RADAR MODULE

• US 20180136312A1
• Filed: 11/15/2016
• Published: 05/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics LLC
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fetterman, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 10,408,931 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/032 Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• 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 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A radar module for forming an ultra-wide field of view, including vertically oriented and laterally spaced first and second antennas for transmitting radar signals and for receiving the radar signals after the radar signals have been reflected from a reflecting surface of an object in the FOV of the module. At least one transceiver is configured to generate drive signals for the first and second antennas, such that each antenna forms a flat beam, and a signal processor is configured to detect from the received reflected radar signals a location of one or more objects in the FOV of the module.

Claims

1. A radar module for forming an ultrawide field of view (FOV), the radar module comprising:

vertically oriented and laterally spaced first and second antennas for transmitting radar signals and for receiving the radar signals after the radar signals have been reflected from a reflecting surface of an object in the FOV of the module;

at least one transceiver configured to generate drive signals for the first and second antennas, such that each antenna forms a flat beam; and

a signal processor configured to detect from the received reflected radar signals a location of one or more objects in the FOV of the module.

2. The radar module of claim 1, wherein the at least one transceiver causes the first and second antennas to receive signals during a sampling period.

3. The radar module of claim 2, wherein the sampling period is delayed with respect to a respective portion of the transmitted radar signal by a time delay corresponding to the time taken for that portion to travel to the reflecting surface of the object

4. The radar module of claim 1, further comprising control circuitry shared by the first and second antennas.

5. The radar module of claim 1, wherein the first and second antenna share transmitter electronics.

6. The radar module of claim 1, wherein the signal processor is shared by the first and second antennas.

7. The radar module of claim 1, further comprising a second radar module, wherein the radar module and the second radar module are fixedly mounted at diametrically opposed positions of a mobile machine, so as to provide approximately full 360°

coverage around the mobile machine.

8. The radar module of claim 7,

further comprising a third radar module and a fourth radar module;

and

wherein mobile machine comprises a vehicle, and

the radar modules are fixedly disposed at each of four corners of the vehicle to provide redundant coverage around the vehicle.

9. The radar module of claim 1, fabricated as a single contiguous unit.

10. The radar module of claim 1, further comprising a radiation absorber separating the first and second antennae.

11. The radar module of claim 1, wherein the at least one transceiver alternates radar signal transmission from the first and second antennae.

12. The radar module of claim 1, further comprising a second radar module;

and wherein the at least one transceiver causes the radar modules to transmit radar signals having up-chirp ramps and the second radar module to transmit with down-chirp ramps.

13. The radar module of claim 1, comprising an impulse radar system.

14. The radar module of claim 1, wherein the first and second antennas are oriented relative to one another so as to provide approximately a 270°

FOV.

15. The radar module of claim 14, wherein the first and second antennas are disposed on or in respective substantially planar exterior surfaces canted at approximately 50°

with respect to one another.

16. The radar module of claim 15, wherein the flat beam covers approximately ±

70°

from normal with respect to its associated substantially planar exterior surface.

17. The radar module of claim 1, wherein the each of the first and second antennas comprises an array of microwave antenna elements and a center signal feed point.