Antenna arrangement for automotive radar applications

Abstract

An antenna arrangement for automotive radar applications comprises an antenna assembly with a front surface on which is arranged at least one antenna aperture configured to receive an incident signal in the form of a primary radiation impinging in the at least one antenna aperture, the front surface of the antenna assembly comprising a scattering element adjacent to at least one antenna aperture, whereby the primary radiation impinging in the area of ​​the scattering element is at least partially reflected by the scattering element and separated into a first secondary radiation and a second secondary radiation such that the first secondary radiation and the second secondary radiation at least partially cancel each other out by interference.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an antenna arrangement for automotive radar applications. [Background technology]

[0002] From the prior art several radiating elements are known, for example from US Pat. No. 5,393,326, US Pat. No. 5,493,637, US Pat. No. 5,529,665 and US Pat. No. 5,613,992 of the same applicant.

[0003] Commscope's US Patent Publication No. 2017 / 0136637 shows a panel array antenna with an input layer including a waveguide network coupling an input feed on a first side thereof to a plurality of primary coupling cavities on a second side thereof, and an output layer on the second side of the input layer, the output layer including an array of horn radiators with respective horn radiator inlet ports in communication with the horn radiators and respective slotted output ports in communication with respective horn radiator inlet ports to couple the horn radiators to the primary coupling cavities.

[0004] Patent document 6 by NEC published in 2017 shows an antenna including an antenna layer, a coupling layer, and a feeder circuit layer, the antenna layer being arranged such that its center is aligned in a given direction and the horn antenna is spaced apart in a given direction, the center of the horn antenna being misaligned in the given direction, and a waveguide is formed in the coupling layer.

[0005] Patent document 7 by Waymo, published in 2019, shows an antenna including a plurality of waveguide antenna elements arranged in a first array configured to operate with a first polarization. The antenna also includes a plurality of waveguide output ports arranged in a second array configured to operate with a second polarization. The second polarization is different from the first polarization. The antenna further includes a polarization correction layer having a channel defined therein, the channel oriented at a first angle relative to the waveguide antenna elements and at a second angle relative to the waveguide output port configured to receive an input electromagnetic wave having the first polarization and transmit an output electromagnetic wave having a first intermediate polarization.

[0006] Patent document 8 by Conti Temic, published in 2020, shows a radar system for detecting the surroundings of a vehicle with a plastic-based antenna, in which the plastic antenna on the front side facing the sensor and / or the vehicle side cover has multiple individual antennas for transmitting and / or receiving radar signals, said multiple individual antennas being used to detect multiple objects and / or determine their multiple angles, and discloses a solution in which interference waves on the surface of the antenna and / or reflections between the antenna and the sensor side and / or the vehicle side cover are suppressed or their negative influence, in particular on the angle determination, is prevented or reduced.

[0007] Patent Document 9 by Denso, published in 2018, shows an antenna device including a dielectric substrate, a ground plate, an antenna section, and an additional function section. The dielectric substrate includes a plurality of patterned layers. The ground plate is formed on a first patterned layer of the plurality of patterned layers and functions as an antenna ground plane. The antenna section is formed on a patterned layer other than the first patterned layer of the plurality of patterned layers and includes one or more antenna patterns configured to function as radiator elements. The additional function section includes one or more non-feed patterns disposed on a propagation path of an acoustic wave propagating on the dielectric substrate, and uses the acoustic wave to generate a radiated wave, the radiated wave having a polarization different from that of the radio wave transmitted and received by the antenna section.

[0008] US Patent No. 5,399,363, published in 2001 by the University of California, shows that a two-dimensional periodic pattern of capacitive and inductive elements defined in the surface of a metal sheet is provided by a plurality of conductive patches, each connected to a conductive backplane sheet, with an insulating dielectric disposed between them. The elements act to suppress surface currents in the surface defined by them. In particular, the array forms a ground plane mesh for use in combination with an antenna. The performance of the ground plane mesh is characterized by a frequency band in which there is substantially no significant surface current that can propagate along the ground plane mesh. The use of such a ground plane in an airplane or other metallic vehicle thereby prevents radiation from the antenna from propagating along the metallic skin of the airplane or vehicle. The surface also reflects electromagnetic waves without the phase shift that occurs on a normal metallic surface.

[0009] Patent document 11 by Aptiv Tech, published in 2020, shows an antenna device including a substrate. A plurality of conductive members in the substrate establish a substrate-integrated waveguide, and a plurality of first and second slots are on an outer surface of a first portion of the substrate. Each of the second slots is associated with a respective one of the first slots. The first and second slots are configured to establish a varying radiation pattern across a radiation beam emitted by the antenna device. A plurality of parasitic interruptions include a plurality of slots on an outer surface of the second portion of the substrate. The parasitic interruptions reduce the effect of ripples that would otherwise be introduced by an adjacent antenna.

[0010] Patent document 12 by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone published in 2010 shows that the reflective array according to the disclosure includes a plurality of array elements forming an array configured to control the phase of the reflected wave and thereby the direction of the reflected wave (scattered wave), and a ground plane (30). The ground plane has a structure having a frequency selective function. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] European Patent No. 2676327 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2017 / 167916 [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2017 / 158020 [Patent Document 4] International Publication No. 2018 / 001921 [Patent Document 5] US Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0271776 [Patent Document 6] U.S. Pat. No. 9,692,117 [Patent Document 7] US Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0365976 [Patent Document 8] International Publication No. 2020 / 052719 [Patent Document 9] US Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0052396 [Patent Document 10] U.S. Patent No. 6,262,495 [Patent Document 11] U.S. Pat. No. 1,094,4184 [Patent Document 12] U.S. Patent No. 8,390,531 Summary of the Invention

[0012] The use of millimeter wave (MMW) frequencies for communication and automotive radar applications continues to expand. Antenna units are key components in all these applications, placing high requirements on them in terms of performance, size, weight, and compliance with environmental standards. In terms of performance, antenna gain and efficiency are key parameters, since they directly affect the overall system link budget (in other words, link distance and coverage in the case of communication systems, and maximum detection range in the case of automotive radar). Typically, antenna units for automotive radar applications are mounted behind the shell or surface layer of the bumper. In addition to focusing on antenna characteristics, the continuous pursuit of improving the overall sensor performance requires mitigation of the interaction of the antenna with its surroundings, for example with the bumper if mounted behind it, interference of the radome and PCB. Especially in automotive applications, the presence of the radome and bumper degrades the radar sensor performance, distorting the emission and / or reception patterns and / or increasing the noise level, and generally reducing the accuracy of detection. Typically, antenna devices are often positioned at least partially hidden below the surface of the vehicle body, e.g., with the outer shell of the bumper located in front of the antenna assembly, which may adversely affect the transmission and / or reception capabilities of the antenna assembly. Furthermore, the presence of a radome in particular leads to the excitation of surface waves, which may reduce the usable portion of the energy for radar detection purposes and may result in false targets.

