventors: Alland, Stephen W., Davis, Curtis, Goldenberg, Marius
• Primary Examiner(s): Bythrow, Peter M
• Application Number:
  US15/598,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20170309997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• 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 7/2813 Means providing a modification of the radiation pattern for cancelling noise, clutter or interfering signals, e.g. side lobe suppression, side lobe blanking, null-steering arrays specially adapted to secondary radar systems G01S13/762; aerials or aerials systems H01Q21/29, H01Q25/00
• 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 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/22 Antenna units of the array energised non-uniformly in amplitude or phase, e.g. tapered array or binomial array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/28 varying the amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/30 varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array H01Q3/2605, H01Q3/2658, H01Q3/2682, H01Q3/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/26265 Arrangements for sidelobes suppression specially adapted to multicarrier systems, e.g. spectral precoding

Abstract

A radar sensing system for a vehicle, the radar sensing system including a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter is configured to transmit a radio signal. The receiver is configured to receive the transmitted radio signal reflected from objects in the environment. The transmitter includes an antenna and is configured to transmit the radio signal via the antenna. The antenna includes a plurality of linear arrays of patch radiators. An arrangement of the linear arrays of patch radiators is selected to form a desired shaped antenna pattern having a desired mainlobe shape and desired shoulder shapes to cover selected sensing zones without nulls or holes in the coverage.

Claims

1. A radar sensing system for a vehicle, the radar sensing system comprising:

a plurality of transmitters configured for installation and use on the vehicle;

wherein each transmitter of the plurality of transmitters comprises an antenna, wherein each transmitter antenna comprises a substrate and a plurality of linear arrays of radiators, and wherein each respective plurality of linear arrays of radiators is disposed upon their respective transmitter antenna substrate;

wherein each transmitter is configured to transmit a radio signal via respective transmitter antenna;

a plurality of receivers configured for installation and use on the vehicle, wherein each receiver of the plurality of receivers comprises an antenna, wherein each receiver antenna comprises a substrate and a plurality of linear arrays of elements, and wherein each respective plurality of linear arrays of elements is disposed upon their respective receiver antenna substrates, and wherein the receivers are configured to receive the transmitted radio signals via the respective receiver antennas, transmitted by the transmitters, and reflected from objects in an environment; and

wherein a predetermined arrangement of a plurality of linear arrays of radiators of a first transmitter antenna forms a shaped antenna pattern having a mainlobe and sidelobes that form a mainlobe shape and shoulder shapes to cover selected sensing zones of the first transmitter antenna, as defined by resulting phase distributions and amplitude distributions of the arranged linear arrays of radiators of the first transmitter antenna, wherein a phase distribution and an amplitude distribution along each respective array of radiators of the first transmitter antenna, in combination, define the phase distributions and the amplitude distributions of the arranged linear arrays of radiators of the first transmitter antenna, and wherein the shaped antenna pattern of the first transmitter antenna comprises a relative gain value with respect to angle that is free of sidelobe nulls or holes, such that the antenna gain in the sidelobes is free of areas with substantially reduced antenna gain as compared to the nominal antenna gain in the sidelobes.

2. The radar sensing system of claim 1, wherein the shaped antenna pattern of the first transmitter antenna has a shape oriented along, or parallel to, a first axis, when each linear array of radiators of the first transmitter antenna is arranged as a column of radiators oriented along, or parallel to, a second axis, wherein the second axis is orthogonal to the first axis.

3. The radar sensing system of claim 2, wherein an antenna gain and field of view (FOV) of the mainlobe shape and shoulder shapes are adapted to the selected sensing zones of the first transmitter antenna, and wherein the FOVs are parallel with the first axis.

4. The radar sensing system of claim 2, wherein the shape of the shaped antenna pattern of the first transmitter antenna is controlled with more degrees of freedom when a plurality of radiator columns comprises more than three columns of radiators, as compared to fewer than three columns of radiators.

5. The radar sensing system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of radiator columns of the first transmitter antenna comprises three or fewer radiator columns.

