Radar device, radar image display method, and radar image display program

Abstract

A radar device (201) includes a transmitting unit (13), a receiving unit (31), a display signal generating unit (32), and a control unit (15). The transmitting unit (13) transmits a first pulse signal (Ps1) and a second pulse signal (Ps2), wherein the first pulse signal (Ps1) is a pulse signal with a specific pulse width, and the second pulse signal (Ps2) is a pulse signal with a pulse width wider than that of the first pulse signal (Ps1). The receiving unit (31) receives the reflected signal (Rs) from the pulse signal. The display signal generating unit (32) generates a display signal based on the reflected signal (Rs). The control unit (15) performs a first control to control the transmission power of the pulse signal such that the transmission power (Pt1) of the first pulse signal (Ps1) is greater than the transmission power (Pt2) of the second pulse signal (Ps2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to radar devices, radar image display methods, and radar image display programs. Background Technology

[0002] In the radar field, technologies have been developed for monitoring the power of transmitted pulse signals and controlling the transmission power of the pulse signals based on the monitoring results. For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-159550) discloses a radar control device as follows. Specifically, this radar control device includes: a signal generation unit for generating a transmission mode signal composed of one or more types of pulse signals set in the pulse signal, these pulse signals including a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal with a pulse width greater than the first pulse signal; a transmission unit for transmitting the transmission mode signal generated by the signal generation unit to the outside via a radar antenna; a detection unit for detecting the transmission power of the pulse signals included in the transmission mode signal transmitted by the transmission unit; and a control unit for controlling the transmission power using a control value calculated based on the transmission power of the second pulse signal detected by the detection unit when the transmission mode signal generated by the signal generation unit includes the second pulse signal. When the transmission mode signal generated by the signal generation unit consists only of the first pulse signal, the control unit controls the transmission power of the first pulse signal by using the control value previously used to control the transmission power of the second pulse signal. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Technical issues

[0004] In addition to the technology described in Patent Document 1, it is also desirable to have a technology that can improve the detection accuracy of radar devices that transmit pulse signals with different pulse widths for targets in short-range areas.

[0005] This disclosure was made to address the aforementioned problems, and the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a radar device, a radar image display method, and a radar image display program that can improve the detection accuracy of radar devices that transmit pulse signals with different pulse widths for targets in short-range areas.

[0006] Solution to the problem

[0007] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a radar device includes a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, a display signal generating unit, and a control unit. The transmitting unit transmits a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal, the first pulse signal being a pulse signal with a specific pulse width, and the second pulse signal being a pulse signal with a pulse width wider than that of the first pulse signal. The receiving unit receives reflected signals from the pulse signals. The display signal generating unit generates a display signal based on the reflected signals. The control unit performs a first control to control the transmission power of the pulse signals such that the transmission power of the first pulse signal is greater than the transmission power of the second pulse signal.

[0008] As described above, for example, by making the transmission power of the first pulse signal greater than that of the second pulse signal, the target detection accuracy based on the reflected signal of the first pulse signal can be improved, while suppressing the occurrence of range sidelobes in the reflected signal of the pulse-compressed second pulse signal, thereby improving the target detection accuracy in short-range areas. Therefore, in radar devices that transmit pulse signals with different pulse widths, the target detection accuracy in short-range areas can be improved.

[0009] In the above aspects of the invention, the transmitting unit can alternately transmit a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal. The control unit can also perform a second control to adjust the transmission power of the pulse signal based on monitoring results of the pulse signal's transmission power. In the second control, the control unit can adjust the transmission power of the first pulse signal transmitted in a second transmission period following the first transmission period, based on monitoring results of the transmission power of the first pulse signal transmitted during the first transmission period. Furthermore, in the second control, the control unit can adjust the transmission power of the second pulse signal transmitted in a fourth transmission period following the third transmission period, based on monitoring results of the transmission power of the second pulse signal transmitted during the third transmission period.

[0010] This configuration allows the transmission power of the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal to approach their respective target values, while simultaneously ensuring that the transmission power of the first pulse signal is greater than that of the second pulse signal, thereby further improving the accuracy of target detection.

[0011] In the above aspects of the invention, the transmitting unit can alternately transmit a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal. The control unit can further perform a second control to adjust the transmission power of the pulse signal based on monitoring results of the pulse signal transmission power. In the second control, the control unit can jointly adjust the transmission power of the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal transmitted in a sixth period after the fifth period based on monitoring results of the transmission power of the pulse signal transmitted during the fifth period.