[0013] Different approaches are known for the reduction of noise and interference caused by reflected radiation between the antenna device and, for example, a bumper mounted in front of the antenna device. From the prior art, antenna assemblies are known with dummy antennas that absorb excess radiation by redirection in a kind of internal waveguide structure. In this case, antenna openings are arranged on the front side of the antenna, which are usually not interconnected to electronic components, but terminate in the antenna assembly so that the received radiation is absorbed by the material of the antenna assembly or by components or electronic components arranged on a PCB. A disadvantage of the known assemblies is that it is relatively complex to manufacture the dummy antennas. An alternative approach of arranging a protrusion on the front side of the antenna assembly is that this solution increases the overall antenna thickness.

[0014] An antenna device for automotive radar applications according to the present disclosure typically comprises an antenna assembly configured to receive incident radiation. Depending on the application, the antenna assembly may be configured to transmit outgoing radiation and to receive incident radiation. The antenna assembly comprises a front surface in which at least one antenna aperture is arranged, the antenna aperture being configured to receive an incident signal in the form of a primary radiation impinging in the area of ​​the antenna aperture. The antenna assembly typically comprises a waveguide structure inside, by which the at least one antenna aperture is interconnected to an electronic component and / or a printed circuit board. Depending on the design, the antenna aperture arranged on the front surface of the antenna assembly may be designed as a horn antenna or alternatively as a slot in the front surface. An advantageous simple design may be realized when the antenna device comprises two layers, for example made of metal, metallized plastic, or any conductive material at the surface, and attached flush to each other. The two layers may be made of different materials suitable for casting or injection molding, including electromagnetic wave absorbing materials. Alternatively, absorbing materials may be used to avoid interference.

[0015] For mass production of antenna assemblies based on waveguide technology, typical techniques include the manufacture of parts using multiple layers stacked together and associated bonding techniques to connect these layers. Since surface finish is also important in MMW (millimeter wave), the antenna assembly is designed with precise draft angles and radii to achieve good formability of the layers of the antenna assembly. Metallization techniques such as PVD, sputtering, painting, galvanic coating may be used to at least partially metallize the front surface of the antenna assembly and / or at least one antenna aperture. In a preferred variant, the antenna assembly is horizontally polarized and the half power beam width (HPBW) is within the range of + / -15° up to + / -75° in each azimuth plane (horizontal plane, respectively E-plane). In the elevation plane, the HPBW may be, for example, within the range of + / -1° to + / -3° in elevation (vertical plane, respectively H-plane). The main beam is typically pointed in the boresight direction. When the radome is attached to the antenna assembly, the distance from the radome to the antenna is typically λ / 2 (approximately 1.9 mm) within the operating band for automotive radar applications (76-81 GHz), where λ = lambda denotes the wavelength.

[0016] Adjacent to at least one antenna aperture, the front surface of the antenna assembly comprises scattering elements, whereby the primary radiation impinging in the area of ​​the scattering elements is at least partially reflected by the scattering elements and separated into a first secondary radiation and a second secondary radiation in such a way that the first secondary radiation and the second secondary radiation cancel each other at least partially by interference. Good results can be achieved if the scattering elements are designed as protrusions and / or depressions or a combination thereof with respect to the front surface. Depending on the design, the depth of the at least one depression can be linked to a specific phase distribution targeted to obtain a reflection that cancels the unwanted reflected radiations by interference. The phase change is typically caused by a reflection on the bottom surface of the at least one depression. Good results can be achieved if the bottom surface of the at least one depression is a substantially flat surface arranged substantially parallel to the front surface of the antenna assembly. Preferably, the scattering elements have a layout (footprint) in the front surface that is at least one element from the group of rectangular, square, circular, elliptical, C-shaped, ring-shaped, S-shaped elements, or a combination thereof. The scattering elements can be designed with a single polarization (rectangular, elliptical, s-shaped, c-shaped) or with multiple polarizations (rectangular / circular / ring). The at least one recess has a layout related to the operating frequency and polarization of the electromagnetic wave. The extension of the scattering element in the direction perpendicular to the polarization vector can correspond to about 0.7λ (free space) for rectangular / elliptical and square / circular. The circumference of the ring-shaped scattering element can correspond to twice the length. S-shaped and c-shaped scattering elements are used to reduce the size. The phase change is typically caused by the depth of the at least one recess. A typical dimension of the depth of the at least one recess is λ / 2. A typical dimension of the layout of the opening of the at least one recess is λ / 4×0.7λ. For an automotive application with a wavelength of 77 GHz, this results in a depth of the at least one dimple of approximately 1.4 mm and a layout of the opening of the at least one dimple of 1 mm by 2.8 mm.In a preferred variant, the scattering elements have a cross section perpendicular to the front face that is substantially rectangular and / or pyramidal and / or a combination thereof.

[0017] Good results can be achieved if the scattering elements have a T-shaped or cross-shaped layout. A T-shaped layout can be formed by a horizontally long rectangle arranged adjacent to a vertically long rectangle. Alternatively, a cross-shaped layout can be formed by a horizontally long rectangle and a vertically long rectangle, with the center point of the horizontally long rectangle and the center point of the vertically long rectangle coinciding. Both the T-shaped and cross-shaped layouts allow both horizontal and vertical polarization to be cancelled out. If the scattering elements are designed as recesses mounted flush in the front face, the antenna assembly has a preferably thin overall thickness. An antenna arrangement comprising an antenna assembly with scattering elements in the form of recesses further has the advantage that the radome can be mounted flush with the front face of the antenna assembly. The protrusions and / or recesses are configured to at least partially reflect primary radiation that does not impinge in the area of ​​the antenna aperture. The secondary radiation is affected by the protrusions and / or recesses in such a way that the reflected parts of the primary radiation, i.e. the first secondary radiation and the second secondary radiation, largely cancel each other out due to interference. Compared to blind / dummy antennas, scattering elements do not require additional waveguide routing. In antenna assemblies designed with front and rear layers, protrusions or recesses are typically located only on the front layer. Thus, the complexity and further manufacturing efforts can be significantly reduced. Scattering elements typically have resonant properties such that their dimensions are strongly related to the wavelength. The scattering elements are preferably configured to disrupt the electromagnetic field distribution such that a unique current distribution is generated at the front of the antenna assembly. Preferably, a phase delay is provided such that unwanted reflected radiations are reduced or cancelled out by mutual interference.