6. The radar sensing system of claim 1, wherein each transmitter antenna comprises a power combiner configured to combine their respective plurality of linear arrays of radiators into a single antenna port, wherein a relative gain and width of a shoulder shape of the shaped antenna pattern of the first transmitter antenna is determined by selecting a phase and amplitude distribution along each respective array of radiators that are combined to define the phase and amplitude distributions in the power combiner.

7. The radar sensing system of claim 6, wherein a phase distribution along a linear array of radiators is determined by a selected length of microstrip used to interconnect individual radiators of the linear array of radiators, and wherein an amplitude distribution along the linear array of radiators is determined by selected dimensions of individual radiators of the linear array of radiators.

8. The radar sensing system of claim 1, wherein the shaped antenna pattern of the first transmitter antenna is oriented substantially along, or parallel to, a second axis, when each linear array of radiators is arranged as a row of radiators oriented along, or parallel to, a first axis, wherein the first axis is orthogonal to the second axis.

9. The radar sensing system of claim 1, wherein each receiver antenna is configured to receive the transmitted radio signal reflected from objects in the environment, and wherein a predetermined arrangement of the antenna elements of a first receiver antenna forms a shaped antenna pattern having a mainlobe shape and shoulder shapes to cover selected sensing zones, as defined by resulting phase distributions and amplitude distributions of the arranged linear arrays of elements of the first receiver antenna, wherein a phase distribution and an amplitude distribution along each respective array of radiators of the first receiver antenna, in combination, define the phase distributions and the amplitude distributions of the arranged linear arrays of elements, and wherein the shaped antenna pattern of the first receiver antenna comprises a relative gain value that is free of sidelobe nulls or holes, such that the antenna gain in the sidelobes is free of areas with substantially reduced antenna gain as compared to the nominal antenna gain in the sidelobes.

10. The radar sensing system of claim 9, wherein the receiver antennas and the transmitter antennas each produce a common shaped antenna pattern.

11. The radar sensing system of claim 9, wherein the receiver antennas and the transmitter antennas each produce different shaped antenna patterns, such that the respective shaped antenna patterns of the receiver antennas are different from the respective shaped antenna patterns of the transmitter antennas.

12. The radar sensing system of claim 1, wherein a radiator comprises a patch radiator, and wherein an element comprises a patch element.

13. The radar sensing system of claim 1, wherein the shaped antenna pattern of the first transmitter antenna is oriented substantially along, or parallel to, both a first axis and a second axis when each of a first portion of the plurality of linear arrays of radiators of the first transmitter antenna is arranged as a column oriented along, or parallel to, the second axis and each of a second portion of the plurality of linear arrays of radiators of the first transmitter antenna is arranged as a row oriented along, or parallel to, the first axis, respectively, and wherein the first axis is orthogonal to the second axis.

14. The radar sensing system of claim 1, wherein two-dimensional amplitude distribution for the array of radiators of the first transmitter antenna is determined by selected dimensions of individual radiators, and wherein two-dimensional phase distribution for the array of radiators of the first transmitter is determined by selected lengths of microstrip feed lines routed to individual radiators.

15. A radar sensing system for a vehicle, the radar sensing system comprising:

a transmitter configured for installation and use on the vehicle;

wherein the transmitter comprises an antenna, and wherein the transmitter antenna comprises a substrate and a plurality of linear arrays of radiators disposed upon the transmitter antenna substrate;

wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a radio signal via the transmitter antenna;

a receiver configured for installation and use on the vehicle, wherein the receiver comprises an antenna, wherein the receiver antenna comprises a substrate and a plurality of linear arrays of elements disposed upon the receiver antenna substrate, and wherein the receiver is configured to receive the transmitted radio signal via the receiver antenna, transmitted by the transmitter, and reflected from objects in an environment; and

wherein the plurality of linear arrays of radiators of the transmitter antenna are arranged as columns of radiators oriented along, or parallel to, a second axis, wherein a predetermined arrangement of the columns of radiators of the transmitter antenna forms a shaped antenna pattern oriented along, or parallel to, a first axis and having a mainlobe and sidelobes that form a mainlobe shape and shoulder shapes to cover selected sensing zones oriented along the first axis, as defined by resulting phase distributions and amplitude distributions of the arranged columns of radiators, wherein a phase distribution and an amplitude distribution along each respective column of radiators, in combination, define the phase distributions and the amplitude distributions of the arranged columns of radiators, and wherein the shaped antenna pattern comprises a relative gain value that is free of sidelobe nulls or holes, such that the antenna gain in the sidelobes is free of areas with substantially reduced antenna gain as compared to the nominal antenna gain in the sidelobes.

