Automotive radar

• US 7,408,500 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shinoda, Hiroshi, Izumi, Shiho, Kondoh, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): ALSOMIRI, ISAM A
• Application Number:
  US11/045,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20050128134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 342 1- 12, 342 70- 72, 342/159
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/027 Constructional details of housings, e.g. form, type, material or ruggedness
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/038 Feedthrough nulling circuits
• 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 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/525 between emitting and receiving antennas

Abstract

An automotive radar having a high level of azimuth accuracy and a broad detectable range by virtue of preventing leaks of unnecessary waves to receiving antennas is to be provided. A transmitting array antenna 1 and receiving array antennas 2a, 2b are arranged on an antenna plate (grounding conductor plate) 3 which serves to ground the antennas, and radio wave absorbers 4 are arranged on two sides of the edges 15 of the antenna plate 3. The radio wave absorbers 4 may be configured of, for instance, a sponge material containing radio wave absorbing grains.

Claims

1. A monopulse radar comprising:

a transmitting antenna and receiving antennas arranged on the top face of a grounding conductor plate; and

a radar transmitter/receiver apparatus for supplying a signal to the transmitting antenna and detecting the azimuth of an obstacle from signals of a wave reflected by the obstacle and received by the receiving antennas,

wherein the azimuth of the obstacle is detected based on at least one of the parameters including amplitude and phase of received signals each received through each of said receiving antennas, and

wherein a diffracted wave prevention structure extends along at least two edges of the top face of said grounding conductor plate in a direction of a boundary between said transmitting antenna and said receiving antennas, said diffracted wave prevention structure being arranged to prevent a diffracted wave being generated through radiation from the transmitting antenna, reflection by the obstacle and diffraction at the edges and then being received by the receiving antenna.

2. The monopulse radar according to claim 1,

wherein said diffracted wave prevention structure comprises a radio wave absorber extending along and thereby covering said at least two top face edges in the direction of the boundary between said transmitting antenna and said receiving antennas, and being arranged on the top face of said grounding conductor plate.

3. The monopulse radar according to claim 2, wherein a radio wave absorber is also arranged between said transmitting antenna and said receiving antennas.

4. The monopulse radar according to claim 3, wherein said radio wave absorbers are comprises of a sponge material containing radio wave absorbing grains.

5. The monopulse radar according to claim 3,

further comprising a radome covering the front of said transmitting antenna and said receiving antennas.

6. The monopulse radar according to claim 3,

wherein the height of said radio wave absorbers from the top face of said transmitting antenna is so selected as to prevent radio waves from radiating outside the range of obstacle detecting angles, and their height from the top faces of said receiving antennas is so selected as to prevent radio waves from arriving from outside the range of obstacle detecting angles.

7. The monopulse radar according to claim 2, wherein said radio wave absorber is comprised of a sponge material containing radio wave absorbing grains.

8. The monopulse radar according to claim 2,

further comprising a radome covering the front of said transmitting antenna and said receiving antennas.

9. The monopulse radar according to claim 2,

wherein the height of said radio wave absorber from the top face of said transmitting antenna is so selected as to prevent radio waves from radiating outside the range of obstacle detecting angles, and its height from the top faces of said receiving antennas is so selected as to prevent radio waves from arriving from outside the range of obstacle detecting angles.

10. The monopulse radar according to claim 1,

wherein the top face edges of said grounding conductor plate are at least in part made up of at least two faces.

11. The monopulse radar according to claim 1,

wherein the top face edges of said grounding conductor plate at least in part have a curved face.

12. The monopulse radar according to claim 1,

wherein the top face edges of said grounding conductor plate are provided with projections.

13. The monopulse radar according to claim 1,

wherein a diffracted wave prevention structure extends along two edges of the top face of said grounding conductor plate perpendicular to the direction of the boundary between said transmitting antenna and said receiving antennas, said diffracted wave prevention structure being ranged to prevent a diffracted wave being generated through radiation from the transmitting antenna, reflection by the obstacle and diffraction at the edges and then being received by the receiving antenna.

14. The monopulse radar according to claim 13,

wherein said diffracted wave prevention structure extending perpendicular War to the direction of the boundary comprises a radio wave absorber extending along and thereby covering said two top face edges perpendicular to the direction of the boundary between said transmitting antenna and said receiving antennas, and being arranged on the top face of said grounding conductor plate.

15. The monopulse radar according to claim 14,

wherein a radio wave absorber is also arranged between said transmitting antenna and said receiving antennas.

16. The monopulse radar according to claim 15,

wherein said radio wave absorbers are comprised of a sponge material containing radio wave absorbing grains.

17. The monopulse radar according to claim 15,

further comprising a radome covering the front of said transmitting antenna and said receiving antennas.

18. The monopulse radar according to claim 15,

wherein the height of said radio wave absorbers from the top face of said transmitting antenna is so selected as to prevent radio waves from radiating outside the range of obstacle detecting angles, and their height from the top faces of said receiving antennas is so selected as to prevent radio waves from arriving from outside the range of obstacle detecting angles.

19. The monopulse radar according to claim 14,

wherein said radio wave absorber is comprised of a sponge material containing radio wave absorbing grains.

20. The monopulse radar according to claim 14,

further comprising a radome covering the front of said transmitting antenna and said receiving antennas.

21. The monopulse radar according to claim 14,

wherein the height of said radio wave absorber from the top face of said transmitting antenna is so selected as to prevent radio waves from radiating outside the range of obstacle detecting angles, and its height from the top faces of said receiving antennas is so selected as to prevent radio waves from arriving from outside the range of obstacle detecting angles.