[0018] Good results can be achieved if the scattering elements are arranged in a periodic or quasi-periodic pattern of scattering elements on the front surface of the antenna assembly. The scattering elements of the pattern of scattering elements are preferably arranged in a number of rows and / or a number of columns. The scattering elements can for example be arranged in at least two parallel rows. The at least two rows are typically spaced laterally with respect to each other. Preferably, the scattering elements of each row are equally spaced from each other. In order to achieve a reflection in which the first and second secondary radiation cancel each other out by interference, the scattering elements of two adjacent rows are typically offset from each other in the row direction. The scattering elements of two adjacent rows are preferably offset from each other in the row direction with a spatial shift of substantially λ / 2 in the row direction or in a direction perpendicular to the row direction such that a phase difference of 180° is achieved such that the reflected radiation cancels each other out by interference. The scattering elements arranged on the front surface adjacent to the at least one antenna aperture are preferably arranged substantially parallel to the at least one antenna aperture such that horizontal plane radiation can be canceled out. Alternatively, at least one antenna aperture may be arranged in the vertical plane of the antenna assembly such that radiation in the vertical plane may be cancelled. Depending on the percentage of coverage of the top surface of the antenna by the scattering elements, a reduction in the scattering coefficient of more than 65% may be realized. Depending on the periodic spacing (p) of the scattering elements in front of the antenna assembly and the number of scattering elements, phases between 0° and 180° are generated instead of a uniform phase distribution without scattering structures. The periodic spacing is defined as the lateral distance between two scattering elements of adjacent rows. In a preferred variant, the scattering elements are arranged in front of the antenna assembly based on glide symmetry (glide reflection). The scattering elements are thus preferably mirrored with respect to at least one antenna aperture and laterally shifted with respect to at least one antenna aperture. This particular periodicity supports the generation of the required 0° and 180° phase distribution. Ideally, the number of scattering elements arranged adjacent to at least one antenna aperture in the desired direction may be infinite. In a theoretically feasible variant, the number of scattering elements may be reduced to 1.In a preferred variant, the periodic interval is a multiple of λ / 2. A different approach to reduce interference is to use multiple scattering elements with random depths such that a reflective array-like structure with a random phase distribution is created such that the interfering waves are diffusely scattered. The multiple scattering elements arranged on the front surface may also have different lengths. In a variant, each of the multiple scattering elements may have substantially the same length, defined as the base length. In an alternative variant, some of the multiple scattering elements have the same base length, and the remaining scattering elements have twice that length or a multiple of the base length. Good results may be achieved if the remaining scattering elements have twice or four times the base length, although odd multiples are also conceivable. Preferably, multiple scattering elements of the base length and twice the base length are arranged alternately.

[0019] In a variant, the scattering elements are arranged in at least two parallel rows. The at least two parallel rows are typically spaced apart laterally from one another. Preferably, the scattering elements of each row are equally spaced apart from one another and the at least two rows are offset from one another in the row direction with a spatial offset of substantially λ in the row direction. The offset of substantially λ allows a further scattering element to be arranged between two adjacent scattering elements and a further scattering element to be arranged substantially perpendicular to the scattering elements of the at least two rows. The vertical offset with respect to the row direction also allows for cancelling reflections from vertically polarised waves. The scattering elements arranged in the row direction are configured to cancel horizontally polarised waves and the scattering elements arranged rotated by 90° are configured to cancel vertically polarised waves.

[0020] Good results for reducing ripples in the radiation pattern can be achieved if the antenna assembly comprises at least one outer edge with a sawtooth shape. In a preferred variant, the antenna assembly comprises at least two outer edges with a sawtooth shape and arranged opposite each other with respect to the antenna assembly. This structure redirects the surface currents on the edges of the antenna, leading to destructive interference of the backscattering of the impinging field. On the other hand, due to the finite dimensions of the metallic top surface of the antenna, slight amplitude and phase errors are introduced by the edge effect. By adding a sawtooth structure on the edge, the negative effects of the edge effect can be reduced. Among other things, it reduces the ripples in the radiation pattern, which usually appear due to the knife-edge refraction on the antenna edge. Thanks to this measure, the standard deviation of the angular radiation pattern may be reduced, which may be important for the optimal performance of the radar. The sawtooth can be realized by changing the three-dimensional shape of the plastic or by selective metallization on the edge.

[0021] In a preferred variant, the antenna arrangement comprises a radome that at least partially covers the front face of the antenna assembly. The theoretical optimum would be a radome made of a material similar to air, which would only be of limited use from a practical mechanical point of view, or an interaction of the radome with an extremely thin radome. Known radomes are placed at a distance of substantially λ / s (approximately 2 mm for a 77 GHz automotive radome) to the antenna assembly. This distance is usually chosen to avoid strong interactions between the antenna assembly and the radome. With a radome according to the present disclosure, the distance between the antenna assembly and the radome can be reduced to substantially zero. In a preferred variant, the radome has a rear face that is mounted at least partially flush with the front face of the antenna assembly. Scattering elements in the form of recesses allow the radome to be mounted flush with the antenna assembly. Good results can be achieved when the radome is plate-like and has a substantially uniform thickness. In a preferred variant, the rear face of the radome can have at least one recess configured to improve radiation. Usually, part of the energy radiated by the antenna assembly remains trapped within the radome. The recesses minimize the thickness of the radome and thus radiation losses are minimized. In an alternative variant, the rear face of the radome follows the contour of the front face and the scattering elements. The radome may thus have a pattern of protrusions corresponding to the pattern of scattering elements arranged on the front face of the antenna assembly and thus the depth of the scattering structure may be reduced. The protrusions preferably engage in the recesses in the mounted state. In a variant, the radome comprises a dome-shaped lens in the region above at least one antenna aperture such that the incident primary radiation is focused onto the antenna aperture.

[0022] Besides the scattering elements arranged adjacent to at least one antenna aperture on the front surface of the antenna assembly, the front surface of the antenna assembly may also be at least partially made of or comprise an absorbing material. The scattering elements are configured to at least partially reflect the primary radiation impinging in the area of ​​the scattering elements, thereby separating them into a first secondary radiation and a second secondary radiation, while the absorbing material is configured to at least partially absorb the primary radiation impinging in the area of ​​the absorbing material. The absorbing material may completely or partially cover the antenna assembly. Good results may be achieved when the absorbing material is arranged on or in the front surface in a layer, thereby substantially covering the entire front surface except for the area covered by the at least one antenna aperture and the area covered by the scattering elements.

