Electronic device

Abstract

To provide an electronic apparatus that has improved measures against noise when transmitting and receiving signals for detecting an object.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus comprises: a transmission unit that transmits a transmission wave from a transmission antenna; a reception unit that receives a reflected wave being the reflected transmission wave from a reception antenna; a control unit that detects an object reflecting the transmission wave based on a transmission signal and a reception signal; a power supply device that supplies power to at least any one of these; and a substrate on which these are arranged. The transmission antenna and the reception antenna are arranged on a first surface of the substrate, and the control unit and the power supply device are arranged on a second surface on the opposite side of the first surface of the substrate. The substrate includes a waveguide that guides at least one of the transmission wave and the reflected wave between the first surface and the second surface. The waveguide is covered by an electromagnetic wave shield member that is separated from the second surface of the substrate by a distance of 1 / 4 of the wavelength of the transmission wave or the reflected wave.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] For example, in the field of the automobile industry, a technology for measuring the distance between a vehicle and a predetermined object is considered important. In particular, in recent years, various RADAR (Radio Detecting and Ranging) technologies have been researched, which transmit radio waves such as millimeter waves and receive the reflected waves from an object such as an obstacle to measure the distance between the vehicle and the object. The importance of such technology for measuring distance is expected to increase in the future with the development of technologies for assisting the driver in driving and technologies related to autonomous driving that automates part or all of driving.

[0003] In the above-mentioned radar-like technology, various proposals have been made as noise countermeasures when transmitting and receiving signals for detecting objects. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a radar device in which the high-frequency circuit section is located away from the power supply circuit section, thereby making it difficult for noise generated from the power supply circuit section to affect the high-frequency circuit section. Patent Document 2 discloses a radar device in which the gap between the printed circuit board and the housing is narrowed, thereby making it difficult for noise to pass through the gap between the inside and outside of the device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-64632 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2014-219227 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In an electronic device that detects a specific object by receiving a reflected wave of a transmitted transmission wave that is reflected by the object, it is desirable to reduce noise as much as possible when transmitting and receiving a signal for detecting the object.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic device with improved noise countermeasures when transmitting and receiving a signal for detecting an object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The electronic device according to an embodiment includes: A transmitting unit that transmits a transmission wave from a transmitting antenna; a receiving unit that receives a reflected wave of the transmission wave from a receiving antenna; a control unit that detects an object that reflects the transmission wave based on a transmission signal that is transmitted as the transmission wave and a reception signal that is received as the reflected wave; a power supply device that supplies power to at least one of the transmitting unit, the receiving unit, and the control unit; a substrate on which the transmitting antenna, the receiving antenna, the control unit, and the power supply device are disposed; Equipped with. the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna are disposed on a first surface of the substrate; The controller and the power supply device are disposed on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface. The substrate includes a waveguide that guides at least one of the transmitted wave and the reflected wave between the first surface and the second surface. The waveguide is covered by a first electromagnetic shielding member spaced from the second surface of the substrate by a distance of ¼ of the wavelength of the transmitted wave or the reflected wave. The power supply device is disposed on the second surface side of the substrate. Or the power supply device a second electromagnetic shielding member not spaced apart from the When the power supply device includes a low dropout regulator, The power supply device is covered with a second electromagnetic wave shielding member having a heat dissipation sheet interposed therebetween. 、 the first electromagnetic shielding member and the second electromagnetic shielding member are separate shielding members, the first electromagnetic shielding member covers a periphery of the waveguide and is connected to ground, The second electromagnetic shielding member covers the periphery of the power supply device and is connected to ground. do. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to one embodiment, it is possible to provide an electronic device with improved noise countermeasures when transmitting and receiving a signal for detecting an object. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a usage mode of an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a transmission signal according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional unit disposed on a substrate in an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating examples of noise that can be suppressed in an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of an electromagnetic wave shielding member disposed on a substrate in an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship between components in an electronic device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, one embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] The 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 surroundings of 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 transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna may be provided in, for example, a radar sensor installed on the mobile body.

[0012] Hereinafter, as a typical example, a configuration in which the electronic device according to the embodiment is mounted on an automobile such as a passenger car will be described. However, the electronic device according to the embodiment is not limited to being mounted on an automobile. The electronic device according to the embodiment may be mounted on various moving bodies such as a bus, a truck, a motorcycle, a bicycle, a ship, an aircraft, an agricultural machine such as a tractor, a snowplow, a cleaning vehicle, a police car, an ambulance, and a drone. In addition, the electronic device according to the embodiment is not necessarily limited to a moving body that moves by its own power. For example, the moving body on which the electronic device according to the embodiment is mounted may be a trailer part towed by a tractor. The electronic device according to the embodiment can measure the distance between the sensor and an object in a situation in which at least one of the sensor and a predetermined object can move. In addition, the electronic device according to the embodiment can measure the distance between the sensor and an object even if both the sensor and the object are stationary.

