Electronic device

Abstract

To provide an electronic apparatus capable of shortening a transmission line to an antenna for transmitting and receiving a signal for detecting an object.SOLUTION: The electronic device includes a first side on which a plurality of transmission terminals that output transmission signals to the plurality of transmission antennas are arranged, and a second side on which a plurality of reception terminals that receive reception signals from the plurality of reception antennas are arranged. The first side is positioned so as to form an acute angle in a direction in which the power feeding points of the plurality of transmission antennas are aligned, and all the power feeding points of the plurality of transmission antennas are connected to the plurality of transmission terminals by straight transmission lines, respectively. The second side is positioned so as to form an acute angle in a direction in which the power feeding points of the plurality of reception antennas are arranged, and all the power feeding points of the plurality of reception antennas are connected to the plurality of reception terminals by straight transmission lines, respectively.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to electronic devices. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in fields such as the automobile industry, technology for measuring the distance between a vehicle and a predetermined object has become increasingly important. In particular, in recent years, various RADAR (Radio Detecting and Ranging) technologies have been researched, which measure the distance between a vehicle and an object by transmitting radio waves such as millimeter waves and receiving the waves reflected by the object, such as an obstacle. The importance of such technology for measuring distance is expected to increase in the future along with the development of technologies for assisting drivers in driving and technologies related to autonomous driving, which automates driving partially or completely.

[0003] In technologies such as the radar described above, various proposals have been made regarding the arrangement of antennas that transmit and receive signals. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a millimeter-wave transceiver in which multiple patch antennas are all connected in parallel with equal-length transmission lines. Patent Document 1 also proposes a millimeter-wave transceiver in which multiple patch antennas are arranged vertically and directly connected with equal-length transmission lines, and then multiple patch antennas are also arranged horizontally. Such arrangements of patch antennas are expected to have the effect of increasing the directivity of the transmitted waves in the forward direction.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 proposes a radar device in which patch antennas are connected at intervals of nλ (n is an integer equal to or greater than 2, and λ is the wavelength of the center frequency used). By arranging patch antennas in this manner, it is expected that the vertical tilt angle can be increased at frequencies shifted from the center frequency, and the change in tilt angle can be used to adjust the radiation direction of radar waves. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-261917 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-220008 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In an electronic device that detects a specific object by receiving a reflected wave of the transmitted wave reflected by the object, signal loss in the transmission line can be reduced by shortening the transmission line to the antenna that transmits and receives the signal to detect the object.

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic device that can shorten the transmission line to an antenna that transmits and receives signals for detecting an object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An electronic device according to an embodiment includes: a first side on which a plurality of transmission terminals for outputting transmission signals to a plurality of transmission antennas are arranged, the first side is positioned so as to form an acute angle with a direction in which the feed points of the plurality of transmitting antennas are arranged, all of the feed points of the plurality of transmitting antennas are connected to the plurality of transmitting terminals by straight transmission lines, respectively; a second side on which a plurality of receiving terminals for receiving signals from a plurality of receiving antennas are arranged, the second side is positioned so as to form an acute angle with the direction in which the feed points of the plurality of receiving antennas are arranged, All of the feed points of the plurality of receiving antennas are connected to the plurality of receiving terminals by straight transmission lines, respectively. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one embodiment, it is possible to provide an electronic device that can shorten the transmission line to the antenna that transmits and receives signals for detecting an object. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a usage mode of an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a transmission signal according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating comparative examples for explaining the arrangement of transmitting antennas, receiving antennas, and electronic components in an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the arrangement of a transmitting antenna, a receiving antenna, and electronic components in an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another example of the arrangement of transmitting antennas, receiving antennas, and electronic components in an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram illustrating yet another example of the arrangement of transmitting antennas, receiving antennas, and electronic components in an electronic device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, one embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0012] An electronic device according to an embodiment is mounted on a vehicle (mobile body) such as an automobile, and is capable of detecting a predetermined object present around the mobile body. To this end, the electronic device according to an embodiment can transmit a transmission wave to the area around the mobile body from a transmission antenna installed on the mobile body. The electronic device according to an embodiment can also receive a reflected wave of the transmission wave from a receiving antenna installed on the mobile body. At least one of the transmission antenna and the receiving antenna may be provided in, for example, a radar sensor installed on the mobile body.

[0013] Hereinafter, as a typical example, a configuration in which an electronic device according to an embodiment is mounted on an automobile such as a passenger car will be described. However, the mounting of the electronic device according to an embodiment is not limited to automobiles. The electronic device according to an embodiment may be mounted on various mobile bodies, such as buses, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, ships, aircraft, agricultural equipment such as tractors, snowplows, sweepers, police cars, ambulances, and drones. Furthermore, the mounting of the electronic device according to an embodiment is not necessarily limited to mobile bodies that move under their own power. For example, a mobile body on which the electronic device according to an embodiment is mounted may be a trailer towed by a tractor. The electronic device according to an embodiment can measure the distance between a sensor and a predetermined object in a situation in which at least one of the sensor and the object may move. Furthermore, the electronic device according to an embodiment can measure the distance between the sensor and the object even when both the sensor and the object are stationary.

[0014] First, an example of object detection by an electronic device according to an embodiment will be described.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a usage mode of an electronic device according to an embodiment, showing an example in which a sensor including a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna according to an embodiment is installed on a mobile object.

[0016] A sensor 5 including a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna according to an embodiment is installed on a moving body 100 shown in FIG. 1. The moving body 100 shown in FIG. 1 is also assumed to be equipped (e.g., built-in) with an electronic device 1 according to an embodiment. A specific configuration of the electronic device 1 will be described later. The sensor 5 may include, for example, at least one of a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna. The sensor 5 may also include at least one of other functional units, such as at least a part of a control unit 10 (FIG. 2) included in the electronic device 1, as appropriate. The moving body 100 shown in FIG. 1 may be an automobile vehicle such as a passenger car, but may be any type of moving body. In FIG. 1, the moving body 100 may be moving (driving or slowly moving) in the positive direction of the Z axis (traveling direction) shown in the figure, moving in another direction, or remaining stationary.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, a sensor 5 equipped with a transmitting antenna is installed in a moving body 100. In the example shown in FIG. 1, only one sensor 5 equipped with a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna is installed in the front of the moving body 100. Here, the position at which the sensor 5 is installed in the moving body 100 is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 1 and may be installed in another position as appropriate. For example, the sensor 5 shown in FIG. 1 may be installed on the left side, right side, and / or rear of the moving body 100. Furthermore, the number of such sensors 5 may be any number greater than or equal to one depending on various conditions (or requirements) such as the range and / or accuracy of measurement in the moving body 100. The sensor 5 may be installed inside the moving body 100. The inside of the moving body 100 may be, for example, the space inside the bumper, the space inside the body, the space inside the headlight, or the driving space.

[0018] The sensor 5 transmits electromagnetic waves as transmission waves from a transmission antenna. For example, if a predetermined object (e.g., object 200 shown in FIG. 1) is present around the mobile object 100, at least a portion of the transmission waves transmitted from the sensor 5 is reflected by the object and becomes a reflected wave. Then, by receiving such a reflected wave, for example, with a receiving antenna of the sensor 5, the electronic device 1 mounted on the mobile object 100 can detect the object.

[0019] The sensor 5 equipped with a transmitting antenna may typically be a RADAR (Radio Detecting and Ranging) sensor that transmits and receives radio waves. However, the sensor 5 is not limited to a radar sensor. The sensor 5 according to an embodiment may be a sensor based on, for example, light wave LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) technology. Such sensors may be configured to include, for example, a patch antenna. Technologies such as RADAR and LIDAR are already known, so detailed descriptions may be appropriately simplified or omitted.

[0020] The electronic device 1 mounted on the moving body 100 shown in FIG. 1 receives, via a receiving antenna, a reflected wave of a transmitted wave transmitted from a transmitting antenna of the sensor 5. In this way, the electronic device 1 can detect a predetermined object 200 that exists within a predetermined distance from the moving body 100. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device 1 can measure a distance L between the moving body 100, which is the moving body's own vehicle, and the predetermined object 200. The electronic device 1 can also measure the relative speed between the moving body 100, which is the moving body's own vehicle, and the predetermined object 200. Furthermore, the electronic device 1 can also measure the direction (arrival angle θ) in which the reflected wave from the predetermined object 200 arrives at the moving body 100, which is the moving body's own vehicle.