[0012] With this configuration, when it is not possible to obtain the monitoring results of the transmission power of the first pulse signal and the transmission power of the second pulse signal independently, the average value of the transmission power of the first pulse signal and the transmission power of the second pulse signal can be made close to their respective target values, while the transmission power of the first pulse signal is greater than the transmission power of the second pulse signal. This further improves the accuracy of target detection.

[0013] In any of the above aspects of the invention, in the first control, the control unit can control the transmission power of the pulse signal by adjusting the attenuation amount of the attenuator used to attenuate the pulse signal, such that the transmission power of the first pulse signal becomes greater than the transmission power of the second pulse signal.

[0014] With this configuration, the aforementioned first control can be performed at a lower cost than the configuration that adjusts the amplification of the variable amplifier.

[0015] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a radar image display method in a radar device is provided. The method includes: transmitting a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal, the first pulse signal being a pulse signal having a specific pulse width, and the second pulse signal being a pulse signal having a pulse width wider than the pulse width of the first pulse signal; receiving a reflected signal from the pulse signal; generating a display signal based on the reflected signal; and performing a first control to control the transmission power of the pulse signal such that the transmission power of the first pulse signal is greater than the transmission power of the second pulse signal.

[0016] As described above, for example, by making the transmission power of the first pulse signal greater than the transmission power of the second pulse signal, the target detection accuracy based on the reflected signal of the first pulse signal can be improved, while suppressing the occurrence of range sidelobes in the reflected signal of the pulse-compressed second pulse signal, thereby improving the target detection accuracy in short-range areas. Therefore, in radar devices that transmit pulse signals with different pulse widths, the target detection accuracy in short-range areas can be improved.

[0017] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing a computer to perform a method. The method includes: transmitting a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal, the first pulse signal being a pulse signal having a specific pulse width, and the second pulse signal being a pulse signal having a pulse width wider than the pulse width of the first pulse signal; receiving a reflected signal from which the pulse signal is reflected; generating a display signal based on the reflected signal; and performing a first control to control the transmission power of the pulse signals such that the transmission power of the first pulse signal is greater than the transmission power of the second pulse signal.

[0018] As described above, for example, by configuring the transmission power of the first pulse signal to be greater than that of the second pulse signal, the target detection accuracy based on the reflected signal of the first pulse signal can be improved, while suppressing the occurrence of range sidelobes in the reflected signal of the pulse-compressed second pulse signal, thereby improving the target detection accuracy in short-range areas. Therefore, in radar devices that transmit pulse signals with different pulse widths, the target detection accuracy in short-range areas can be improved.

[0019] Beneficial effects of the present invention

[0020] According to this disclosure, radar devices that transmit pulse signals with different pulse widths can improve the detection accuracy of targets in short-range areas. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a radar device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a pulse signal generated by a signal generation unit in a radar device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the attenuation of a variable attenuator and the transmit power of a pulse signal in a radar apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation process when a radar device performs power control according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that in this specification and the drawings, components with substantially the same functional configuration are represented by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0026] Configuration and basic operations

[0027] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a radar device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Reference Figure 1The radar device 201 includes a radar unit 101 and a display device 111. The radar unit 101 includes a signal generation unit 11, a variable attenuator 12, a transmitting unit 13, a power detection unit 14, a control unit 15, a circulator 21, an antenna 22, a receiving unit 31, and a display signal generation unit 32. The display signal generation unit 32 includes a received signal processing unit 32A and a video generation unit 32B. For example, some or all of the signal generation unit 11, the variable attenuator 12, the transmitting unit 13, the power detection unit 14, the control unit 15, the receiving unit 31, and the display signal generation unit 32 may be implemented by a processing circuit (circuit structure) including one or more processors.

[0028] For example, radar device 201 is a solid-state radar that uses semiconductor elements to transmit pulse signals Ps. Radar device 201 is installed on a ship. Radar device 201 performs processing to display a radar image indicating whether a target is present or absent in the target detection area (which is the area monitored by the ship), and the distance between radar device 201 and the target.

[0029] The signal generation unit 11 generates a pulse signal Ps with a predetermined level in the radio frequency (RF) band at the time of transmission of the pulse signal Ps according to a predetermined generation period.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a pulse signal generated by a signal generation unit in a radar device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 In the diagram, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the level of the pulse signal Ps.

[0031] refer to Figure 2 The signal generation unit 11 alternately generates pulse signals Ps1 and Ps2. Ps1 is a pulse signal Ps, and Ps2 is a pulse signal Ps with a wider pulse width than Ps1. Ps1 is an example of a first pulse signal. Ps2 is an example of a second pulse signal. For example, the pulse width of Ps1 is 50 nanoseconds or more and 1 microsecond or less. For example, the pulse width of Ps2 is 5 microseconds or more and 20 microseconds or less.