[0023] The absorbing material may be assembled to the antenna assembly in the form of a separate absorbing material layer that is bonded to the front surface of the antenna assembly. The absorbing material layer may be mechanically bonded by fastening means, for example by screwing or clamping. Alternatively or additionally, the absorbing material layer may be bonded by welding, gluing, hot stamping, clipping, press-fitting, soldering, etc. The absorbing material is typically a resin or a composite material, for example a hybrid material with electromagnetic wave absorbing properties. The absorbing material may be assembled or placed on the front surface of the antenna assembly by embedding it in the front surface, preferably by injection molding it into a cavity in a substrate.

[0024] An efficient manufacturing process can be realized if the antenna assembly is made by multi-component injection molding or in-mold transfer. A multi-component injection molding process typically includes two or more plastic materials, whereby at least one plastic material has electromagnetic (EM) absorbing properties. Alternatively or additionally, the antenna assembly can be subjected to a complete or selective surface treatment process. Once the front and rear layers of the antenna assembly are manufactured, a layer of paint or coating can be applied at least partially to the front surface of the antenna assembly. The paint or coating also preferably has electromagnetic (EM) absorbing properties. In a variant, the plastic material of the antenna assembly can have electromagnetic (EM) absorbing properties. In an alternative variant, the front surface of the antenna assembly can be completely metallized in a first step, and in areas where electromagnetic absorption is desired, the metallization is partially removed in a second step.

[0025] Alternatively or additionally, the absorbing material may be placed inside the radome, facing the antenna assembly in the mounted state. A separate layer of the absorbing material may be connected to the radome using joining techniques, e.g., screwing, clamping, welding, gluing, hot stamping, clipping, press-fitting, soldering, etc. The absorbing material may be attached to the radome or embedded in the radome. The absorbing material may also be assembled at a distance relative to the radome. The antenna assembly according to the present disclosure is typically part of an antenna device. In a preferred variant, the antenna device comprises electronic components, a printed circuit board (PCB), at least one antenna assembly, and a radome. Typically, the components of the antenna device are housed in a case that is sealed by the radome for mechanical protection. Although the radome is typically necessary to protect the antenna assembly from environmental influences, the radome typically unnecessarily interacts with the radiation characteristics of the antenna assembly, adversely affecting the purity of the radiation pattern, gain, and phase. In a variant of the antenna device, the electronic components are placed on the printed circuit board. A signal coming from an electronic component (e.g., a radar chip mounted on a PCB board) is typically coupled into the waveguide feed aperture and propagates through an air-filled hollow waveguide structure towards at least one antenna aperture configured to emit a radiation emission signal. The at least one antenna aperture is configured to emit a radiation emission signal that is expected to be reflected by an external object and return at least partially as primary radiation. The at least one antenna aperture configured to emit a radiation emission signal is preferably located at the front of the antenna assembly. The at least one hollow waveguide structure is located in the bottom antenna layer or partially in both layers, interconnecting the at least one feed aperture and the antenna aperture configured to emit the radiation emission signal. Alternatively or additionally, the waveguide structure may be designed as a ridge waveguide, a gap waveguide or a ridge gap waveguide.The antenna assembly may comprise several antenna apertures arranged on the front surface of the antenna assembly and configured to emit radiation emission signals, the antenna apertures configured to emit radiation emission signals may act as transmitters (TX) and at least one antenna aperture may act as receivers (RX). Each antenna aperture consists of at least one radiating element, which may be a horn and / or a slot-like component. The at least one antenna aperture may be designed as a single radiating element and / or an array of multiple radiating elements. The walls of the hollow waveguide structure, the at least one antenna aperture, the waveguide channel, the waveguide splitter and the waveguide array may be metallic or metal-coated. All variants of the antenna assembly are preferably designed such that they are suitable for molding manufacturing techniques. The antenna assembly is preferably made by metal-coated plastic injection molding or die casting. Thus, the corners of the antenna assembly are typically rounded such that all vertical edges have a radius and all the multiple scattering elements have drafted walls. The scattering elements are preferably designed such that the manufacturability of the molding technique is improved. This provides optimal surface finish and mechanical stability / robustness of the layers of the antenna assembly. In addition, the draft angle of the vertical walls is also selected to optimize the thickness and quality of the metallization layer when plastic injection molding is selected for the antenna top layer and / or antenna bottom layer. Due to the particular metallization technique (e.g., PVD, sputtering, painting) preferably selected for this concept, the vertical walls will not have a sufficient metal layer thickness and quality to ensure satisfactory RF performance at MMW. In this regard, the use of drafted walls has a larger projection surface and improves the metallization process.

[0026] Antenna devices for automotive radar applications typically comprise a chip (MMC) on which the radar is realized. Electronic systems / components are usually placed on a PCB. All these electronic systems / components emit electromagnetic signals that often contribute to the overall noise level in the antenna device. A single channel of the radar chip emits an interfering signal at the radar's operating frequency, which can lead to unwanted crosstalk in other radar channels and / or radar chips when multiple radar chips are used. The continuing quest for improving overall sensor performance requires mitigation of this interference. Increased noise and interference reduces radar sensor performance while the noise level is increased. As a result, the sensor becomes insensitive and reduces the accuracy, or probability of detection. In the case of printed circuit board antennas, there are limited possibilities to mitigate this problem. Antenna devices with waveguide antenna assemblies show several advantages compared to printed circuit board antenna assemblies. The antenna assembly may comprise at least one metallized cavity. The metallized cavity is preferably placed on the rear face of the antenna assembly. In the case of a plastic waveguide antenna assembly with at least two layers, the metallized cavity is preferably arranged at the rear of the antenna assembly. At least one chip may be arranged at least partially in the metallized cavity such that the influence from surrounding electronic components and / or other chips is reduced. In the concept of the present invention, good results may be achieved if the at least one cavity is provided with at least one layer and / or coating of electromagnetic wave absorbing material. In known antenna assemblies, the at least one layer and / or coating of electromagnetic wave absorbing material is padded and / or glued to the at least one cavity. However, this increases the overall cost of the antenna device. Good results may be achieved if an absorbing material configured to absorb electromagnetic noise and / or unwanted radio waves is already arranged in the antenna assembly by injection molding.Preferably, the antenna assembly is injection molded such that at least one layer of absorbing material is injected into the cavity before the substrate of the antenna assembly is injected in a second step. Good results can be achieved when the absorbing material is interconnected to the antenna assembly by injection molding. In a preferred variant, the antenna assembly is made as a metallized plastic antenna of two or more parts, where at least one of the plastic antenna or the layers of the plastic antenna comprises an absorbing material configured to at least partially reduce interference. The absorbing material is preferably arranged in the antenna assembly in or on the area of ​​the chip. The part of the antenna assembly that comprises the absorbing (lossy) material can be left uncoated or coated with a very thin metal layer. Thus, unwanted electromagnetic radiation from the chip and / or electronic components, which leads to electromagnetic compatibility problems, can be reduced by absorption in such material. Thus, the performance of the radar sensor may be maintained and there is no additional cost for the addition of absorbing material. In a variant, the antenna assembly can be made only of absorbing material. In this variant, the antenna is further partially metallized. Preferably, the antenna assembly is at the rear side at least partially covered by the absorbing material. The same embodiment can be used to mitigate the bumper interaction problem as described above. If one of the materials used for injection molding has radio frequency absorbing properties and this material is used to construct the front surface of the antenna assembly between the openings, the energy of the secondary radiation reflected from the front surface of the antenna assembly can be greatly reduced. The part of the antenna assembly that comprises the lossy material can be left uncoated or coated with a very thin metal layer to enable the required functionality. The applicant therefore reserves the right to focus a divisional patent application on the further inventive concepts described above.