[0021] Here, the object 200 may be, for example, at least one of an oncoming vehicle traveling in a lane adjacent to the moving body 100, a car traveling parallel to the moving body 100, and cars in front of and behind the moving body 100 traveling in the same lane. The object 200 may also be any object present around the moving body 100, such as a motorcycle, bicycle, stroller, human being such as a pedestrian, an animal, an insect, or other living thing, a guardrail, a median strip, a road sign, a sidewalk step, a wall, or an obstacle. Furthermore, the object 200 may be moving or stationary. For example, the object 200 may be a car parked or stopped around the moving body 100.

[0022] In FIG. 1, the ratio between the size of the sensor 5 and the size of the moving body 100 does not necessarily represent the actual ratio. Also, in FIG. 1, the sensor 5 is shown installed on the outside of the moving body 100. However, in one embodiment, the sensor 5 may be installed at various positions on the moving body 100. For example, in one embodiment, the sensor 5 may be installed inside the bumper of the moving body 100 so as not to be visible from the outside of the moving body 100.

[0023] In the following, as a typical example, the transmitting antenna of the sensor 5 will be described as transmitting radio waves in a frequency band such as millimeter waves (30 GHz or higher) or quasi-millimeter waves (for example, around 20 GHz to 30 GHz). For example, the transmitting antenna of the sensor 5 may transmit radio waves having a frequency bandwidth of 4 GHz, such as 77 GHz to 81 GHz.

[0024] 2 is a functional block diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment. An example of the configuration of the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment will be described below.

[0025] When measuring distances and the like using millimeter-wave radar, frequency modulated continuous wave radar (hereinafter referred to as FMCW radar) is often used. FMCW radar generates a transmission signal by sweeping the frequency of the radio waves to be transmitted. Therefore, in a millimeter-wave FMCW radar using radio waves in the 79 GHz frequency band, for example, the frequency of the radio waves used has a frequency bandwidth of 4 GHz, such as 77 GHz to 81 GHz. Radar using the 79 GHz frequency band is characterized by a wider usable frequency bandwidth than other millimeter-wave / quasi-millimeter-wave radars, such as those in the 24 GHz, 60 GHz, and 76 GHz frequency bands. Such an embodiment will be described below.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment includes a sensor 5 and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 50. The ECU 60 controls various operations of the moving object 100. The ECU 60 may be configured with at least one ECU. In the present disclosure, the term "electronic device" may refer to, for example, the electronic device 1 (i.e., including, for example, the sensor 5 and the ECU 60) as shown in FIG. 2, or may refer to, for example, the sensor 5 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0027] The electronic device 1 according to an embodiment includes a control unit 10. The electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may also include other functional units, such as a transmission unit 20 and / or reception units 30A to 30D, as appropriate. As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic device 1 may include multiple reception units, such as reception units 30A to 30D. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between reception units 30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D, they will simply be referred to as "reception units 30."

[0028] The control unit 10 may include a distance FFT processing unit 11, a speed FFT processing unit 12, an arrival angle estimation unit 13, and an object detection unit 14. These functional units included in the control unit 10 will be described in more detail below.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2 , the transmitter 20 may include a signal generator 21, a synthesizer 22, phase control units 23A, 23B, and 23C, amplifiers 24A, 24B, and 24C, and transmit antennas 26A, 26B, and 26C. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the phase control units 23A, 23B, and 23C, they will simply be referred to as "phase control unit 23." Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the amplifiers 24A, 24B, and 24C, they will simply be referred to as "amplifier 24." Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the transmit antennas 26A, 26B, and 26C, they will simply be referred to as "transmit antenna 26."

[0030] As shown in Fig. 2, the receiving unit 30 may include corresponding receiving antennas 31A to 31D. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the receiving antennas 31A, 31B, 31C, and 31D, they will be simply referred to as "receiving antennas 31." Also, as shown in Fig. 2, each of the multiple receiving units 30 may include an LNA 33, a phase control unit 34, a mixer 35, an IF unit 36, and an AD conversion unit 37. The receiving units 30A to 30D may each have the same configuration. In Fig. 2, the configuration of only the receiving unit 30A is shown schematically as a representative example.

[0031] The sensor 5 may include, for example, a transmitting antenna 26 and a receiving antenna 31. The sensor 5 may also include at least one of other functional units such as a control unit 10 as appropriate.

[0032] The control unit 10 included in the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment can control the overall operation of the electronic device 1, including the control of each functional unit constituting the electronic device 1. The control unit 10 may include at least one processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a digital signal processor (DSP), to provide control and processing power for executing various functions. The control unit 10 may be implemented as a single processor, several processors, or individual processors. The processor may be implemented as a single integrated circuit. An integrated circuit is also referred to as an IC (integrated circuit). The processor may be implemented as multiple integrated circuits and discrete circuits connected to each other in a communicative manner. The processor may be implemented based on various other known technologies. In an embodiment, the control unit 10 may be configured as, for example, a CPU and a program executed by the CPU. The control unit 10 may include any memory, as appropriate. In an embodiment, the any memory may store various parameters for setting the range in which an object is detected using the transmission wave T transmitted from the transmitting antenna 26 and the reflected wave R received from the receiving antenna 31.

[0033] In the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment, the control unit 10 can control at least one of the transmitting unit 20 and the receiving unit 30. In this case, the control unit 10 may control at least one of the transmitting unit 20 and the receiving unit 30 based on various information stored in an arbitrary memory, for example. Furthermore, in the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment, the control unit 10 may instruct the signal generating unit 21 to generate a signal, or may control the signal generating unit 21 to generate a signal.

[0034] The signal generating unit 21 generates a signal (transmission signal) to be transmitted as a transmission wave T from the transmission antenna 26 under the control of the control unit 10. When generating the transmission signal, the signal generating unit 21 may allocate a frequency of the transmission signal, for example, based on the control of the control unit 10. Specifically, the signal generating unit 21 may allocate a frequency of the transmission signal in accordance with parameters set by the control unit 10. For example, the signal generating unit 21 receives frequency information from the control unit 10 and generates a signal of a predetermined frequency in a frequency band such as 77 to 81 GHz. The signal generating unit 21 may be configured to include a functional unit such as a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO).

[0035] The signal generating unit 21 may be configured as hardware having the relevant function, or may be configured as a microcomputer, for example, or may be configured as a processor such as a CPU and a program executed by the processor, etc. Each functional unit described below may also be configured as hardware having the relevant function, or may be configured as a microcomputer, for example, if possible, or may be configured as a processor such as a CPU and a program executed by the processor, etc.

[0036] In the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment, the signal generating unit 21 may generate a transmission signal (transmission chirp signal), such as a chirp signal. In particular, the signal generating unit 21 may generate a signal whose frequency changes periodically and linearly (linear chirp signal). For example, the signal generating unit 21 may generate a chirp signal whose frequency periodically and linearly increases from 77 GHz to 81 GHz over time. Alternatively, the signal generating unit 21 may generate a signal whose frequency periodically and linearly increases (up-chirp) and decreases (down-chirp) from 77 GHz to 81 GHz over time. The signal generated by the signal generating unit 21 may be preset in, for example, the control unit 10. The signal generated by the signal generating unit 21 may also be stored in advance in, for example, an arbitrary memory. Chirp signals used in technical fields such as radar are well known, and therefore further detailed description thereof will be simplified or omitted as appropriate. The signal generated by the signal generating unit 21 is supplied to the synthesizer 22.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a chirp signal generated by the signal generating unit 21. In FIG.

[0038] In Fig. 3, the horizontal axis represents elapsed time, and the vertical axis represents frequency. In the example shown in Fig. 3, signal generator 21 generates linear chirp signals whose frequencies change periodically and linearly. In Fig. 3, each chirp signal is denoted as c1, c2, ..., c8. As shown in Fig. 3, the frequency of each chirp signal increases linearly over time.