[0032] Pulse signal Ps1 is an unmodulated pulse signal Ps used to detect targets in the near-range region. Pulse signal Ps2 is a modulated pulse signal Ps used to detect targets in the far-range region. For example, signal generation unit 11 includes an amplifier, and amplifies the generated pulse signal Ps and outputs it to variable attenuator 12.

[0033] Refer again Figure 1The variable attenuator 12 attenuates the pulse signal Ps received from the signal generation unit 11 and outputs the attenuated pulse signal Ps to the transmitting unit 13. The attenuation amount Att of the variable attenuator 12 on the pulse signal Ps is set by the control unit 15. The details of the control unit 15 setting the attenuation amount Att will be described later.

[0034] Transmitting unit 13 transmits pulse signals Ps1 and Ps2. For example, transmitting unit 13 transmits pulse signals Ps1 and Ps2 alternately. More specifically, transmitting unit 13 transmits the pulse signal Ps received from variable attenuator 12 to the detection target area via circulator 21 and antenna 22. Transmitting unit 13 outputs the pulse signal Ps to power detection unit 14.

[0035] The power detection unit 14 detects the transmission power Pt of the pulse signal Ps transmitted by the transmitting unit 13. More specifically, the power detection unit 14 generates a voltage level corresponding to the transmission power Pt of the pulse signal Ps received from the transmitting unit 13, and maintains the peak value of the generated voltage. The power detection unit 14 detects the transmission power Pt of the pulse signal Ps transmitted by the transmitting unit 13 based on the maintained peak value. The power detection unit 14 outputs the detection result of the transmission power Pt to the control unit 15.

[0036] The control unit 15 performs feedback control based on the monitoring results of the transmission power of the pulse signal Ps to adjust the transmission power Pt of the pulse signal Ps. Feedback control is an example of a second type of control. More specifically, the transmission power Pt of the pulse signal Ps varies according to factors such as the temperature of the radar unit 101. The control unit 15 receives the detection result of the transmission power Pt from the power detection unit 14 and, based on the received detection result, adjusts the attenuation amount Att of the variable attenuator 12 so that the difference between the transmission power Pt of the pulse signal Ps transmitted by the transmitting unit 13 and a predetermined target value is reduced.

[0037] The receiving unit 31 receives the reflected signal Rs in the RF band, which is the reflected pulse signal Ps. More specifically, the receiving unit 31 receives the reflected signals Rs1 and Rs2 via the antenna 22 and the circulator 21. The reflected signals Rs1 and Rs2 are the reflected signals obtained by reflecting the pulse signals Ps1 and Ps2 emitted by the transmitting unit 13 at the target location. The receiving unit 31 down-converts the received reflected signals Rs1 and Rs2 to the intermediate frequency (IF) band and outputs the down-converted reflected signals Rs1 and Rs2 to the display signal generation unit 32.

[0038] The display signal generation unit 32 generates a display signal based on the reflected signal Rs. More specifically, the receiving signal processing unit 32A performs digital conversion on the reflected signals Rs1 and Rs2 received from the receiving unit 31, and performs signal processing on the digitally converted reflected signals Rs1 and Rs2. For example, the receiving signal processing unit 32A performs orthogonal detection on the reflected signals Rs1 and Rs2, and performs pulse compression on the reflected signal Rs2 as signal processing. The receiving signal processing unit 32A outputs the signal-processed reflected signals Rs1 and Rs2 to the video generation unit 32B.

[0039] The video generation unit 32B generates a radar image showing the detection result of the target based on the reflected signals Rs1 and Rs2 received from the receiving signal processing unit 32A. More specifically, the video generation unit 32B calculates the distance to the target based on the time difference between the time when the transmitting unit 13 transmits the pulse signal Ps and the time when the receiving unit 31 receives the reflected signal Rs. The video generation unit 32B calculates the direction of the target based on the orientation of the antenna 22 when the transmitting unit 13 transmits the pulse signal Ps. The video generation unit 32B generates a radar image indicating the calculated distance to the target and the direction of the target.

[0040] For example, the video generation unit 32B detects response signals from the Search and Rescue Transponder (SART) and radar beacons based on the reflected signal Rs, and generates a radar image that further indicates the detection results of the response signals.

[0041] The video generation unit 32B generates a display signal indicating the generated radar image and outputs the generated display signal to the display device 111.

[0042] Display device 111 uses display signals received from radar unit 101 to display radar images on a display screen.