[0027] It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description illustrate embodiments and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the present disclosure. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles and operation of the disclosed concepts. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] The disclosure set forth herein will become more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings set forth herein below, but is not to be construed as being limited to the disclosure set forth in the appended claims.

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an antenna assembly; [Diagram 2] Comparison of radiation patterns without and with bumpers for an elevation cut (left) and an azimuth cut (right). [Diagram 3] A second embodiment of the antenna assembly comprising two outer edges having a sawtooth shape. [Figure 4] Comparison of radiation patterns without sawtooth edges (blue) and with sawtooth edges (orange). [Diagram 5] Schematic diagram of the separation of the primary radiation into first and second secondary radiation. [Figure 6] Schematic diagram of a first and second embodiment of a scattering element. [Figure 7] Some suitable layouts of scattering elements. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a first arrangement of scattering elements. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a second arrangement of scattering elements. [Figure 10] 1A-1C are schematic diagrams of embodiments of scattering elements with a T-shaped layout. [Figure 11] Schematic diagram of an embodiment of scattering elements with a cross-shaped layout. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a radome folded 90° away from the antenna assembly. [Figure 13] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment according to FIG. 8 . [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a radome folded 90° away from the antenna assembly. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment according to FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a radome folded 90° away from the antenna assembly. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the third embodiment according to FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a radome. [Figure 19] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the fourth embodiment according to FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above with a cutout of a first embodiment of an antenna device. [Figure 21] FIG. 17 is an exploded view of the embodiment of the antenna device according to FIG. 16. [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is a perspective view from above with a cutout of a second embodiment of an antenna device; [Figure 23] 19 is an exploded view from the rear of the embodiment of the antenna device according to FIG. 18. [Figure 24] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of an antenna assembly. [Diagram 25] FIG. 25 is an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment of the antenna assembly according to FIG. 24; [Figure 26] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of an antenna assembly. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is an exploded perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the antenna assembly according to FIG. 26; [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a radome. [Figure 29] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a radome. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Reference will now be made in detail to certain embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, some, but not all, of their features being shown. Indeed, the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied in many different forms and are not to be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein, but rather, these embodiments are described so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Wherever possible, like reference numbers are used to refer to like components or parts.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of an antenna assembly 2. As best seen in FIG. 1, the antenna assembly 2 of the antenna device 1 for automotive radar applications comprises a front surface 3 in which is arranged at least one antenna aperture 4, which is arranged to receive an incident signal in the form of a primary radiation 5 impinging in the antenna aperture 4. In the variant shown, there are several antenna apertures 4 arranged in groups (schematically shown with dotted lines). The front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2 comprises a plurality of scattering elements 6 adjacent to the at least one antenna 4, by which a primary radiation 5, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 5, impinging in the area of ​​the pattern of the scattering elements 6, is at least partially reflected by the plurality of scattering elements 6 into a first secondary radiation 7 and a second secondary radiation 8, such that the first secondary radiation 7 and the second secondary radiation 8 at least partially cancel each other out by interference. The shown scattering elements 6 are designed as indentations 10 with respect to the front surface 3. Alternatively, the scattering elements may be designed as protrusions 9 and / or a combination of protrusions and indentations 10. The scattering elements 6 shown are arranged in a number of parallel rows 11, with the scattering elements of each row being equally spaced apart from each other. In the embodiment shown, the scattering elements 6 of two adjacent rows are arranged with respect to each other at a periodic interval 13 such that the phase shift of the reflected first and second secondary radiation is 180°. In a preferred variant, the periodic interval 13 is a multiple of λ / 2. As can be seen in FIG. 2, which shows a comparison of the radiation patterns without and with bumpers in an elevation cut in FIG. 2a (left) and an azimuth cut in FIG. 2b (right), it can be seen from FIGS. 2a and 2b that the scattering elements result in a suppression of ripples in the radiation pattern. The graphs in FIG. 2a and 2b show the directivity of the antenna assembly over the angle. As can be seen in the figures, the dotted line shows the performance 34 of the antenna assembly without scattering elements, and the solid line shows the performance 35 with scattering elements 6.

[0032] 3 and 4 show an embodiment of a metallized antenna assembly 2, which in the shown embodiment has two outer edges 15 with a sawtooth shape 23 and which are arranged opposite each other with respect to the antenna assembly 2. The two outer edges 15 of the sawtooth shape 23 redirect the current at the front surface 3 so that the two outer edges 15 of the antenna assembly 2 cause destructive interference of the backscattering of the impinging field. Small amplitude and phase errors are caused by the two outer edges 15 of the antenna assembly 2, which are an effect due to the finite dimensions of the metallic top surface of the antenna. The two outer edges 15 of the sawtooth shape 23 are configured to reduce the adverse effects of edge effects. The sawtooth shape 23 can be realized by changing the 3D shape of the plastic or by selective metallization on the two outer edges 15. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the two outer edges 15 of the sawtooth shape 23 reduce the ripples in the radiation pattern that would normally be caused by knife-edge refraction on the outer edges 15 of the antenna assembly 2. The two outer edges 15 of the sawtooth shape 23 are configured to reduce the standard deviation of the angular radiation pattern, which is important for optimal performance of the antenna device 1. The graph in Figure 4 shows the directivity of the antenna assembly over angle. As can be seen in the figure, the dotted line shows the performance 36 of the antenna assembly without the sawtooth outer edges, and the solid line shows the performance 37 with the sawtooth outer edges 15.