[0039] In the example shown in FIG. 3, eight chirp signals such as c1, c2, ..., c8 are included in one subframe. That is, subframe 1 and subframe 2 shown in FIG. 3 are each configured to include eight chirp signals such as c1, c2, ..., c8. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 3, 16 subframes such as subframe 1 to subframe 16 are included in one frame. That is, frame 1 and frame 2 shown in FIG. 3 are each configured to include 16 subframes. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, a frame interval of a predetermined length may be included between frames. One frame shown in FIG. 3 may be, for example, 30 to 50 milliseconds long.

[0040] In Fig. 3, frames 2 and onward may have the same configuration. Also, in Fig. 3, frames 3 and onward may have the same configuration. In the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment, the signal generation unit 21 may generate a transmission signal as any number of frames. Also, in Fig. 3, some chirp signals are omitted. In this way, the relationship between time and frequency of the transmission signal generated by the signal generation unit 21 may be stored in, for example, any memory.

[0041] In this way, the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment may transmit a transmission signal consisting of subframes each including a plurality of chirp signals. Also, the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment may transmit a transmission signal consisting of a frame each including a predetermined number of subframes.

[0042] Hereinafter, the electronic device 1 will be described as transmitting a transmission signal having a frame structure as shown in FIG. 3. However, the frame structure as shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and the number of chirp signals included in one subframe is not limited to eight. In one embodiment, the signal generation unit 21 may generate subframes including any number of chirp signals (for example, any multiple number). The subframe structure as shown in FIG. 3 is also an example, and the number of subframes included in one frame is not limited to 16. In one embodiment, the signal generation unit 21 may generate frames including any number of subframes (for example, any multiple number). The signal generation unit 21 may generate signals of different frequencies. The signal generation unit 21 may generate multiple discrete signals, each having a frequency f with a different bandwidth.

[0043] Returning to FIG. 2 , the synthesizer 22 increases the frequency of the signal generated by the signal generating unit 21 to a frequency in a predetermined frequency band. The synthesizer 22 may increase the frequency of the signal generated by the signal generating unit 21 to a frequency selected as the frequency of the transmission wave T to be transmitted from the transmitting antenna 26. The frequency selected as the frequency of the transmission wave T to be transmitted from the transmitting antenna 26 may be set by, for example, the control unit 10. For example, the frequency selected as the frequency of the transmission wave T to be transmitted from the transmitting antenna 26 may be the frequency selected by the control unit 10. Furthermore, the frequency selected as the frequency of the transmission wave T to be transmitted from the transmitting antenna 26 may be stored in, for example, any memory. The signal whose frequency has been increased by the synthesizer 22 is supplied to the phase control unit 23 and the mixer 35. When there are multiple phase control units 23, the signal whose frequency has been increased by the synthesizer 22 may be supplied to each of the multiple phase control units 23. Furthermore, when there are multiple receiving sections 30 , the signal whose frequency has been increased by the synthesizer 22 may be supplied to each mixer 35 in the multiple receiving sections 30 .

[0044] The phase control unit 23 controls (adjusts) the phase of the transmission signal supplied from the synthesizer 22. Specifically, the phase control unit 23 may adjust the phase of the transmission signal by appropriately advancing or delaying the phase of the signal supplied from the synthesizer 22 based on, for example, control by the control unit 10. In this case, the phase control unit 23 may adjust the phase of each transmission signal based on the path difference of each transmission wave T transmitted from the multiple transmission antennas 26. By appropriately adjusting the phase of each transmission signal by the phase control unit 23, the transmission waves T transmitted from the multiple transmission antennas 26 constructively interact with each other in a predetermined direction to form a beam (beamforming). In this case, the correlation between the beamforming direction and the phase amount to be controlled of the transmission signal transmitted from each of the multiple transmission antennas 26 may be stored in, for example, an arbitrary memory. The phase control unit 23 may be configured to include, for example, an arbitrary phase shifter. The transmission signal phase-controlled by the phase control unit 23 is supplied to the amplifier 24.

[0045] The amplifier 24 amplifies the power of the transmission signal supplied from the phase control section 23, for example, based on control by the control section 10. If the sensor 5 includes a plurality of transmission antennas 26, the plurality of amplifiers 24 may each amplify the power of the transmission signal supplied from a corresponding one of the plurality of phase control sections 23, for example, based on control by the control section 10. The technology itself for amplifying the power of the transmission signal is already known, so a detailed description will be omitted. The amplifier 24 is connected to the transmission antenna 26.

[0046] The transmitting antenna 26 outputs (transmits) the transmission signal amplified by the amplifier 24 as a transmission wave T. If the sensor 5 is equipped with multiple transmitting antennas 26, the multiple transmitting antennas 26 may each output (transmit) the transmission signal amplified by a corresponding one of the multiple amplifiers 24 as a transmission wave T. The transmitting antenna 26 can be configured in the same manner as a transmitting antenna used in known radar technology, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0047] In this manner, the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment includes the transmitting antenna 26 and can transmit a transmission signal (e.g., a transmission chirp signal) as a transmission wave T from the transmitting antenna 26. At least one of the functional units constituting the electronic device 1 may be housed in a single housing. In this case, the single housing may have a structure that makes it difficult to open. For example, the transmitting antenna 26, the receiving antenna 31, and the amplifier 24 may be housed in a single housing, and this housing may have a structure that makes it difficult to open. Furthermore, in this case, when the sensor 5 is installed in a moving object 100 such as an automobile, the transmitting antenna 26 may transmit the transmission wave T to the outside of the moving object 100 through a cover member such as a radar cover. In this case, the radar cover may be made of a material that transmits electromagnetic waves, such as synthetic resin or rubber. This radar cover may serve as, for example, a housing for the sensor 5. Covering the transmitting antenna 26 with a member such as a radar cover reduces the risk of the transmitting antenna 26 being damaged or malfunctioning due to contact with the outside. The radar cover and housing may also be referred to as a radome.

[0048] The electronic device 1 shown in FIG. 2 is an example including three transmitting antennas 26. However, in one embodiment, the electronic device 1 may include any number of transmitting antennas 26. On the other hand, in one embodiment, the electronic device 1 may include multiple transmitting antennas 26 when the transmission waves T transmitted from the transmitting antennas 26 form beams in a predetermined direction. In one embodiment, the electronic device 1 may also include multiple phase control units 23 and amplifiers 24 corresponding to the multiple transmitting antennas 26. The multiple phase control units 23 may each control the phases of the multiple transmission waves supplied from the synthesizer 22 and transmitted from the multiple transmitting antennas 26. The multiple amplifiers 24 may each amplify the power of the multiple transmission signals transmitted from the multiple transmitting antennas 26. In this case, the sensor 5 may be configured to include multiple transmitting antennas. As described above, when the electronic device 1 shown in FIG. 2 includes multiple transmitting antennas 26, it may also be configured to include multiple functional units required to transmit the transmission waves T from the multiple transmitting antennas 26.

[0049] The receiving antenna 31 receives a reflected wave R. The reflected wave R is a transmitted wave T reflected by a predetermined object 200. The receiving antenna 31 may be configured to include multiple antennas, for example, receiving antennas 31A to 31D. The receiving antenna 31 can be configured in the same way as receiving antennas used in known radar technology, so a detailed description will be omitted. The receiving antenna 31 is connected to an LNA 33. A received signal based on the reflected wave R received by the receiving antenna 31 is supplied to the LNA 33.

[0050] An electronic device 1 according to an embodiment can receive, from multiple receiving antennas 31, reflected waves R that are generated when a transmission wave T, which is transmitted as a transmission signal (transmission chirp signal), such as a chirp signal, is reflected by a predetermined object 200. When a transmission chirp signal is transmitted as the transmission wave T, a reception signal based on the received reflection wave R is referred to as a reception chirp signal. That is, the electronic device 1 receives a reception signal (e.g., a reception chirp signal) as a reflection wave R from the receiving antenna 31. Here, when the sensor 5 is installed in a moving object 100 such as an automobile, the receiving antenna 31 may receive the reflected wave R from outside the moving object 100 via a cover member such as a radar cover. In this case, the radar cover may be made of a material that transmits electromagnetic waves, such as synthetic resin or rubber. This radar cover may serve as, for example, a housing for the sensor 5. Covering the receiving antenna 31 with a member such as a radar cover reduces the risk of damage or malfunction of the receiving antenna 31 due to contact with the outside. The radar cover and housing are also sometimes referred to as radomes.

