Virtual high-resolution millimeter wave antenna array and millimeter wave radar

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of millimeter waves, and particularly discloses a virtual high-resolution millimeter wave antenna array, which comprises a receiving antenna array arranged at the upper part and a transmitting antenna array arranged at the lower part, a feeding point of the receiving antenna array is electrically connected with a receiving end of a TR assembly, a feeding point of the transmitting antenna array is electrically connected with a transmitting end of the TR assembly, and a feeding point of the receiving antenna array is electrically connected with a receiving end of the TR assembly. The receiving antenna arrays are arranged side by side at equal intervals, the distance between two receiving antennas in the horizontal direction is d, and the distance between two adjacent receiving antennas in the vertical direction is d; the distance between the transmitting antenna TX1 and the transmitting antenna TX2 in the horizontal direction is 3d, the distance between the transmitting antenna TX2 and the transmitting antenna TX3 and the distance between the transmitting antenna TX2 and the transmitting antenna TX4 in the vertical direction are d in sequence, the millimeter wave antenna array can provide high-precision horizontal resolution and vertical resolution, a large-angle horizontal resolution angle can be generated through the layout of the transmitting antennas, transmitting channels are switched through the TR assembly, and the transmission efficiency of the millimeter wave antenna array is improved. The target identification and tracking of a single target and multiple targets can be realized, and stable working mode switching in a complex environment can be satisfied.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to radar for detecting traffic vehicles, and more particularly to a virtual high-resolution millimeter-wave antenna array and millimeter-wave radar. Background Technology

[0002] In existing technology, millimeter-wave radar is a radar system that operates in the millimeter-wave band. The millimeter-wave band is located in a sub-band of the electromagnetic spectrum, with wavelengths between 1 millimeter and 10 millimeters. Due to the characteristics of millimeter waves, such as strong penetration, high resolution, and strong anti-interference ability, millimeter-wave radar has broad application prospects in many fields, such as autonomous driving, intelligent transportation, aerospace, and military reconnaissance.

[0003] Millimeter-wave radar operates based on the propagation characteristics of electromagnetic waves. When electromagnetic waves encounter an object, they undergo reflection, absorption, and transmission. By detecting and analyzing these phenomena, information such as the object's position, velocity, and shape can be obtained. Millimeter-wave radar detects the properties of objects by emitting millimeter-wave signals of a specific frequency and then receiving the reflected signals. Due to the shorter wavelength of millimeter waves, it can measure the distance to objects more accurately. Furthermore, millimeter-wave radar has high anti-interference capabilities and can operate stably in complex environments.

[0004] In the automotive manufacturing sector, millimeter-wave radar technology also holds significant application value. With the development of intelligent connected vehicles, the realization of functions such as autonomous driving and automatic parking relies on the perception of the surrounding environment. As a high-precision sensing device, millimeter-wave radar can effectively assist driving systems in detecting, tracking, and identifying targets ahead. Furthermore, millimeter-wave radar also has advantages in monitoring the vehicle's external environment, such as detecting pedestrians, vehicles, and obstacles ahead.

[0005] Microwave radar, in traffic information collection, aims to extract vehicle information from radar echo signals and achieve real-time traffic monitoring through speed and distance measurement functions. In practical applications, researchers have developed three key technologies to address issues related to high-precision distance, speed, and angle measurement, as well as anti-interference capabilities of microwave radar:

[0006] The first item is to use non-equidistant microstrip array antenna technology and long baseline phase ratio angle measurement hierarchical deambiguity technology to increase the effective aperture of the antenna without increasing the number of receiving channels, thereby improving the angle measurement accuracy and solving the problem of lane division errors caused by inaccurate angle measurement of long-distance vehicle targets.