[0033] FIG. 5 shows a schematic separation of the primary radiation 5 into a first (7) and a second (8) secondary radiation. The incident primary radiation 5 is reflected by the antenna assembly 2. The first incident primary radiation 5 is reflected by the front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2. The second incident primary radiation 5 is reflected by the scattering element 6. Due to the shape of the scattering element 6, the resulting first (7) and second (8) secondary radiation have a phase difference of λ / 2. As indicated by the dotted lines, the first (7) and second (8) secondary radiation are in anti-phase and therefore cancel each other due to destructive interference. FIG. 6 shows two variants of the scattering element 6. The illustrated embodiments differ in that the lengths of the scattering elements 6 are different. Each of the multiple scattering elements 6 of the first embodiment (left side of the figure) has substantially the same length, defined as the base length. The multiple scattering elements 6 of the second embodiment (right side of the figure) also have the base length or twice its length. Preferably, the scattering elements 6 of the base length and twice the base length are arranged alternately. The scattering elements 6 of two adjacent rows 12 are offset from each other in the row direction with a spatial shift of about λ / 2, such that a phase difference of 180° is realized in the row direction or in a direction perpendicular to the row direction, such that the reflected radiation cancels each other by interference. Figures 7a-i show some shapes (footprints) of a preferred layout 14 of scattering elements 6. In preferred variants, the layout 14 corresponds to at least one element of the group of rectangular (Figures 7a, b), square (Figures 7c, d), elliptical (Figure 7e), circular (Figure 7f), S-shaped (Figure 7g), C-shaped (Figure 7h), ring-shaped (Figure 7i) elements, or a combination thereof.

[0034] 8 and 9 show a first (FIG. 8) and a second (FIG. 9) arrangement of scattering elements 6. The scattering elements 6 shown are arranged in at least two parallel rows. The at least two rows are typically spaced laterally with respect to each other. The scattering elements 6 shown in each row are equally spaced with respect to each other. In the variant shown, the scattering elements 6 of two adjacent rows shown are offset from each other in the row direction with a spatial offset of at least λ / 2. Good results can be achieved if the spatial offset corresponds to λ in the row direction. As can be best taken from FIG. 9, this design has the advantage that further scattering elements 6 arranged substantially perpendicularly in the two rows can be arranged. The offset perpendicular to the row direction also makes it possible to cancel reflections from waves that are vertically polarized. The scattering elements 6 arranged in the row direction are configured to cancel horizontally polarized waves and the scattering elements 6 arranged rotated by 90° are configured to cancel vertically polarized waves.

[0035] Figures 10 and 11 show an embodiment of a scattering element 6 with a T-shaped layout (Figure 10) and with a cross-shaped layout (Figure 11). The scattering element shown in Figure 10 has a T-shaped layout formed by a horizontally long rectangle arranged adjacent to a vertically long rectangle. This layout allows both horizontal and vertical polarizations to be cancelled. The same applies to the cross-shaped layout shown in Figure 11, which is achieved by horizontally long and vertically long rectangles whose centre points coincide with those of the horizontally long and vertically long rectangles. This layout allows both horizontal and vertical polarizations to be cancelled.

[0036] 12 and 13 show in a perspective view a first embodiment of the radome 16 folded 90° away from the antenna assembly. FIG. 13 shows the first embodiment according to FIG. 12 in a cross-sectional view. The shown radome 16 is mounted substantially flush with the front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2, and the rear surface 17 of the radome 16 is mounted substantially flush with the front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2. This has the advantage that reflection of the primary radiation 5 by the radome 16 can be prevented, as well as that the electromagnetic radiation is not radiated into the air, but bounces off the radome 16 when they are radiated directly from the radome 16. Furthermore, the flush mounted radome 16 reduces the overall thickness of the antenna arrangement 1. The radome 16 of the first embodiment comprises a recess 24 arranged on the rear surface 17 of the radome 16, which is substantially coincident with the at least one antenna aperture 4 arranged on the front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2. The recess 24 can be substantially rectangular. With a radome 16 having an overall thickness of 2 mm (λ / 2 of free space), most of the energy radiated by the antenna assembly 2 remains trapped in the radome 16 in the form of surface waves. The recess 24 eliminates this problem by making the radome 16 thinner, at least in the area coinciding with the antenna aperture 4.

[0037] Figures 14 and 15 show in perspective view a second embodiment of the radome 16 folded 90° away from the antenna assembly. Figure 15 shows the second embodiment according to Figure 14 in a cross-sectional view. The shown radome 16 is mounted substantially flush with the front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2, and the rear surface 17 of the radome 16 is mounted substantially flush with the front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2. Furthermore, the radome 16 of the shown embodiment comprises at least one protrusion 25 arranged on the rear surface 17 of the radome 16 and protruding towards the front surface 3 of the antenna assembly. The at least one protrusion 25 arranged on the rear surface 17 of the radome 16 is configured to at least partially engage with and partially bury at least one of the plurality of scattering elements 6. This has the positive effect that due to the dielectric loading of the protrusion 25, the depth (d) of the scattering elements 6 can be reduced. This also allows a further overall reduction in the thickness of the antenna assembly 2 and therefore the thickness of the antenna device 1 itself can also be reduced.

[0038] Figures 16 and 17 show in perspective view a third embodiment of the radome folded 90° away from the antenna assembly. Figure 13 shows the third embodiment according to Figure 12 in a cross-sectional view. The shown radome 16 is mounted substantially flush with the front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2, and the rear surface 17 of the radome 16 is mounted substantially flush with the front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2. Furthermore, the shown radome 16 comprises several grooves 26. The several grooves 26 are arranged on the rear surface 17 of the radome 16, preferably spaced apart from each other and parallel to the at least one antenna aperture 4. The front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2 further comprises several bars 27 arranged parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the at least one antenna aperture 4. The several bars 27 are designed to engage with corresponding several recesses 28 arranged on the rear surface 17 of the radome 16. The several grooves 26 are configured to reduce surface waves. The several bars 27 are configured to improve the radiation pattern of the antenna assembly 2 and to block the propagation of surface waves in the vertical direction. The size of the several grooves 26 arranged on the rear face 17 of the radome 16 and the number of bars 27 depend on the thickness of the radome 16 and the dielectric constant of the material of the radome 16. For a radome with a thickness of 1.4 mm and a dielectric constant of 3.46, the height (h) of the several grooves 26 is 1 mm and the width (w) is 0.7 mm. The wall thickness ws is 0.4 mm and hs is 0.4 mm.