[0051] Furthermore, when the receiving antenna 31 is installed near the transmitting antenna 26, they may be configured as one sensor 5. That is, one sensor 5 may include, for example, at least one transmitting antenna 26 and at least one receiving antenna 31. For example, one sensor 5 may include multiple transmitting antennas 26 and multiple receiving antennas 31. In such a case, one radar sensor may be covered with a cover member such as a radar cover.

[0052] The LNA 33 amplifies, with low noise, the received signal based on the reflected wave R received by the receiving antenna 31. The LNA 33 may be a low noise amplifier, and amplifies, with low noise, the received signal supplied from the receiving antenna 31. The received signal amplified by the LNA 33 is supplied to the phase control unit 34.

[0053] The phase control unit 34 controls (adjusts) the phase of the received signal supplied from the LNA 33. Specifically, the phase control unit 34 may adjust the phase of the received signal by appropriately advancing or delaying the phase of the signal supplied from the LNA 33, for example, based on control by the control unit 10. In this case, the phase control unit 34 may adjust the phase of each received signal based on the path difference of each reflected wave R received from the multiple receiving antennas 31. In this case, the amount of phase control to be performed for each received signal received from the multiple receiving antennas 31 may be stored in, for example, an arbitrary memory. The phase control unit 34 may be configured to include, for example, an arbitrary phase shifter. The transmission signal phase-controlled by the phase control unit 34 is supplied to the mixer 35.

[0054] The mixer 35 generates a beat signal by mixing (multiplying) the RF frequency reception signal supplied from the phase control unit 34 with the transmission signal supplied from the synthesizer 22. The beat signal mixed by the mixer 35 is supplied to the IF unit 36.

[0055] The IF unit 36 ​​performs frequency conversion on the beat signal supplied from the mixer 35, thereby lowering the frequency of the beat signal to an intermediate frequency (IF). The beat signal whose frequency has been lowered by the IF unit 36 ​​is supplied to an AD conversion unit 37.

[0056] The AD conversion unit 37 digitizes the analog beat signal supplied from the IF unit 36. The AD conversion unit 37 may be configured with any analog-to-digital conversion circuit (Analog to Digital Converter (ADC)). The beat signal digitized by the AD conversion unit 37 is supplied to the distance FFT processing unit 11 of the control unit 10. When there are multiple receiving units 30, the beat signals digitized by the multiple AD conversion units 37 may each be supplied to the distance FFT processing unit 11.

[0057] The distance FFT processing unit 11 estimates the distance between the moving body 100 equipped with the electronic device 1 and the object 200 based on the beat signal supplied from the AD conversion unit 37. The distance FFT processing unit 11 may include, for example, a processing unit that performs a fast Fourier transform. In this case, the distance FFT processing unit 11 may be configured with any circuit or chip that performs fast Fourier transform (FFT) processing.

[0058] The distance FFT processing unit 11 performs FFT processing on the beat signal digitized by the AD conversion unit 37 (hereinafter referred to as "distance FFT processing" where appropriate). For example, the distance FFT processing unit 11 may perform FFT processing on the complex signal supplied from the AD conversion unit 37. The beat signal digitized by the AD conversion unit 37 can be expressed as a time change in signal strength (power). By performing FFT processing on such beat signal, the distance FFT processing unit 11 can express the signal strength (power) corresponding to each frequency. If a peak in the result obtained by the distance FFT processing is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the distance FFT processing unit 11 may determine that a predetermined object 200 is present at the distance corresponding to the peak. For example, a method is known in which, when a peak value equal to or greater than a threshold is detected from the average power or amplitude of a disturbance signal, an object reflecting a transmitted wave (a reflecting object) is determined to be present, such as constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection processing.

[0059] In this way, the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment can detect an object 200 that reflects the transmission wave T based on the transmission signal transmitted as the transmission wave T and the reception signal received as the reflected wave R.

[0060] The distance FFT processing unit 11 can estimate the distance to a predetermined object based on one chirp signal (e.g., c1 shown in FIG. 3). That is, the electronic device 1 can measure (estimate) the distance L shown in FIG. 1 by performing distance FFT processing. Since the technology for measuring (estimating) the distance to a predetermined object by performing FFT processing on a beat signal is well known, a more detailed description will be simplified or omitted as appropriate. The result of the distance FFT processing performed by the distance FFT processing unit 11 (e.g., distance information) may be supplied to the velocity FFT processing unit 12. The result of the distance FFT processing performed by the distance FFT processing unit 11 may also be supplied to the object detection unit 14.

[0061] The velocity FFT processing unit 12 estimates the relative velocity between the moving body 100 mounting the electronic device 1 and the object 200, based on the beat signal on which the distance FFT processing has been performed by the distance FFT processing unit 11. The velocity FFT processing unit 12 may include, for example, a processing unit that performs a fast Fourier transform. In this case, the velocity FFT processing unit 12 may be configured with any circuit or chip that performs fast Fourier transform (FFT) processing.

[0062] The velocity FFT processor 12 further performs FFT processing on the beat signal that has undergone distance FFT processing by the distance FFT processor 11 (hereinafter referred to as "velocity FFT processing" where appropriate). For example, the velocity FFT processor 12 may perform FFT processing on the complex signal supplied from the distance FFT processor 11. The velocity FFT processor 12 can estimate the relative velocity of a predetermined object based on a subframe of the chirp signal (e.g., subframe 1 shown in FIG. 3). By performing distance FFT processing on the beat signal as described above, multiple vectors can be generated. The relative velocity of the predetermined object can be estimated by determining the phase of the peak in the result of performing velocity FFT processing on these multiple vectors. In other words, the electronic device 1 can measure (estimate) the relative velocity of the moving object 100 and the predetermined object 200 shown in FIG. 1 by performing velocity FFT processing. The technique of measuring (estimating) the relative velocity of the predetermined object by performing velocity FFT processing on the result of distance FFT processing is well known, so a detailed description thereof will be appropriately simplified or omitted. The result of the velocity FFT processing performed by the velocity FFT processing unit 12 (e.g., velocity information) may be supplied to the arrival angle estimation unit 13. In addition, the result of the velocity FFT processing performed by the velocity FFT processing unit 12 may also be supplied to the object detection unit 14.

[0063] The arrival angle estimation unit 13 estimates the direction in which the reflected wave R arrives from the predetermined object 200 based on the result of the velocity FFT processing performed by the velocity FFT processing unit 12. The electronic device 1 can estimate the direction in which the reflected wave R arrives by receiving the reflected wave R from the plurality of receiving antennas 31. For example, it is assumed that the plurality of receiving antennas 31 are arranged at a predetermined interval. In this case, the transmission wave T transmitted from the transmitting antenna 26 is reflected by the predetermined object 200 to become the reflected wave R, and the plurality of receiving antennas 31 arranged at a predetermined interval receive the reflected wave R. The arrival angle estimation unit 13 can estimate the direction in which the reflected wave R arrives at the receiving antenna 31 based on the phase of the reflected wave R received by each of the plurality of receiving antennas 31 and the path difference between the reflected waves R. That is, the electronic device 1 can measure (estimate) the arrival angle θ shown in FIG. 1 based on the result of the velocity FFT processing.

[0064] Various techniques have been proposed for estimating the direction of arrival of the reflected wave R based on the results of velocity FFT processing. For example, known algorithms for estimating the direction of arrival include MUSIC (MUltiple SIgnal Classification) and ESPRIT (Estimation of Signal Parameters via Rotational Invariance Technique). Therefore, detailed descriptions of known techniques will be simplified or omitted as appropriate. Information (angle information) of the arrival angle θ estimated by the arrival angle estimation unit 13 may be supplied to the object detection unit 14.