[0043] A technique for improving the detection accuracy of radar device 201 for targets in short-range areas is disclosed. More specifically, when the transmission power Pt of pulse signal Ps is increased to improve the detection accuracy of the target, the reflected signal Rs2 is compressed by the pulse, and after signal processing in the display signal generation unit 32, range sidelobes are generated in the reflected signal Rs2, resulting in a deterioration in the quality of the radar image.

[0044] Therefore, the radar device 201 according to the embodiments of this disclosure solves the above-mentioned problems through the following configuration.

[0045] Power control

[0046] Each time the signal generation unit 11 completes the output of pulse signal Ps1 to the variable attenuator 12, it outputs an output notification N1 to the control unit 15 indicating that the output of pulse signal Ps1 is complete. Each time the signal generation unit 11 completes the output of pulse signal Ps2 to the variable attenuator 12, it outputs an output notification N2 to the control unit 15 indicating that the output of pulse signal Ps2 is complete.

[0047] Control unit 15 performs power control to control the transmission power Pt of pulse signal Ps, such that the transmission power Pt1 of pulse signal Ps1 becomes greater than the transmission power Pt2 of pulse signal Ps2. This power control is an example of a first control method. More specifically, in power control, control unit 15 controls the transmission powers Pt1 and Pt2 by adjusting the attenuation amount Att of variable attenuator 12 based on output notifications N1 and N2 received from signal generation unit 11, such that the transmission power Pt1 of pulse signal Ps1 becomes greater than the transmission power Pt2 of pulse signal Ps2.

[0048] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the attenuation of a variable attenuator and the transmit power of a pulse signal in a radar apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 It is a timing diagram that shows the level of the pulse signal Ps generated by the signal generation unit 11, the attenuation of the variable attenuator 12, and the transmission power Pt of the pulse signal Ps transmitted by the transmission unit 13.

[0049] refer to Figure 3 The control unit 15 controls the transmission power Pt by making the attenuation amount Att1 of the variable attenuator 12 on the pulse signal Ps1 less than the attenuation amount Att2 of the variable attenuator 12 on the pulse signal Ps2, so that the transmission power Pt1 becomes greater than the transmission power Pt2.

[0050] More specifically, the transmitting unit 13 transmits a pulse signal Ps2 at a transmitting power of Pt2 during the transmission period Ta from time t1 to time t2.

[0051] The control unit 15 receives the output notification N2 from the signal generation unit 11 at time t2 and executes control to reduce the attenuation of the variable attenuator 12 from Att2 to Att1.

[0052] Next, during the transmission period Tb from time t3 to time t4 after time t2, the transmitting unit 13 transmits the pulse signal Ps1 at the transmission power Pt1.

[0053] At time t4, the control unit 15 receives the output notification N1 from the signal generation unit 11 and executes control to increase the attenuation of the variable attenuator 12 from Att1 to Att2.

[0054] Next, during the transmission period Tc from time t5 to time t6 after time t4, the transmitting unit 13 transmits the pulse signal Ps2 at the transmission power Pt2.

[0055] At time t6, the control unit 15 receives the output notification N2 from the signal generation unit 11 and performs control to reduce the attenuation of the variable attenuator 12 from Att2 to Att1.

[0056] Next, during the transmission period Td from time t7 to time t8 after time t6, the transmitting unit 13 transmits the pulse signal Ps1 at the transmission power Pt1.

[0057] In this way, by making the transmission power Pt1 of the pulse signal Ps1 (which does not generate range sidelobes in the reflected signal Rs1) greater than the transmission power Pt2 of the pulse signal Ps2, the target detection accuracy based on the reflected signal Rs1 can be improved, while suppressing the generation of range sidelobes in the reflected signal Rs2, thereby improving the target detection accuracy in short-range regions. Therefore, for example, the detectable range of the response signals of SART and RAKON can be extended.

[0058] Feedback control

[0059] Control unit 15 performs feedback control in parallel with power control. In feedback control, control unit 15 adjusts the transmission power Pt2 of pulse signal Ps2 transmitted in transmission period Tc after transmission period Ta based on monitoring results of the transmission power Pt2 of pulse signal Ps2 transmitted during transmission period Ta. In feedback control, control unit 15 adjusts the transmission power Pt1 of pulse signal Ps1 transmitted in transmission period Td after transmission period Tb based on monitoring results of the transmission power Pt of pulse signal Ps1 transmitted during transmission period Tb. Transmission period Ta is an example of a third transmission period. Transmission period Tb is an example of a first transmission period. Transmission period Tc is an example of a fourth transmission period. Transmission period Td is an example of a second transmission period.

[0060] More specifically, the power detection unit 14 can detect the transmit power Pt of the pulse signals Ps1 and Ps2 separately.