[0039] 18 and 19 show embodiments of the radome 16 with at least one lens 28 designed so that the majority of the power can be radiated in the boresight direction at the front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2, avoiding the excitation of surface waves, since the at least one lens 28 serves to collimate the power in the boresight direction. These approaches exploit the 3D structure of the antenna assembly 2 and the radome 16. Furthermore, the lens 28 serves to reduce the size of the antenna aperture 4, which may clearly alleviate the conflict between the antenna placement for the proper functioning of the beamformer and the requirements on the beamwidth and directivity of the antenna. The radius of the lens 28 strongly depends on the material of the radome 16 and on the type of the antenna aperture 4.

[0040] 20 and 21 show a first embodiment of the antenna device 1, in which the antenna assembly 2 is arranged in a case 30. In the embodiment shown, the antenna assembly 2 is substantially completely enclosed by the case 30. The shown antenna assembly 2 is designed as a waveguide antenna. At least one antenna opening 4 is connected to a hollow waveguide structure 31 arranged in the antenna assembly 2. The hollow waveguide structure 31 is interconnected to an electronic component 32. In the embodiment shown, the electronic component 32 is arranged on the rear side of the antenna assembly 2, with respect to the front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2. The antenna device 1 further comprises a printed circuit board 33 and the electronic component 32 arranged thereon. In addition to the at least one antenna opening 4 arranged on the front surface 3, the shown antenna assembly 2 further comprises at least one antenna opening 4 configured to emit an emission signal of radiation, which is expected to be reflected by an external object and to return at least partially as primary radiation 5. Alternatively, the at least one antenna opening 4 may be designed as a horn antenna. The scattering elements 6 in the illustrated embodiment have a cross section perpendicular to the front face that is substantially rectangular and / or pyramidal and / or a combination thereof. The scattering elements 6 have a layout 14 at the front face that is rectangular in the illustrated variant. As best seen in FIG. 16, the radome 16 shown is spaced apart from the front face 3 of the antenna assembly 2. Alternatively, the radome 16 may be mounted flush with the front face 3 of the antenna assembly 2. In a variant, the antenna assembly 2 may be at least in the region of the scattering elements 6 that is partially covered with or consists of a material that at least partially absorbs the primary radiation 5.

[0041] 22 and 23 show a second embodiment of the antenna device 1, in which the antenna assembly 2 is arranged in a case 30. In the embodiment shown, the antenna assembly 2 is substantially completely surrounded by the case 30. The shown antenna assembly 2 is designed as a waveguide antenna. At least one antenna aperture 4 is connected to a hollow waveguide structure 31 arranged inside the antenna assembly 2. The hollow waveguide structure 31 is interconnected to an electronic component 32. In the embodiment shown, the electronic component 32 is arranged on the rear side of the antenna assembly 2, with respect to the front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2. The antenna device 1 also comprises a printed circuit board 33, and the electronic component 32 arranged thereon. In addition to the at least one antenna aperture 4 arranged on the front surface 3, the shown antenna assembly 2 further comprises at least one antenna aperture 4 configured to emit an emission signal of radiation, which is expected to be reflected by an external object and to return at least partially as primary radiation 5. As can be best seen in FIG. 16, the shown embodiment comprises a layer of absorbing material 39. The shown embodiment comprises a chip (MMIC) 38. The shown antenna assembly is made by injection molding. The shown embodiment of the antenna assembly 2 comprises two injection molding materials, one of which has electromagnetic wave absorbing properties. A layer of absorbing material 39 is placed on the rear face of the antenna assembly 2. In a preferred variant, the layer of absorbing material 39 and the substrate are made in one production step in one cavity, preferably by two-component injection molding.

[0042] 24 and 25 show perspective views of a third embodiment of an antenna assembly 2. On the front surface 3 of the shown embodiment, an antenna aperture 4 is arranged, which is configured to receive an incident signal in the form of a primary radiation 5 impinging in the antenna aperture 4. The shown antenna apertures 4 are arranged in groups. The shown scattering elements 6 are designed as recesses 10 with respect to the front surface 3. Furthermore, a part of the shown plurality of scattering elements 6 is arranged in a plurality of parallel rows 11, the scattering elements 6 of each row being equidistant from each other. In addition to the scattering elements 6 arranged adjacent to at least one antenna aperture 4 on the front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2, the shown antenna assembly 2 further comprises a layer of absorbing material 40. The scattering elements 6 are configured to at least partially reflect the plurality of primary radiations 5 impinging in the area of ​​the scattering elements 6, thus separating them into a first secondary radiation 7 and a second secondary radiation 8, while the shown layer of absorbing material 40 at least partially absorbs the primary radiations 5 impinging in the absorbing material. As can be seen in the figures, the layer of absorbing material 40 may completely or partially cover the antenna assembly 2. In the variant shown, a layer of absorbing material 40 is disposed on or in the front surface 3 and covers substantially the entire front surface 3 except for the area covered by the antenna aperture 4 and the area covered by the scattering element 6.

[0043] As can be best obtained according to FIG. 25 , the illustrated layer of absorbing material 40 is assembled to the antenna assembly 2 in the form of a separate layer of absorbing material 40 that is bonded to the front face 3 of the antenna assembly 2. The illustrated layer of absorbing material 40 can be mechanically bonded by fastening means, for example by screwing or clamping. The illustrated layer of absorbing material 40 can be bonded by welding, gluing, hot stamping, clipping, press-fitting, soldering, etc. The illustrated layer of absorbing material 40 is made of a resin or a composite material, for example a hybrid material having electromagnetic wave absorbing properties. The illustrated layer of absorbing material 40 embeds it in the front face 3 of the antenna assembly 2, in a cavity 41 arranged in the front face 3.

[0044] Figures 26 and 27 show perspective views of a fourth embodiment of the antenna assembly 2. The shown embodiment is similar to the third embodiment shown in Figures 24 and 25. Besides the scattering elements 6 arranged adjacent to at least one antenna aperture 4 on the front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2, the shown antenna assembly 2 also comprises a layer of absorbing material 40. As can be seen in the figures, the absorbing material 40 may completely or partially cover the antenna assembly 2. In the shown variant, the absorbing material 40 is arranged on or in the front surface 3 and substantially covers the entire front surface 3, except for the area covered by the antenna aperture 4 and the area covered by the scattering elements 6.