[0065] The object detection unit 14 detects an object present within the range in which the transmission wave T is transmitted, based on information supplied from at least one of the distance FFT processing unit 11, the speed FFT processing unit 12, and the arrival angle estimation unit 13. The object detection unit 14 may perform object detection by, for example, clustering processing based on the supplied distance information, speed information, and angle information. Known algorithms used for clustering data include DBSCAN (Density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise). In the clustering processing, for example, the average power of points constituting the detected object may be calculated. Information on the distance, speed, angle, and power of the object detected by the object detection unit 14 may be supplied to the ECU 60. In this case, if the moving body 100 is an automobile, communication may be performed using a communication interface such as a CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0066] The control unit 10 sets various parameters that define the transmission signal and the reception signal for detecting an object that reflects the transmission wave T as a reflected wave R. That is, the control unit 10 sets various parameters for transmitting the transmission wave T from the transmission antenna 26 and various parameters for receiving the reflected wave R from the reception antenna 31.

[0067] In particular, in one embodiment, the control unit 10 may set various parameters related to the transmission of the transmission wave T and the reception of the reflected wave R in order to detect an object. For example, the control unit 10 may specify a desired range for receiving the reflected wave R in order to receive the reflected wave R and detect an object in the object detection range. Furthermore, for example, the control unit 10 may specify a desired range for directing the beam of the transmission wave T in order to transmit the transmission wave T from the multiple transmitting antennas 26 and detect an object in the object detection range. In addition, the control unit 10 may set various parameters for transmitting the transmission wave T and receiving the reflected wave R.

[0068] The various parameters set by the control unit 10 may be supplied to the signal generation unit 21. As a result, the signal generation unit 21 can generate a transmission signal to be transmitted as a transmission wave T based on the various parameters set by the control unit 10. The various parameters set by the control unit 10 may be supplied to the object detection unit 14. As a result, the object detection unit 14 can perform processing to detect an object within an object detection range determined based on the various parameters set by the control unit 10.

[0069] The ECU 60 included in the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment can control the overall operation of the mobile object 100, including the control of each functional unit constituting the mobile object 100. The ECU 60 may include at least one processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a digital signal processor (DSP), to provide control and processing capabilities for executing various functions. The ECU 60 may be implemented as a single processor, several processors, or individual processors. The processor may be implemented as a single integrated circuit. An integrated circuit is also referred to as an integrated circuit (IC). The processor may be implemented as multiple integrated circuits and discrete circuits connected to each other in a communicative manner. The processor may be implemented based on various other known technologies. In an embodiment, the ECU 60 may be configured as, for example, a CPU and a program executed by the CPU. The ECU 60 may include a memory required for operation of the ECU 60, as appropriate. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the control unit 10 may be implemented as the functions of the ECU 60, or at least some of the functions of the ECU 60 may be implemented as the functions of the control unit 10.

[0070] The electronic device 1 shown in FIG. 2 includes three transmitting antennas 26 and four receiving antennas 31. However, the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may include any number of transmitting antennas 26 and any number of receiving antennas 31. In this manner, the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may include multiple transmitting antennas 26 that transmit transmitted waves and multiple receiving antennas 31 that receive reflected waves of the transmitted waves. For example, by including two transmitting antennas 26 and four receiving antennas 31, the electronic device 1 can be considered to include a virtual antenna array consisting of eight virtual antennas. In this manner, the electronic device 1 may receive reflected waves R of the 16 subframes shown in FIG. 3 by using, for example, eight virtual antennas.

[0071] Next, the configuration of the sensor 5 included in the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment will be further described. First, before showing the specific configuration of the sensor 5 included in the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment, a sensor that is generally considered to be a device such as a known radar sensor will be described.

[0072] Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a comparative example for explaining the arrangement of a transmitting antenna, a receiving antenna, and electronic components in the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment. That is, Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a sensor that is assumed to be a target for comparison with the sensor 5 included in the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment.

[0073] 4 includes a plurality of transmitting antennas 26, a plurality of receiving antennas 31, and an electronic component 40. The plurality of transmitting antennas 26, the plurality of receiving antennas 31, and the electronic component 40 may be arranged on a planar substrate parallel to the XY plane, for example.

[0074] As shown in Fig. 4, the sensor 50 may include, for example, a transmitting antenna 26A, a transmitting antenna 26B, and a transmitting antenna 26C. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the transmitting antennas 26A, 26B, and 26C, they will be simply referred to as "transmitting antennas 26." The multiple transmitting antennas 26 shown in Fig. 4 may correspond to, for example, the multiple transmitting antennas 26 described in Fig. 2.

[0075] 4, the sensor 50 may include, for example, receiving antennas 31A, 31B, 31C, and 31D. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the receiving antennas 31A, 31B, 31C, and 31D, they will be simply referred to as "receiving antennas 31." The multiple receiving antennas 31 shown in FIG. 4 may correspond to, for example, the multiple receiving antennas 31 described in FIG. 2.

[0076] The multiple transmitting antennas 26 and the multiple receiving antennas 31 shown in FIG. 4 are each shown as four patch antennas (microstrip antennas) connected in series in the vertical direction (the Y-axis direction shown in FIG. 4). However, each of the multiple transmitting antennas 26 and the multiple receiving antennas 31 may be any number of patch antennas or may be antennas of other shapes. Furthermore, the patch antennas of each of the multiple transmitting antennas 26 and the multiple receiving antennas 31 shown in FIG. 4 are aligned in the vertical direction (the Y-axis direction shown in FIG. 4). However, the patch antennas of each of the multiple transmitting antennas 26 and the multiple receiving antennas 31 may be aligned in the vertical direction (the Y-axis direction shown in FIG. 4). Furthermore, although the patch antennas of each of the multiple transmitting antennas 26 and the multiple receiving antennas 31 shown in FIG. 4 are shown as square (rectangular) microstrip antennas, they may have other shapes, such as circular microstrip antennas.

[0077] The electronic component 40 shown in Fig. 4 may be a component that includes at least some of the functions of at least one of the transmitter 20, receiver 30, and controller 10 shown in Fig. 2. Alternatively, the electronic component 40 shown in Fig. 4 may be a component that includes all of the functions of the transmitter 20, receiver 30, and controller 10 shown in Fig. 2.

[0078] 4 may output transmission signals to a plurality of transmitting antennas 26 and receive reception signals from a plurality of receiving antennas 31. The electronic component 40 may be a packaged semiconductor integrated circuit, such as a chip or die. In one embodiment, the electronic component 40 may be a system-on-a-chip (SoC). That is, the electronic component 40 may be an integrated circuit product that integrates on a single chip functions such as a processor core and general microcontroller functions, as well as application functions, and is designed to function as a system by integrating these functions together.

[0079] Here, as shown in Fig. 4, electronic component 40 may have, for example, a rectangular shape. For example, electronic component 40 may have at least a first side 41 and a second side 42 as shown in Fig. 4. In electronic component 40 shown in Fig. 4, first side 41 may be, for example, a side that is substantially vertical, i.e., a side that is substantially parallel to the Y-axis direction shown in Fig. 4. In addition, in electronic component 40 shown in Fig. 4, second side 42 may be, for example, a side that is substantially horizontal, i.e., a side that is substantially parallel to the X-axis direction shown in Fig. 4.

[0080] The first side 41 of the electronic component 40 shown in Fig. 4 may be a side on which a plurality of transmitting terminals (e.g., p1 to p3) are arranged, which output transmitting signals to the plurality of transmitting antennas 26, respectively. The plurality of transmitting terminals such as p1 to p3 shown in Fig. 4 may be, for example, output ports. As shown in Fig. 4, the feeding points (f1 to f3) of the plurality of transmitting antennas 26A to 26C may be connected to the corresponding plurality of transmitting terminals (p1 to p3) on the first side 41 of the electronic component 40 by transmission lines (25A to 25C), respectively.

[0081] The second side 42 of the electronic component 40 shown in Fig. 4 may be a side along which a plurality of receiving terminals (e.g., p4 to p7) are arranged, to which received signals are input from the plurality of receiving antennas 31. The plurality of receiving terminals such as p4 to p7 shown in Fig. 4 may be, for example, input ports. As shown in Fig. 4, the feed points (f4 to f7) of the plurality of receiving antennas 31A to 31D may be connected to the corresponding plurality of receiving terminals (p4 to p7) on the second side 42 of the electronic component 40 by transmission lines (32A to 32D), respectively.