[0061] The control unit 15 receives the detection result of the transmission power Pt2 of the pulse signal Ps2 transmitted by the transmission unit 13 during the transmission period Ta from the power detection unit 14, and adjusts the attenuation amount of the variable attenuator 12 during the transmission period Tc based on the received detection result.

[0062] The control unit 15 receives the detection result of the transmission power Pt1 of the pulse signal Ps1 transmitted by the transmission unit 13 during the transmission period Tb from the power detection unit 14, and adjusts the attenuation of the variable attenuator 12 during the transmission period Td based on the received detection result.

[0063] Example of modification of feedback control

[0064] The control unit 15 can be configured to jointly adjust the transmission power Pt of pulse signals Ps1 and Ps2 transmitted in a later period, from time t5 to time t8, based on monitoring results of the transmission power Pt of the pulse signal Ps transmitted during the period from time t1 to time t4. The period from time t1 to time t4 is an example of a fifth period. The period from time t5 to time t8 is an example of a sixth period.

[0065] More specifically, due to the limitation of the detection resolution of the transmit power Pt, the power detection unit 14 may not be able to detect the transmit power Pt of the pulse signals Ps1 and Ps2 separately.

[0066] In this case, the control unit 15 receives from the power detection unit 14 the detection result of the transmission power Pt of the pulse signal Ps transmitted by the transmission unit 13 during the time period from time t1 to time t4, and adjusts the attenuation amount of the variable attenuator 12 during the time period from time t5 to time t8 based on the received detection result.

[0067] Operating procedures

[0068] A radar device according to an embodiment of this disclosure includes a computer that includes a memory, and a processor (such as a CPU) in the computer reads a program from the memory that includes some or all of the steps of the following flowchart and executes the program. The program of the device may be externally installed. The program of the device is distributed either in a state stored on a recording medium or transmitted via a communication line.

[0069] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation process when a radar device performs power control according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0070] refer to Figure 4 The radar device 201 first waits for the transmission time of the pulse signal Ps1 ("No" in step S11), and when the transmission time of the pulse signal Ps1 arrives ("Yes" in step S11), it transmits the pulse signal Ps1 attenuated in the variable attenuator 12 (step S12).

[0071] Next, after transmitting the pulse signal Ps1, the radar device 201 increases the attenuation of the variable attenuator 12 from Att1 to Att2 (step S13).

[0072] Next, the radar device 201 waits for the transmission time of the pulse signal Ps2 ("No" in step S14), and when the transmission time of the pulse signal Ps2 arrives ("Yes" in step S14), it transmits the pulse signal Ps2 attenuated in the variable attenuator 12 (step S15).

[0073] Next, after transmitting the pulse signal Ps2, the radar device 201 reduces the attenuation of the variable attenuator 12 from Att2 to Att1 (step S16).

[0074] Next, radar device 201 waits for a new transmission time of pulse signal Ps1 (No in step S11).

[0075] It should be noted that the radar device 201 according to embodiments of the present disclosure includes a variable attenuator 12 for attenuating pulse signals Ps1 and Ps2, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Instead of the variable attenuator 12, the radar device 201 may include a variable attenuator 12A for attenuating pulse signal Ps1 and a variable attenuator 12B for attenuating pulse signal Ps2. In this case, in power control, the control unit 15 controls at least one of the transmission powers Pt1 and Pt2 based on output notifications N1 and N2 received from the signal generation unit 11, such that the transmission power Pt1 of pulse signal Ps1 is greater than the transmission power Pt2 of pulse signal Ps2. More specifically, the control unit 15 adjusts the attenuation amount of at least one of the variable attenuators 12A and 12B based on output notifications N1 and N2 received from the signal generation unit 11.

[0076] In the radar device 201 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit 15 adjusts the attenuation amount Att of the variable attenuator 12 in power control, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Instead of adjusting the attenuation amount Att of the variable attenuator 12, the control unit 15 can adjust the amplification amount of the variable amplifier (not shown) that amplifies the pulse signal Ps.

[0077] This disclosure can be implemented as described in each of the embodiments and modifications above. However, the foregoing description should be considered illustrative rather than limiting in all respects. The scope of this disclosure is indicated by the claims, not by the foregoing embodiments. Furthermore, the scope of this disclosure is intended to include the meaning of equivalents to the claims and all changes within the scope of the claims.

[0078] the term

[0079] It should be understood that not all objectives or advantages can be achieved according to any particular embodiment described herein. Therefore, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that certain embodiments may be configured to operate in a manner that achieves or optimizes one or more advantages taught herein without achieving other objectives or advantages taught or suggested herein.