[0045] As can be best taken from FIG. 27, the illustrated embodiment differs from the embodiment shown by FIGS. 24 and 25 in that the layer of absorbing material 40 is assembled to the antenna assembly 2 in the form of a separate absorbing material 40 arranged on the front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2. The illustrated layers of absorbing material 40 can be mechanically joined by fastening means, for example by screwing or clamping. The illustrated layers of absorbing material 40 can be joined by welding, gluing, hot stamping, clipping, press-fitting, soldering, etc. The illustrated absorbing material 40 is made of a resin or a composite material, for example a hybrid material having electromagnetic wave absorbing properties. An efficient manufacturing process of the illustrated embodiment can be realized if the antenna assembly 2 is made by multi-component injection molding or in-mold transfer. A multi-component injection molding process typically includes two or more plastic materials, whereby at least one plastic material has electromagnetic wave (EM) absorbing properties. Alternatively or in addition, the antenna assembly 2 can be subjected to a complete or selective surface treatment process. Once the front and back layers of the antenna assembly have been fabricated, a layer of paint or coating may be applied at least partially to the front surface 3 of the antenna assembly 2 .

[0046] Figures 28 and 29 show a fifth embodiment of the radome 16 in perspective views. In the embodiment shown, the absorbing material 40 is placed inside the radome 16, facing the antenna assembly 2 in the installed state. A separate absorbing material 40 is connected to the radome 16 using a joining technique, for example, screwing, clamping, welding, gluing, hot stamping, clipping, press fitting, soldering, etc. The absorbing material 40 may be attached to the radome 16 or embedded within the radome 16. The illustrated absorbing material 40 may also be assembled at a distance to the radome 16.

[0047] Rather, the words used herein are words of description rather than of limitation, and it is understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Antenna device 2 Antenna Assembly 3 Front 4 Antenna opening 5 Primary radiation 6 Scattering Elements 7. First Secondary Radiation 8. Secondary radiation 9 protrusions 10. Hollow 11 Two Parallel Rows 12 Two adjacent rows 13 periodic interval 14 Layout 15 Outer Edge 16 Radome 17 Rear 18 Domed Lens 19 Emitted radiation 20 Hollow waveguide structure 21 Printed Circuit Board 22 Electronic Components 23 Sawtooth Shape 24 Recess (radome) 25 Protrusion 26 Groove 27 Bar 28 Lenses 29 Recess 30 cases 31 Waveguide structure 32 Electronic Components 33 PCB 34 Directionality without scattering elements 35 Directionality with scattering elements 36 Directivity without sawtooth 37 Directivity with sawtooth shape 38 chips (MMIC) 39 Absorbing material (rear) 40 Absorbing material (front / radome) 41 Cavity (front)

Claims

1. An antenna device (1) for automotive radar applications, comprising: a. an antenna assembly (2) comprising a front surface (3) having disposed thereon at least one antenna aperture (4) configured to receive an incident signal in the form of primary radiation (5) impinging within said at least one antenna aperture (4); b) said front surface (3) comprises a scattering element (6) adjacent said at least one antenna aperture (4), whereby a primary radiation (5) impinging in the area of ​​said scattering element (6) is at least partially reflected by said scattering element (6) and separated into a first secondary radiation (7) and a second secondary radiation (8) such that said first secondary radiation (7) and said second secondary radiation (8) at least partially cancel each other out by interference; An antenna arrangement (1) for automotive radar applications.

2. 2. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 1, wherein the scattering elements (6) are designed with respect to the front surface (3) as depressions (10) and / or protrusions (9), or a combination thereof.

3. 3. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the scattering elements (6) are arranged in at least two parallel rows (11).

4. 3. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the scattering elements (6) of each row are periodically or quasi-periodically spaced apart from one another.

5. 5. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 4, wherein the scattering elements (6) of each row are periodically or quasi-periodically spaced apart from one another and between the rows.

6. 3. The antenna device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the scattering elements (6) of two adjacent rows (12) are offset from one another in the row direction with a spatial shift of substantially λ / 2 in the row direction and / or in a direction perpendicular to the row direction, such that a phase difference of 180° is achieved such that the reflected radiation beams cancel each other out by interference.

7. 3. The antenna device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the scattering elements (6) of two adjacent rows (12) are offset from each other in the direction of the rows with a spatial shift of substantially λ, and a displaced scattering element (6) is arranged between two adjacent scattering elements (6) of each row.

8. 8. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 7, wherein the offset scattering elements (6) are arranged substantially perpendicular to the direction of the rows.

9. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the scattering elements (6) are arranged in a periodic or quasi-periodic pattern of scattering elements (6).

10. 3. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the scattering elements (6) have a cross section perpendicular to the front surface (3) that is substantially rectangular and / or pyramidal and / or a combination thereof.

11. 3. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the scattering elements (6) have a layout (14) in the front surface (3) which is at least one element from the group of rectangular, square, circular, elliptical, C-shaped, ring-shaped, S-shaped, cross-shaped, T-shaped elements, or a combination thereof.

12. 3. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the antenna assembly (2) in the region of the scattering elements (6) is at least partially covered with or consists of a material that at least partially absorbs the primary radiation.

13. 3. The antenna device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an absorbing material (40) is arranged on the antenna assembly (2) at least partially covering the front surface (3) configured to absorb impinging primary radiation (5).

14. 3. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the antenna assembly (2) has a sawtooth shape and comprises at least two outer edges (15) arranged opposite each other with respect to the antenna assembly (2).

15. 3. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a radome (16) at least partially covering the front surface (3) of the antenna assembly (2).

16. 16. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 15, wherein the radome (16) has a rear face (18) mounted at least partially flush with the front face (3) of the antenna assembly (2).

17. 17. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 16, wherein the radome (16) has a rear face (18) mounted partially flush with the front face (13) of the antenna, and there is present at least one longitudinal groove (26) and / or recess (24) arranged in the rear face of the radome and configured to stop the propagation of surface waves.

18. 17. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 16, wherein the rear face (18) of the radome (16) comprises at least one protrusion (25) which at least partially engages with the scattering element (6) at the front face (3) of the antenna assembly (2) in an installed state.

19. 16. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 15, wherein the radome (16) comprises a dome-shaped lens (28) in the area of ​​the at least one antenna aperture (4) such that incident primary radiation (5) is concentrated relative to the antenna aperture (4).

20. 3. The antenna device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the antenna assembly (2) comprises at least one antenna aperture (4) configured to emit an emission signal of radiation (19) that is expected to be reflected by an external object and at least partially returned as primary radiation (5).

21. 3. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the antenna aperture (4) is connected to a hollow waveguide structure (20) arranged inside the antenna assembly (2).

22. 3. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a printed circuit board (21) and electronic components (22) arranged thereon.

23. 3. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the antenna assembly (2) is at its rear side at least partially covered by an absorbing material (39).

24. 24. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 23, wherein the absorbing material (39) is interconnected to the antenna assembly by injection molding.

Images