16. The radar sensing system of claim 15, wherein a shape of the shaped antenna pattern of the transmitter antenna is controlled with more degrees of freedom when a plurality of linear arrays of radiators arranged as columns comprises more than three columns of radiators, as compared to fewer than three columns of radiators.

17. The radar sensing system of claim 15, wherein the transmitter antenna comprises a power combiner configured to combine the plurality of linear arrays of radiators into a single antenna port, wherein a relative gain and width of a shoulder shape of the shaped antenna pattern of the transmitter antenna is determined by selecting a phase and amplitude distribution along each respective column of radiators of the transmitter antenna that are combined to define the phase and amplitude distributions in the power combiner.

18. The radar sensing system of claim 17, wherein a phase distribution along a linear array of radiators of the transmitter antenna is determined by a selected length of microstrip used to interconnect individual radiators of the linear array of radiators.

19. The radar sensing system of claim 17, wherein an amplitude distribution along a linear array of radiators of the transmitter antenna is determined by selected dimensions of individual radiators of the linear array of radiators.

20. A radar sensing system for a vehicle, the radar sensing system comprising:

a transmitter configured for installation and use on the vehicle, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a radio signal;

wherein the transmitter comprises an antenna, and wherein the transmitter antenna comprises a substrate and a plurality of linear arrays of radiators disposed upon the transmitter antenna substrate;

wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a radio signal via the transmitter antenna;

a receiver configured for installation and use on the vehicle, wherein the receiver comprises an antenna, wherein the receiver antenna comprises a substrate and a plurality of linear arrays of elements disposed upon the receiver antenna substrate, and wherein the receiver is configured to receive the transmitted radio signal via the receiver antenna, transmitted by the transmitter, and reflected from objects in an environment; and

wherein the plurality of linear arrays of radiators of the transmitter antenna are arranged as rows of radiators oriented along, or parallel to, a first axis, wherein a predetermined arrangement of the rows of radiators of the transmitter antenna forms a shaped antenna pattern oriented along, or parallel to, a second axis and having a mainlobe and sidelobes that form a mainlobe shape and shoulder shapes to cover selected sensing zones, as defined by resulting phase distributions and amplitude distributions of the arranged rows of radiators, wherein a phase distribution and an amplitude distribution along each respective row of radiators, in combination, define the phase distributions and the amplitude distributions of the arranged rows of radiators, wherein the shaped antenna pattern comprises a relative gain value that is free of sidelobe nulls or holes, such that the antenna gain in the sidelobes is free of areas with substantially reduced antenna gain as compared to the nominal antenna gain in the sidelobes, and wherein the first axis is orthogonal to the second axis.

21. The radar sensing system of claim 20, wherein a shape of the shaped antenna pattern of the transmitter antenna is controlled with more degrees of freedom when a plurality of linear arrays of radiators arranged as rows comprises more than three rows of radiators, as compared to fewer than three rows of radiators.

22. The radar sensing system of claim 20, wherein the transmitter antenna comprises a power combiner configured to combine the plurality of linear arrays of radiators into a single antenna port, wherein a relative gain and width of a shoulder shape of the shaped antenna pattern of the transmitter antenna is determined by selecting a phase and amplitude distribution along each respective row of radiators of the transmitter antenna that are combined to define the phase and amplitude distributions in the power combiner.

23. The radar sensing system of claim 22, wherein a phase distribution along a linear array of radiators of the transmitter antenna is determined by a selected length of microstrip used to interconnect individual radiators of the linear array of radiators.

24. The radar sensing system of claim 22, wherein an amplitude distribution along a linear array of radiators of the transmitter antenna is determined by selected dimensions of individual radiators of the linear array of radiators.