[0082] The sensor 50 shown in Fig. 4 may control the phase of each RF signal output to the feed points (f1 to f3) of the multiple transmitting antennas 26. This allows the sensor 50 shown in Fig. 4 to control the directivity of the multiple transmitting antennas 26. Here, as shown in Fig. 4, the transmission lines (25A to 25C) from the multiple transmitting terminals (p1 to p3) of the electronic component 40 to the feed points (f1 to f3) of the multiple transmitting antennas 26 may each be wiring of the same length. This allows the sensor 50 to reduce the phase difference between the transmission signals of the multiple transmitting antennas 26 to zero.

[0083] In this way, the transmission lines (25A to 25C) of the transmission signals may be made the same length in the sensor 50. As a result, if the initial value of the phase of the signal transmitted from the multiple transmitting terminals (p1 to p3) of the electronic component 40 is set to 0°, when power is supplied to each of the multiple transmitting antennas 26 with a phase difference of zero, the directivity of the combined power can be set to 0° by software processing.

[0084] 4 may detect the phase difference between RF signals input from the multiple receiving antennas 31 to the multiple receiving terminals (p4 to p7) of the electronic component 40. This allows the sensor 50 shown in FIG. 4 to estimate the direction of arrival of a reflected wave that is a transmitted wave reflected by an object (for example, by the ESPRIT method). Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the transmission lines (32A to 32D) from the feed points (f4 to f7) of the multiple receiving antennas 31 to the multiple receiving terminals (p4 to p7) of the electronic component 40 may each be wiring of the same length. This allows the sensor 50 to zero the phase difference between the received signals at the multiple receiving antennas 31.

[0085] In this way, the transmission lines (32A to 32D) of the received signals may be made the same length in the sensor 50. This allows the phase difference of the signals when the direction of arrival of the reflected wave is 0° to be set to 0° by software processing when the direction of arrival is 0°, when the phase difference of the signals received from the multiple receiving antennas 31 is used to estimate the direction of arrival of the reflected wave.

[0086] As explained above, by making the transmission lines (25A to 25C) of the transmission signals and / or the transmission lines (32A to 32D) of the reception signals the same length, the initial value of the phase difference between the signals can be set to 0 degrees.

[0087] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, if the transmission lines (25A to 25C) for transmit signals and / or the transmission lines (32A to 32D) for receive signals are made the same length, at least a portion of the transmission lines must be routed in a detour. For example, transmission line 25C shown in FIG. 4 is routed in a detour on the board compared to transmission lines 25A and 25B. Also, transmission lines 32B and 32C shown in FIG. 4 are routed in a detour on the board compared to transmission lines 32A and 32D. A transmission path routed in a detour on the board in this way is longer than a transmission line connected by the shortest route. As the transmission line becomes longer, signal loss passing through the transmission line may increase. Furthermore, if the transmission line is routed in a detour on the board, the mounting area of ​​the transmission line on the board increases, which may make it difficult to miniaturize the device.

[0088] Therefore, in the sensor 5 according to one embodiment, the transmission line for the transmitted signal and / or the transmission line for the received signal are made as short as possible. Such an embodiment will be further described below.

[0089] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a sensor 5 according to one embodiment. That is, Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of a plurality of transmitting antennas 26, a plurality of receiving antennas 31, and an electronic component 40 in an electronic device (sensor 5) according to one embodiment.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 5 , in a sensor 5 according to an embodiment, first, the transmission lines (25A to 25C) of transmission signals and the transmission lines (32A to 32D) of reception signals have shapes different from those of the sensor 50 shown in FIG. 4 . That is, in the sensor 5 shown in FIG. 5 , the transmission lines (25A to 25C) of transmission signals and the transmission lines (32A to 32D) of reception signals are each linearly wired. Therefore, in the sensor 5 shown in FIG. 5 , the transmission lines (25A to 25C) of transmission signals and the transmission lines (32A to 32D) of reception signals can each be set to the shortest path or a length close to the shortest path. Furthermore, in the sensor 5 according to an embodiment, the electronic component 40 realizes a function different from that of the electronic component 40 of the sensor 50 shown in FIG. 4 .

[0091] In other respects than those described above, the sensor 5 according to one embodiment can have the same configuration as the sensor 50 shown in Fig. 4. Therefore, hereinafter, descriptions that are the same as or similar to the sensor 50 shown in Fig. 4 will be appropriately simplified or omitted.

[0092] In this way, in the electronic device (sensor 5) according to one embodiment, the feed points (f1 to f3) of the multiple transmitting antennas 26 may be connected to the multiple transmitting terminals (p1 to p3) by the transmission lines (25A to 25C), respectively. Also, in the electronic device (sensor 5) according to one embodiment, the feed points (f4 to f7) of the multiple receiving antennas 31 may be connected to the multiple receiving terminals (p4 to p7) by the transmission lines (32A to 32D), respectively.

[0093] Furthermore, in the electronic device (sensor 5) according to one embodiment, the feed points (f1 to f3) of the multiple transmitting antennas 26 may be connected to the multiple transmitting terminals (p1 to p3) by transmission lines (25A to 25C) of the shortest paths, respectively. Similarly, in the electronic device (sensor 5) according to one embodiment, the feed points (f4 to f7) of the multiple receiving antennas 31 may be connected to the multiple receiving terminals (p4 to p7) by transmission lines (32A to 32D) of the shortest paths, respectively.

[0094] 4, the electronic component 40 of the sensor 5 shown in Fig. 5 outputs transmission signals to the plurality of transmitting antennas 26 and receives reception signals from the plurality of receiving antennas 31. Meanwhile, in the sensor 5 shown in Fig. 5, the electronic component 40 has the function of at least one of the phase control unit 23 of the transmitting unit 20 and the phase control unit 34 of the receiving unit 30 shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, the electronic component 40 of the sensor 5 shown in Fig. 5 may also have other functions as appropriate in addition to the function of at least one of the phase control unit 23 of the transmitting unit 20 and the phase control unit 34 of the receiving unit 30 shown in Fig. 2.

[0095] The electronic component 40 shown in FIG. 5 controls (adjusts) the phases of transmission signals output from multiple transmission terminals (p1 to p3) to multiple transmission antennas 26, using the function of the phase control unit 23 of the transmitter 20. Here, the phase control unit 23 of the transmitter 20 may adjust the phases of the transmission signals in accordance with the lengths of the multiple transmission lines (25A to 25C) of the transmission signals. Generally, the longer the multiple transmission lines of the transmission signals, the more delayed the signal transmission. For this reason, the phase control unit 23 of the transmitter 20 may, for example, adjust the phases of the transmission signals so that the longer the multiple transmission lines of the transmission signals are, the more advanced the signal phases become. Furthermore, the phase control unit 23 of the transmitter 20 may, for example, adjust the phases of the transmission signals so that the phases of the transmission signals are aligned at the feed points (f1 to f3) of the multiple transmission antennas 26.

[0096] In this way, the electronic component 40 may adjust the phase of the transmission signals output from the plurality of transmitting terminals (p1 to p3). In this case, the electronic component 40 may adjust the phase of the transmission signals output from the plurality of transmitting terminals (p1 to p3) in accordance with the lengths of the transmission lines (25A to 25C) from the plurality of transmitting terminals (p1 to p3) to the feed points (f1 to f3) of the plurality of transmitting antennas 26. In particular, the electronic component 40 may adjust the phase of the transmission signals output from the plurality of transmitting terminals (p1 to p3) so that the phases of the transmission signals are aligned at the feed points (f1 to f3) of the plurality of transmitting antennas 26.

[0097] Furthermore, the electronic component 40 shown in FIG. 5 controls (adjusts) the phases of the received signals input from the multiple receiving antennas 31 to the multiple receiving terminals (p4 to p7) using the function of the phase control unit 34 of the receiving unit 30. Here, the phase control unit 34 of the receiving unit 30 may adjust the phase of the received signal depending on the length of each of the multiple transmission lines (32A to 32D) of the received signal. Generally, the longer the multiple transmission lines of the received signal, the more delayed the signal transmission. For this reason, the phase control unit 34 of the receiving unit 30 may, for example, adjust the phase of the signal so that the longer the multiple transmission lines of the received signal, the more advanced the signal. Furthermore, the phase control unit 34 of the receiving unit 30 may, for example, adjust the phase of the received signal so that the phases of the received signals are aligned at the multiple receiving terminals (p4 to p7) of the electronic component 40.