[0080] All processes described herein can be embodied in software code modules executed by a computing system comprising one or more computers or processors, and fully automated via such software code modules. The code modules can be stored on any type of non-transitory computer-readable medium or other computer storage device. Some or all of the methods can be embodied in dedicated computer hardware.

[0081] In addition to the variations described herein, many other variations will be apparent from this disclosure. For example, according to embodiments, certain actions, events, or functions of any algorithm described herein may be performed in a different order, may be added, combined, or omitted entirely (e.g., not all described actions or events are necessary for the practical algorithm). Furthermore, in some embodiments, actions or events may be performed concurrently, for example, through multithreading, interrupt handling, or multiple processors or processor cores, or on other parallel architectures, rather than sequentially. Additionally, different tasks or processes may be performed by different machines and / or computing systems capable of working together.

[0082] The various illustrative logic blocks and modules described in conjunction with the disclosed embodiments can be implemented or executed by a machine, such as a processor. The processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, it may be a controller, microcontroller, or state machine, or a combination thereof. The processor may include circuitry configured to process computer-executable instructions. In another embodiment, the processor includes an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable devices that perform logic operations without processing computer-executable instructions. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a digital signal processor (DSP) and a microprocessor, a combination of multiple microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Although this document describes primarily digital technologies, the processor may also include primarily analog components. For example, some or all of the signal processing algorithms described herein may be implemented in analog circuitry or mixed analog and digital circuitry. The computing environment may include any type of computer system, including but not limited to computer systems based on microprocessors, mainframe computers, digital signal processors, portable computing devices, device controllers, or computing engines within devices, etc.

[0083] Unless otherwise expressly stated, conditional language such as “can,” “may,” “may,” or “perhaps” is generally understood in context to convey that certain embodiments include certain features, elements, and / or steps, while other embodiments do not. Therefore, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that one or more embodiments must require features, elements, and / or steps, or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for determining (whether or not user input or prompting is required) whether such features, elements, and / or steps are included in any particular embodiment or whether they should be performed in any particular embodiment.

[0084] Unless otherwise expressly stated, disjunctive language such as “at least one of X, Y, or Z” is generally understood in the context to mean that a term, word, etc., may be X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and / or Z). Therefore, such disjunctive language is generally not intended to imply, nor should it imply, that certain embodiments require the presence of at least one of X, at least one of Y, or at least one of Z, respectively.

[0085] Any process description, element, or block depicted in the flowcharts described herein and / or in the accompanying drawings should be understood as potentially representing a module, segment, or code portion comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing a particular logical function or element in the process. Alternative implementations are included within the scope of the embodiments described herein, wherein, as those skilled in the art will understand, depending on the functionality involved, elements or functions may be omitted or executed in a different order than that shown or discussed, including substantially parallel or reverse sequential execution.

[0086] Unless otherwise expressly stated, articles such as “a” or “an” should generally be interpreted as including one or more of the described items. Thus, phrases such as “device configured to…” are intended to include one or more of the described devices. One or more such devices may also be configured collectively to perform the described descriptions. For example, “processors configured to perform descriptions A, B, and C” could include a first processor configured to perform description A working in conjunction with a second processor configured to perform descriptions B and C. This also applies to the use of definite articles for introducing embodiment descriptions. Furthermore, even when a specific number of embodiment descriptions is explicitly stated, those skilled in the art will recognize that such a statement should generally be interpreted as indicating at least the number stated (e.g., simply stating “two descriptions” without other modifiers generally means at least two descriptions, or two or more descriptions).

[0087] Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms used herein are generally intended to be “open-ended” terms (e.g., the term “comprising” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to”, the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least”, the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to”, etc.).

[0088] For ease of explanation, the term "horizontal" as used herein is defined as a plane parallel to the plane or surface of the ground in the area where the described system is used or the described method is performed, regardless of its orientation. The term "ground" may be used interchangeably with the terms "earth" or "water surface." The term "vertical" refers to a direction perpendicular to the horizontal as defined above. Terms such as "above," "below," "bottom," "top," "side," "higher," "lower," "upper," "above," and "below" are all defined relative to a horizontal plane.

[0089] Unless otherwise stated, the terms “attachment,” “connection,” “fitting,” and other such relational terms used herein shall be construed as including detachable, movable, fixed, adjustable, and / or releasable connections or attachments. These connections / attachments may include direct connections and / or connections with an intermediate structure between the two components under discussion.

