Antenna apparatus for use in automobiles

• US 6,414,624 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2001
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harada Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Harada Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Endo, Hiroshi, Langley, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US09/862,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20010033249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/207, 701/208-223, 343/700.MS, 343/711-717, 342/70, 342/71, 342/72, 342/357-1-3, 342/368-377, 342/42, 342/175, 342/89, 342/90, 342/91, 342/92
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• 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 7/032 Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1271 for mounting on windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3208 characterised by the application wherein the antenna is used
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays

Abstract

An automobile antenna apparatus according to the present invention includes an antenna control section for electronically and variably controlling (beam-steering or beam-scanning) an emitting-beam pattern of each of antennas mounted on an automobile, based on high-precision positional information of the automobile, to optimize a function of using an electric wave for vehicle (for broadcast wave reception, mobile communications, positioning, obstruction detection and the like).

Claims

1. A radar apparatus comprising:

a beam-sweep type anti-collision EHF radar mounted at least on a front of an automobile and having a beam scanning component configured to emit a beam within a predetermined angle range;

automobile position detection means for correctly detecting automobile position information by a composite high-precision positioning system of DGPS and dead reckoning navigation; and

means for automatically setting a target detection range by the automobile position information detected by the automobile position detection means and the beam scanning function of the anti-collision EHF radar.

2. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the anti-collision EHF radar includes an EHF array antenna integrated on a large scale by connecting a number of active patch antennas by means of a feeding line, the active patch antennas being formed integrally with a one-chip EHF integrated circuit.

3. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dead reckoning navigation uses an information processing system including at least a speed sensor, an optical fiber gyro, and a map matching means.