ON-BOARD RADAR APPARATUS, DETECTION METHOD, AND DETECTION PROGRAM

• US 20130271310A1
• Filed: 04/11/2013
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honda Elesys Co., Ltd. (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Honda Elesys Co., Ltd. (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: IZUMI, Itaru, KAMBE, Takeshi
• Application Number:
  US13/861,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20130271310A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93276 in the windshield area
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/354 Extracting wanted echo-signals Doppler systems G01S13/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4008 of transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4013 involving adjustment of the transmitted power
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4021 of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4039 of sensor or antenna obstruction, e.g. dirt- or ice-coating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4043 including means to prevent or remove the obstruction

Abstract

An on-board radar apparatus includes a transmitting unit configured to transmit a transmitted wave, a receiving unit configured to receive a reflected wave obtained by causing an object to reflect the transmitted wave, to generate a reception signal, and to detect the object by performing a signal process on the reception signal, a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the on-board radar apparatus is located in a vehicle interior, and an adjustment unit configured to adjust transmitting characteristics of the transmitting unit or receiving characteristics of the receiving unit so as to compensate for an attenuation in a propagation path of the transmitted wave or the reflected wave when the determination result of the determination unit is affirmative.

Claims

1. An on-board radar apparatus comprising:

a transmitting unit configured to transmit a transmitted wave;

a receiving unit configured to receive a reflected wave obtained by causing an object to reflect the transmitted wave, to generate a reception signal, and to detect the object by performing a signal process on the reception signal;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the on-board radar apparatus is located in a vehicle interior; and

an adjustment unit configured to adjust transmitting characteristics of the transmitting unit or receiving characteristics of the receiving unit so as to compensate for an attenuation in a propagation path of the transmitted wave or the reflected wave when the determination result of the determination unit is affirmative.

2. The on-board radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment unit adjusts the transmitting characteristics by increasing a transmitting output power of the transmitting unit depending on the attenuation.

3. The on-board radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment unit adjusts the receiving characteristics by increasing a receiving gain of the receiving unit depending on the attenuation.

4. The on-board radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment unit adjusts the receiving characteristics by multiplying a coefficient corresponding to an increase in receiving gain of the receiving unit based on the attenuation by a signal component obtained in the course of causing the receiving unit to perform the signal process on the reception signal.

5. The on-board radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radar apparatus is housed in the same casing as a camera apparatus.

6. A detection method using an on-board radar apparatus having a transmitting unit configured to transmit a transmitted wave and a receiving unit configured to receive a reflected wave obtained by causing an object to reflect the transmitted wave, to generate a reception signal, and to detect the object by performing a signal process on the reception signal, the detection method comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not the on-board radar apparatus is located in a vehicle interior; and

adjusting transmitting characteristics of the transmitting unit or receiving characteristics of the receiving unit so as to compensate for an attenuation in a propagation path of the transmitted wave or the reflected wave when the determination result is affirmative.

7. A detection program causing a computer of an on-board radar apparatus, which comprises a transmitting unit configured to transmit a transmitted wave and a receiving unit configured to receive a reflected wave obtained by causing an object to reflect the transmitted wave, to generate a reception signal, and to detect the object by performing a signal process on the reception signal, to perform the sequences of:

determining whether or not the on-board radar apparatus is located in a vehicle interior; and

adjusting transmitting characteristics of the transmitting unit or receiving characteristics of the receiving unit so as to compensate for an attenuation in a propagation path of the transmitted wave or the reflected wave when the determination result is affirmative.