[0090] As used herein, numbers preceded by terms such as “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” include the listed numbers and also indicate quantities that are close to the stated amount but still perform the desired function or achieve the desired result. For example, the terms “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” can refer to a quantity within 10% of the stated amount. Features preceded by terms such as “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” in the embodiments disclosed herein, as used herein, indicate that the feature has a certain degree of variability but still performs the desired function for the feature or achieves the desired result for the feature.

[0091] It should be emphasized that many variations and modifications can be made to the above embodiments, and their elements should be understood as existing in other acceptable examples. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure and are protected by the following claims.

[0092] (1) A radar device (201) includes: a transmitting unit (13) configured to transmit a first pulse signal (Ps1) and a second pulse signal (Ps2), the first pulse signal (Ps1) being a pulse signal having a specific pulse width and the second pulse signal (Ps2) being a pulse signal having a pulse width wider than the pulse width of the first pulse signal (Ps1); a receiving unit (31) configured to receive a reflected signal (Rs) reflected from the pulse signal; a display signal generating unit (32) configured to generate a display signal based on the reflected signal (Rs); and a control unit (15) configured to perform a first control to control the transmission power of the pulse signal such that the transmission power (Pt1) of the first pulse signal (Ps1) is greater than the transmission power (Pt2) of the second pulse signal (Ps2).

[0093] (2) According to the radar device (201) of (1), wherein: the transmitting unit (13) is further configured to alternately transmit the first pulse signal (Ps1) and the second pulse signal (Ps2); and the control unit (15) is further configured to: perform a second control to adjust the transmission power of the pulse signal based on the monitoring result of the transmission power of the pulse signal; in the second control, based on the monitoring result of the transmission power (Pt1) of the first pulse signal (Ps1) transmitted in the first transmission period (t1), the transmission power (Pt1) of the first pulse signal (Ps1) transmitted in the second transmission period (Td) after the first transmission period (Tb) is adjusted; and in the second control, based on the monitoring result of the transmission power (Pt2) of the second pulse signal (Ps2) transmitted in the third transmission period (Ta), the transmission power (Pt2) of the second pulse signal (Ps2) transmitted in the fourth transmission period (Tc) after the third transmission period (Ta) is adjusted.

[0094] (3) According to the radar device (201) of (1), wherein: the transmitting unit (13) is further configured to alternately transmit the first pulse signal (Ps1) and the second pulse signal (Ps2); and the control unit (15) is further configured to: perform a second control to adjust the transmission power of the pulse signal based on the monitoring results of the transmission power of the pulse signal; and in the second control, based on the monitoring results of the transmission power of the pulse signal transmitted in the fifth time period (t1 to t4), the transmission power (Pt1) of the first pulse signal (Ps1) and the transmission power (Pt2) of the second pulse signal (Ps2) transmitted in the sixth time period (t5 to t8) after the fifth time period (t1 to t4) are jointly adjusted.

[0095] (4) According to any one of (1) to (3) the radar device (201), wherein the control unit (15) is further configured to control the transmission power of the pulse signal in the first control by adjusting the attenuation amount (Att) of the attenuator (12) for attenuating the pulse signal, such that the transmission power (Pt1) of the first pulse signal (Ps1) is greater than the transmission power (Pt2) of the second pulse signal (Ps2).

[0096] (5) A radar image display method in a radar device (201) includes: transmitting (13) a first pulse signal (Ps1) and a second pulse signal (Ps2), wherein the first pulse signal (Ps1) is a pulse signal having a specific pulse width and the second pulse signal (Ps2) is a pulse signal having a pulse width wider than the pulse width of the first pulse signal (Ps1); receiving (31) a reflected signal (Rs) from which the pulse signal is reflected; generating (32) a display signal based on the reflected signal (Rs); and performing a first control to control (15) the transmission power of the pulse signal such that the transmission power (Pt1) of the first pulse signal (Ps1) is greater than the transmission power (Pt2) of the second pulse signal (Ps2).

[0097] (6) A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing a computer to perform the following methods: transmitting (13) a first pulse signal (Ps1) and a second pulse signal (Ps2), wherein the first pulse signal (Ps1) is a pulse signal having a specific pulse width and the second pulse signal (Ps2) is a pulse signal having a pulse width wider than the pulse width of the first pulse signal (Ps1); receiving (31) a reflected signal (Rs) from which the pulse signal is reflected; generating (32) a display signal based on the reflected signal (Rs); and performing a first control to control (15) the transmission power of the pulse signal such that the transmission power (Pt1) of the first pulse signal (Ps1) is greater than the transmission power (Pt2) of the second pulse signal (Ps2).