[0098] In this way, the electronic component 40 may adjust the phases of the received signals input to the multiple receiving terminals (p4 to p7), respectively. In this case, the electronic component 40 may adjust the phases of the received signals input to the multiple receiving terminals (p4 to p7) in accordance with the lengths of the transmission lines (32A to 32D) from the feed points (f4 to f7) of the multiple receiving antennas 31 to the multiple receiving terminals (p4 to p7). In particular, the electronic component 40 may adjust the phases of the received signals input to the multiple receiving terminals (p4 to p7) so that the phases of the received signals are aligned.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 5, the transmission lines (25A to 25C) from the multiple transmitting terminals (p1 to p3) to the feed points (f1 to f3) of the multiple transmitting antennas 26 are different in length. Therefore, when the phase difference between the transmission signals output from the multiple transmitting terminals (p1 to p3) is 0 degrees, a phase difference occurs in the transmission signals at the feed points (f1 to f3) of the multiple transmitting antennas 26. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the phase variation in transmission line 25A is δ1, the phase variation in transmission line 25B is δ2, and the phase variation in transmission line 25C is δ3. In this case, the relationship δ1>δ2>δ3 holds.

[0100] Similarly, phase differences occur in the received signals at the feed points (f4 to f7) of the multiple receiving antennas 31. For example, in the example shown in Fig. 5, the phase variation in transmission line 32A is δ4, the phase variation in transmission line 32B is δ5, the phase variation in transmission line 32C is δ6, and the phase variation in transmission line 32D is δ7. In this case, the relationship δ4 = δ7 > δ5 = δ6 holds. In the example shown in Fig. 5, transmission line 32A and transmission line 32D have the same length, and transmission line 32B and transmission line 32C have the same length.

[0101] Based on the above-described relationship, the phase control unit 23 and / or the phase control unit 34 may offset the phases of the signals at the multiple transmitting terminals (p1 to p3) and / or the multiple receiving terminals (p4 to p7). This allows the phase control unit 23 of the electronic component 40 to align the phase differences of the signals between the multiple transmitting terminals (p1 to p3) of the electronic component 40 and the feed points (f1 to f3) of the multiple transmitting antennas 26. Furthermore, the phase control unit 34 of the electronic component 40 can align the phase differences of the signals between the feed points (f4 to f37) of the multiple receiving antennas 31 and the multiple receiving terminals (p4 to p7) of the electronic component 40.

[0102] Here, the phase shift amount of transmitting terminal p1 is set to 0°, the phase shift amount of transmitting terminal p2 is set to δ2°, and the phase shift amount of transmitting terminal p3 is set to δ3° (δ3 > δ2). The phase shift amount of receiving terminals p4 and p7 is set to 0°, and the phase shift amount of receiving terminals p5 and p6 is set to δ5°. By setting the above phase shift amounts as initial values ​​and varying the phase differences of the signals at the multiple transmitting antennas 26, the sensor 5 according to one embodiment can obtain the desired directivity of the transmitted wave. Similarly, the sensor 5 according to one embodiment can estimate the direction of arrival of the reflected wave using the multiple receiving antennas 31.

[0103] As described above, the electronic device (sensor 5) according to one embodiment includes a plurality of transmitting antennas 26, a plurality of receiving antennas 31, and an electronic component 40. Here, the plurality of transmitting antennas 26 transmit transmission waves. Furthermore, the plurality of receiving antennas 31 receive reflected waves resulting from reflection of the transmission waves. Furthermore, the electronic component 40 outputs transmission signals to the plurality of transmitting antennas 25, and receives reception signals from the plurality of receiving antennas 31. Furthermore, in this manner, the electronic device (sensor 5) according to one embodiment can detect an object in the same manner as a typical radar sensor. That is, the electronic device (sensor 5) according to one embodiment may detect an object that reflects a transmission wave based on a transmission signal transmitted as a transmission wave and a reception signal received as a reflected wave.

[0104] 5, in one embodiment, the electronic component 40 may have a first side 41 and a second side 42. Here, the first side 41 may be a side along which a plurality of transmitting terminals (e.g., p1 to p3) that output transmitting signals to the plurality of transmitting antennas 26 are arranged. The second side 42 may be a side along which a plurality of receiving terminals (e.g., p4 to p7) that receive receiving signals from the plurality of receiving antennas 31 are arranged.

[0105] 5, in one embodiment, the arrangement of the feed points (f1 to f3) of the multiple transmitting antennas 26 may be collinear with the arrangement of the feed points (f4 to f7) of the multiple receiving antennas 31, or they may be arranged parallel to each other. In this way, in one embodiment, the arrangement direction of the feed points (f1 to f3) of the multiple transmitting antennas 26 and the arrangement direction of the feed points (f4 to f7) of the multiple receiving antennas 31 may be parallel to each other.

[0106] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5 , in one embodiment, the electronic component 40 may have, for example, a rectangular shape. For example, the electronic component 40 may have at least a first side 41 and a second side 42 as shown in FIG. 5 . In the electronic component 40 shown in FIG. 5 , for example, the first side 41 may be a side that is substantially vertical, i.e., a side that is substantially parallel to the Y-axis direction shown in FIG. 5 . In addition, in the electronic component 40 shown in FIG. 5 , for example, the second side 42 may be a side that is substantially horizontal, i.e., a side that is substantially parallel to the X-axis direction shown in FIG. 5 . In this way, in one embodiment, the first side 41 and the second side 42 of the electronic component 40 may be arranged so as not to be parallel to each other.

[0107] As described above, in the sensor 5 according to an embodiment, the multiple transmission lines connecting the electronic component 40 to the transmitting antenna 26 and / or the receiving antenna 31 may have different lengths. In such a configuration, the sensor 5 according to an embodiment can offset the phase of the signal at the transmitting terminals (p1 to p3) and / or the receiving terminals (p4 to p7) to set individual initial values. The sensor 5 according to an embodiment can shorten the length of the transmission lines (25A to 25C and / or 32A to 32D). Therefore, the sensor 5 according to an embodiment can reduce the loss of signals passing through the transmission lines. Furthermore, the sensor 5 according to an embodiment does not need to detour the transmission lines on the substrate. Therefore, the sensor 5 according to an embodiment can easily reduce the size of the device by reducing the mounting area of ​​the transmission lines on the substrate.

[0108] Next, another embodiment will be described.

[0109] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a sensor according to another embodiment, i.e., an example of the arrangement of a plurality of transmitting antennas 26, a plurality of receiving antennas 31, and an electronic component 40 in an electronic device (sensor) according to another embodiment.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 6 , a sensor 5′ according to another embodiment has an electronic component 40 installed in a different manner from the sensor 5 shown in FIG. 5 . In the sensor 5 shown in FIG. 5 , the first side 41 of the electronic component 40 is substantially vertical, i.e., substantially parallel to the Y-axis direction shown in FIG. 5 . In addition, in the sensor 5 shown in FIG. 5 , the first side 41 of the electronic component 40 is substantially horizontal, i.e., substantially parallel to the X-axis direction shown in FIG. 5 . In contrast, in the sensor 5′ shown in FIG. 6 , the first side 41 of the electronic component 40 may be diagonal, i.e., not parallel to either the X-axis or the Y-axis direction shown in FIG. 6 . In addition, in the sensor 5′ shown in FIG. 6 , the first side 41 of the electronic component 40 may also be diagonal, i.e., not parallel to either the X-axis or the Y-axis direction shown in FIG. 6 .

[0111] Furthermore, in accordance with a change in the installation mode of the electronic component 40, the lengths of the transmission lines (25A to 25C and / or 32A to 32D) may also be slightly changed in the sensor 5′ shown in Fig. 6. For example, the transmission lines (25A to 25C and / or 32A to 32D) shown in Fig. 6 may be shorter than the transmission lines (25A to 25C and / or 32A to 32D) shown in Fig. 5.