[0007] The second achievement is the adoption of high-precision ranging and velocity measurement technology, specifically high-precision two-dimensional joint estimation technology for distance and velocity. A corresponding algorithm was developed specifically for the Linear Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (LFMCW) operating mode. This algorithm achieves high-precision two-dimensional joint estimation of target distance and velocity information with minimal increase in computational load. Compared to traditional methods based on FFT or periodograms, when the signal-to-noise ratio is not lower than -20dB, the accuracy of distance and velocity measurement is improved by more than 5 times, significantly enhancing the accuracy of vehicle detection and positioning. The third achievement is the development of environmental interference identification and suppression technology. This enhances the radar's adaptability to harsh natural environments and its resistance to electromagnetic interference, solving the problem that traditional traffic speed radar cannot function properly in adverse weather conditions such as rain, snow, and hail, as well as under certain electromagnetic interference environments. This technological achievement has been transformed into a series of products, including traffic checkpoint speed radar, traffic flow radar, and traffic scene radar, and has been put into use in traffic highway monitoring projects and pilot projects at traffic intersections and highways.

[0008] However, the aforementioned existing technologies have the following shortcomings, including limited angle measurement accuracy: Although the angle measurement accuracy of millimeter-wave radar can be improved by optimizing the antenna array layout, in practical applications, its angle measurement accuracy is still limited by factors such as antenna size, array complexity, and signal processing algorithm complexity. In some scenarios with extremely high requirements for target angle positioning accuracy, such as high-precision obstacle avoidance and accurate trajectory tracking in autonomous driving, the existing millimeter-wave radar angle measurement accuracy may not meet the requirements, leading to deviations in vehicle decision-making and control under complex road conditions.

[0009] Therefore, it is urgent to develop a millimeter-wave antenna array and millimeter-wave radar that can provide high-precision horizontal and vertical resolution and generate large-angle resolution angles. Utility Model Content

[0010] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and specifically disclose a virtual high-resolution millimeter-wave antenna array that can provide high-precision horizontal and vertical resolution. In addition, by arranging the transmitting antennas, a large horizontal resolution angle can be generated. By switching the transmitting channel through the TR component (transmitter-receiver component), target identification and tracking of single and multiple targets can be realized, and stable switching of working modes can be achieved in complex environments.

[0011] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, this utility model is implemented according to the following technical solution:

[0012] The present invention discloses a virtual high-resolution millimeter-wave antenna array, comprising a receiving antenna array consisting of eight receiving antennas RX1~RX8 placed at the top and a transmitting antenna array consisting of four transmitting antennas TX1~TX4 placed at the bottom. The feed point of the receiving antenna array is electrically connected to the receiving end of the TR component, and the feed point of the transmitting antenna array is electrically connected to the transmitting end of the TR component. The eight antennas in the receiving antenna array are arranged equidistantly side by side. The horizontal spacing between two adjacent receiving antennas in the receiving antenna array is d, and the vertical spacing between two adjacent receiving antennas in the receiving antenna array is d. The transmitting antennas TX1 and TX2 are 3d apart horizontally, and the transmitting antennas TX2, TX3, and TX4 are successively d apart vertically, where d is half the vacuum wavelength of the millimeter-wave radar operating frequency band.

[0013] As a further improvement to the above technology, the receiving antenna includes four rectangular microstrip patches that are distributed in the vertical direction and connected in series.

[0014] As a further improvement to the above technology, the transmitting antenna includes four rectangular microstrip patches that are distributed in the vertical direction and connected in series.

[0015] This utility model also discloses a virtual high-resolution millimeter-wave radar, which includes the aforementioned millimeter-wave radar antenna array.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0017] (1) The virtual high-resolution millimeter-wave antenna array described in this utility model can provide high-precision horizontal resolution and high-precision vertical resolution;

[0018] (2) The virtual high-resolution millimeter-wave antenna array described in this utility model can generate a large horizontal resolution angle through different layouts of the transmitting antenna. By switching the transmitting channel through the TR component, it can realize target recognition and tracking of single and multiple targets. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the virtual high-resolution millimeter-wave antenna array structure described in this utility model;

[0021] Figures 2-5 These are effect diagrams showing the virtual high-resolution millimeter-wave antenna array described in this utility model under different operating modes. Detailed Implementation