[0098] List of reference numerals

[0099] 11: Signal generation unit; 12, 12A, 12B: Variable attenuator; 13: Transmitting unit; 14: Power detection unit; 15: Control unit; 21: Circulator; 22: Antenna; 31: Receiving unit; 32: Display signal generation unit; 32A: Received signal processing unit; 32B: Video generation unit; 101: Radar unit; 111: Display device; 201: Radar device; Att, Att1, Att2: Attenuation amount; N1, N2: Output notification; Ps, Ps1, Ps2: Pulse signal; Pt, Pt1, Pt2: Transmit power; Rs, Rs1, Rs2: Reflected signal; t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, t6, t7, t8: Time period; Ta, Tb, Tc, Td: Transmission time period.

[0100] Reference List

[0101] Patent documents

[0102] PTL1: Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-159550

Claims

1. A radar device (201), comprising: The transmitting unit (13) is configured to transmit a first pulse signal (Ps1) and a second pulse signal (Ps2), wherein the first pulse signal (Ps1) is a pulse signal with a specific pulse width, and the second pulse signal (Ps2) is a pulse signal with a pulse width wider than that of the first pulse signal (Ps1). The receiving unit (31) is configured to receive the reflected signal (Rs) of the pulse signal reflected from it; The display signal generation unit (32) is configured to generate a display signal based on the reflected signal (Rs); as well as The control unit (15) is configured to perform a first control to control the transmission power of the pulse signal such that the transmission power (Pt1) of the first pulse signal (Ps1) is greater than the transmission power (Pt2) of the second pulse signal (Ps2).

2. The radar device (201) according to claim 1, wherein: The transmitting unit (13) is also configured to alternately transmit the first pulse signal (Ps1) and the second pulse signal (Ps2); and The control unit (15) is also configured to: The second control is executed to adjust the transmission power of the pulse signal based on the monitoring results of the pulse signal's transmission power; In the second control, based on the monitoring results of the transmission power (Pt1) of the first pulse signal (Ps1) transmitted during the first transmission period (t1), the transmission power (Pt1) of the first pulse signal (Ps1) transmitted during the second transmission period (Td) after the first transmission period (Tb) is adjusted. as well as In the second control, based on the monitoring results of the transmission power (Pt2) of the second pulse signal (Ps2) transmitted in the third transmission period (Ta), the transmission power (Pt2) of the second pulse signal (Ps2) transmitted in the fourth transmission period (Tc) after the third transmission period (Ta) is adjusted.

3. The radar device (201) according to claim 1, wherein: The transmitting unit (13) is also configured to alternately transmit the first pulse signal (Ps1) and the second pulse signal (Ps2); and The control unit (15) is also configured to: The second control is executed to adjust the transmission power of the pulse signal based on the monitoring results of the pulse signal's transmission power; In the second control, based on the monitoring results of the transmission power of the pulse signal transmitted during the fifth time period (t1 to t4), the transmission power (Pt1) of the first pulse signal (Ps1) and the transmission power (Pt2) of the second pulse signal (Ps2) transmitted during the sixth time period (t5 to t8) after the fifth time period (t1 to t4) are jointly adjusted.

4. The radar device (201) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The control unit (15) is also configured to control the transmission power of the pulse signal in the first control by adjusting the attenuation amount (Att) of the attenuator (12) used to attenuate the pulse signal, such that the transmission power (Pt1) of the first pulse signal (Ps1) is greater than the transmission power (Pt2) of the second pulse signal (Ps2).

5. A radar image display method in a radar device (201), comprising: Transmit (13) a first pulse signal (Ps1) and a second pulse signal (Ps2), wherein the first pulse signal (Ps1) is a pulse signal with a specific pulse width, and the second pulse signal (Ps2) is a pulse signal with a pulse width that is wider than that of the first pulse signal (Ps1); Receive the reflected signal (Rs) of the pulse signal reflected from it; A display signal (32) is generated based on the reflected signal (Rs); as well as Perform first control to control the transmission power of the (15) pulse signal such that the transmission power (Pt1) of the first pulse signal (Ps1) is greater than the transmission power (Pt2) of the second pulse signal (Ps2).

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing a computer to perform the following methods: Transmit (13) a first pulse signal (Ps1) and a second pulse signal (Ps2), wherein the first pulse signal (Ps1) is a pulse signal with a specific pulse width, and the second pulse signal (Ps2) is a pulse signal with a pulse width that is wider than that of the first pulse signal (Ps1); Receive the reflected signal (Rs) of the pulse signal reflected from it; A display signal (32) is generated based on the reflected signal (Rs); and Perform first control to control the transmission power of the (15) pulse signal such that the transmission power (Pt1) of the first pulse signal (Ps1) is greater than the transmission power (Pt2) of the second pulse signal (Ps2).

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