[0112] In other respects than those described above, the sensor 5′ according to the other embodiments can have the same configuration as the sensor 5 shown in Fig. 5. Therefore, hereinafter, the description of the same or similar parts as the sensor 5 shown in Fig. 5 will be appropriately simplified or omitted.

[0113] In this way, in the sensor 5' shown in FIG. 6, by mounting the electronic component 40 at an angle, the transmission line connecting the electronic component 40 to the transmitting antenna 26 and / or the receiving antenna 31 can be further shortened. Therefore, the sensor 5' shown in FIG. 6 can reduce the loss of signals passing through the transmission line. Furthermore, the sensor 5' shown in FIG. 6 does not need to detour the transmission line on the board. Therefore, the sensor 5' shown in FIG. 6 can easily reduce the mounting area of ​​the transmission line on the board, thereby making it easier to miniaturize the device.

[0114] Here, the phase shift amount of the transmitting terminal p1 is 0°, the phase shift amount of the transmitting terminal p2 is δ2'°, and the phase shift amount of the transmitting terminal p3 is δ3'° (δ3' > δ2', δ2 > δ2', δ3 > δ3'). The phase shift amount of the receiving terminal p4 is 0°, the phase shift amount of the receiving terminal p5 is δ5'°, the phase shift amount of the receiving terminal p6 is δ6'°, and the phase shift amount of the receiving terminal p7 is δ7° (δ5' > δ6' > δ7, δ5 > δ5', δ6 > δ6'). By setting the above phase shift amounts as initial values ​​and varying the phase differences of the signals at the multiple transmitting antennas 26, the sensor 5' according to one embodiment can obtain the desired directivity of the transmitted wave. Similarly, the sensor 5' according to one embodiment can estimate the direction of arrival of the reflected wave using the multiple receiving antennas 31.

[0115] Thus, in one embodiment, at least one of the first side 41 and the second side 42 may be positioned obliquely with respect to at least one of the direction in which the feed points (f1 to f3) of the multiple transmitting antennas 26 are arranged and the direction in which the feed points (f4 to f7) of the multiple receiving antennas 31 are arranged.

[0116] Next, a modification of the above-described embodiment will be described.

[0117] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a modified example of the sensor 5' shown in Fig. 6. That is, Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the multiple transmitting antennas 26, the multiple receiving antennas 31, and the electronic components 40 in the modified example of the sensor 5' shown in Fig. 6.

[0118] 5 and 6, for example, the multiple transmitting antennas 26 and the multiple receiving antennas 31 have been described assuming that they are arranged on the same surface as the electronic component 40. In this way, in the sensor according to one embodiment, the multiple transmitting antennas 26 and the multiple receiving antennas 31 may be arranged on the same surface as the surface on which the electronic component 40 is arranged (for example, the surface facing the positive direction of the Z axis).

[0119] However, as in the sensor 5" shown in FIG. 7, the multiple transmitting antennas 26 and the multiple receiving antennas 31 may be arranged on a surface different from that on which the electronic component 40 is arranged. In the sensor 5" shown in FIG. 7, the multiple transmitting antennas 26 and the multiple receiving antennas 31 are arranged on the front surface side of the planar substrate (the surface facing the positive direction of the Z axis shown in FIG. 7). On the other hand, in the sensor 5" shown in FIG. 7, the electronic component 40 is arranged on the back surface side of the planar substrate (the surface facing the negative direction of the Z axis shown in FIG. 7). In this way, in the sensor according to one embodiment, the multiple transmitting antennas 26 and the multiple receiving antennas 31 may be arranged on the surface (e.g., the surface facing the positive direction of the Z axis) opposite to the surface on which the electronic component 40 is arranged (e.g., the surface facing the negative direction of the Z axis).

[0120] In the sensor 5'' shown in FIG. 7, the transmission lines (25A to 25C and / or 32A to 32D) may be folded back from one surface to the other, or may pass through through holes formed on the substrate.

[0121] While the present disclosure has been described based on various drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art would easily be able to make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions contained in each functional unit can be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies. Multiple functional units may be combined into one or divided. The above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to faithful implementation of each of the described embodiments, but may be implemented by combining features or omitting some features as appropriate. In other words, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, these modifications and alterations are within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in each embodiment, each functional unit, means, step, etc. can be added to other embodiments so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, or can be replaced with each functional unit, means, step, etc. of other embodiments. Furthermore, in each embodiment, multiple functional units, means, steps, etc. can be combined into one or divided into two or more. Furthermore, each of the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to being implemented faithfully according to each of the described embodiments, but can also be implemented by combining each feature or omitting some of them as appropriate.

[0122] 2 has been described as an example in which phase control section 23 is included in transmitting section 20 and phase control section 34 is included in receiving section 30. However, phase control section 23 and phase control section 34 may be provided at any position as long as they can control (adjust) the phases of the transmitting signal and the receiving signal, respectively. For example, phase control section 23 may be provided at any position in transmitting section 20. Furthermore, phase control section 34 may be provided at any position in receiving section 30, or may be provided in, for example, a control section subsequent to AD conversion section 37. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, phase control section 23 and phase control section 34 have been described as being included in electronic component 40. However, phase control section 23 and phase control section 34 may be provided outside electronic component 40.

[0123] The above-described embodiments are not limited to implementation as an electronic device (sensor 5). For example, the above-described embodiments may be implemented as a control method for a device such as an electronic device (sensor 5). Furthermore, for example, the above-described embodiments may be implemented as a control program for a device such as an electronic device (sensor 5).

[0124] The electronic device according to an embodiment may, as a minimum configuration, include at least a part of either the sensor 5 or the control unit 10. Meanwhile, the electronic device according to an embodiment may include, in addition to the control unit 10, at least one of the signal generating unit 21, the synthesizer 22, the phase control unit 23, the amplifier 24, and the transmitting antenna 26, as shown in FIG. 2 . Furthermore, the electronic device according to an embodiment may include, instead of or in addition to the above-described functional units, at least one of the receiving antenna 31, the LNA 33, the phase control unit 34, the mixer 35, the IF unit 36, and the AD conversion unit 37. Furthermore, the electronic device according to an embodiment may include an optional memory. Thus, the electronic device according to an embodiment can have various configurations. Furthermore, when the electronic device according to an embodiment is mounted on a mobile object 100, at least one of the above-described functional units may be installed in an appropriate location, such as inside the mobile object 100. Meanwhile, in an embodiment, at least one of the transmitting antenna 26 and the receiving antenna 31 may be installed outside the mobile object 100. [Explanation of symbols]

[0125] 1 Electronic equipment 5 sensors 10 Control Unit 11 Distance FFT processing section 12 Speed ​​FFT processing section 13 Arrival angle estimator 14 Object detection unit 20 Transmitter 21 Signal generation unit 22 Synthesizer 23 Phase control section 24 Amplifier 25 Transmission Lines 26 transmitting antenna 30 Receiving unit 31 Receiving antenna 32 Transmission Line 33 LNA 34 Phase control section 35 Mixer 36 IF Section 37 AD conversion section 40 Electronic Components 60 ECU 100 Mobile 200 objects

Claims

1. a first side on which a plurality of transmission terminals for outputting transmission signals to a plurality of transmission antennas are arranged, the first side is positioned so as to form an acute angle with a direction in which the feed points of the plurality of transmitting antennas are arranged, all of the feed points of the plurality of transmitting antennas are connected to the plurality of transmitting terminals by straight transmission lines, respectively; a second side on which a plurality of receiving terminals for receiving signals from a plurality of receiving antennas are arranged, the second side is positioned so as to form an acute angle with a direction in which the feed points of the plurality of receiving antennas are arranged, An electronic device, wherein all of the feed points of the plurality of receiving antennas are connected to the plurality of receiving terminals by straight transmission lines, respectively.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein all of the feed points of the plurality of transmitting antennas are connected to a plurality of transmitting terminals of one of the electronic components by linear transmission lines, respectively.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein all of the feed points of the plurality of receiving antennas are connected to a plurality of receiving terminals of one of the electronic components by linear transmission lines, respectively.

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