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, the virtual high-resolution millimeter-wave antenna array of this utility model includes a receiving antenna array consisting of eight receiving antennas RX1~RX8 placed at the top and a transmitting antenna array consisting of four transmitting antennas TX1~TX4 placed at the bottom. The feed point of the receiving antenna array is electrically connected to the receiving end of the TR component, and the feed point of the transmitting antenna array is electrically connected to the transmitting end of the TR component. The eight antennas in the receiving antenna array are arranged side by side at equal intervals. The horizontal distance between two adjacent receiving antennas in the receiving antenna array is d, and the vertical distance between two adjacent receiving antennas in the receiving antenna array is d. The transmitting antennas TX1 and TX2 are 3d apart in the horizontal direction, and the transmitting antennas TX2, TX3, and TX4 are successively d apart in the vertical direction, where d is half of the vacuum wavelength of the millimeter-wave radar operating frequency band.

[0023] In this invention, the receiving antennas RX1 to RX8 each include four rectangular microstrip patches 10 that are distributed vertically and connected in series; the transmitting antennas TX1 to TX4 each include four rectangular microstrip patches 20 that are distributed vertically and connected in series.

[0024] This utility model also discloses a virtual high-resolution millimeter-wave radar, which includes the aforementioned millimeter-wave radar antenna array.

[0025] As shown below, the virtual high-resolution millimeter-wave antenna array described in this utility model can achieve three different operating modes.

[0026] The first method: When the transmitting antenna TX1 and the receiving antenna RX channel are enabled, and the transmitting antennas TX2, TX3, and TX4 are disabled, this array provides horizontal angular resolution for a single target, achieving the following effect: Figure 2 , Figure 3 ;

[0027] The second method involves turning on transmitting antennas TX1 and TX2, and the receiving antenna RX channel, while turning off transmitting antennas TX3 and TX4. Transmitting antennas TX1 and TX2 form a virtual array, creating a virtual horizontal three-beam multi-angle array pattern. This improves the horizontal resolution of multiple targets, achieving the following effect: Figure 4 ;

[0028] The third method involves the array providing vertical resolution when transmitting antennas TX2, TX3, TX4, and RX channels are enabled, and transmitting antenna TX1 is disabled. The effect is as follows: Figure 5 .

[0029] Among them, Figures 2-5In the diagram, the horizontal axis represents the angle, also known as the normal off-axis angle, and the vertical axis represents the gain, which represents the antenna gain in each angular direction. As the number of receiving antennas n increases, their horizontal resolution becomes higher, and the number of antennas depends on the actual needs of the scenario.

[0030] This utility model is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Any modifications or variations to this utility model that do not depart from the spirit and scope of this utility model, and if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims and equivalent technologies of this utility model, then this utility model also includes such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A virtual high-resolution millimeter-wave antenna array, characterized in that: The system includes a receiving antenna array consisting of eight receiving antennas RX1~RX8 positioned at the top and a transmitting antenna array consisting of four transmitting antennas TX1~TX4 positioned at the bottom. The feed point of the receiving antenna array is electrically connected to the receiving end of the TR component, and the feed point of the transmitting antenna array is electrically connected to the transmitting end of the TR component. The eight antennas in the receiving antenna array are arranged side by side at equal intervals. The horizontal distance between two adjacent receiving antennas in the receiving antenna array is d, and the vertical distance between two adjacent receiving antennas in the receiving antenna array is d. The transmitting antennas TX1 and TX2 are 3d apart in the horizontal direction, and the transmitting antennas TX2, TX3, and TX4 are successively d apart in the vertical direction, where d is half of the vacuum wavelength of the millimeter-wave radar operating frequency band.

2. The virtual high-resolution millimeter-wave antenna array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The receiving antenna comprises four rectangular microstrip patches that are distributed vertically and connected in series.

3. The virtual high-resolution millimeter-wave antenna array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmitting antenna comprises four rectangular microstrip patches that are distributed vertically and connected in series.

4. A virtual high-resolution millimeter-wave radar, characterized in that, The millimeter-wave radar antenna array includes any one of claims 1 to 3.

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