[0013] First, an example of object detection by an electronic device according to an embodiment will be described.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a usage mode of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing an example in which a sensor including a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on a moving object.

[0015] A sensor 5 having a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna according to an embodiment is installed in the moving body 100 shown in FIG. 1. The moving body 100 shown in FIG. 1 is equipped with (for example, built-in) an electronic device 1 according to an embodiment. A specific configuration of the electronic device 1 will be described later. The sensor 5 may have at least one of a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna, for example. 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 (running or slowly moving) in, for example, the Z-axis positive direction (traveling direction) shown in the figure, or may be moving in another direction, or may be stationary without moving.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, a sensor 5 having a transmitting antenna is installed in a moving body 100. In the example shown in FIG. 1, only one sensor 5 having a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna is installed in the front of the moving body 100. Here, the position where the sensor 5 is installed in the moving body 100 is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 1, and may be other positions as appropriate. For example, the sensor 5 as shown in FIG. 1 may be installed on the left side, right side, and / or rear of the moving body 100. In addition, the number of such sensors 5 may be any number of one or more 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, a space in a bumper, a space in a body, a space in a headlight, or a driving space.

[0017] The sensor 5 transmits electromagnetic waves as transmission waves from a transmission antenna. For example, when a specific object (e.g., object 200 shown in FIG. 1) is present around the moving body 100, at least a part of the transmission wave transmitted from the sensor 5 is reflected by the object and becomes a reflected wave. Then, by receiving such a reflected wave, for example, by a receiving antenna of the sensor 5, the electronic device 1 mounted on the moving body 100 can detect the object.

[0018] 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, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) technology using light waves. 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.

[0019] The electronic device 1 mounted on the moving body 100 shown in FIG. 1 receives, from a receiving antenna, a reflected wave of a transmission wave transmitted from a transmitting antenna of a 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 host vehicle, and the predetermined object 200. The electronic device 1 can also measure the relative speed between the moving body 100, which is the host 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 host vehicle.

[0020] 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, an automobile traveling parallel to the moving body 100, and an automobile before or after 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, a bicycle, a baby stroller, a human being such as a pedestrian, an animal, an insect, or other living organism, a guardrail, a median strip, a road sign, a step on a sidewalk, a wall, an obstacle, etc. Furthermore, the object 200 may be moving or stationary. For example, the object 200 may be an automobile parked or stopped around the moving body 100.

[0021] 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 outside 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 2 is a functional block diagram 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.

[0024] When measuring distances and the like using a millimeter wave radar, a frequency modulated continuous wave radar (hereinafter, referred to as FMCW radar) is often used. In an FMCW radar, a transmission signal is generated by sweeping the frequency of radio waves to be transmitted. Therefore, in a millimeter wave FMCW radar using radio waves in a frequency band of, for example, 79 GHz, the frequency of the radio waves used has a frequency bandwidth of 4 GHz, for example, 77 GHz to 81 GHz. A radar in the 79 GHz frequency band has a feature that the available frequency bandwidth is wider than other millimeter wave / quasi-millimeter wave radars in frequency bands of, for example, 24 GHz, 60 GHz, and 76 GHz. Hereinafter, such an embodiment will be described.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 2, the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment includes a sensor 5 and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 50. The ECU 60 controls various operations of the moving body 100. The ECU 60 may be configured with at least one ECU. In the present disclosure, the term "electronic device" may mean, 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 mean, for example, the sensor 5 as shown in Fig. 2.

[0026] 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 at least one of reception units 30A to 30D. As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic device 1 may include a plurality of reception units such as reception units 30A to 30D. Hereinafter, when there is no particular distinction between reception units 30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D, they will simply be referred to as "reception unit 30". As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may also include a power supply device 50. As shown in FIG. 2, the power supply device 50 may be included in the sensor 5 according to an embodiment.

[0027] 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 further detail below.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 2, the transmitting unit 20 may include a signal generating unit 21, a synthesizer 22, phase control units 23A, 23B, and 23C, amplifiers 24A, 24B, and 24C, and transmitting 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 transmitting antennas 26A, 26B, and 26C, they will simply be referred to as "transmitting antennas 26".

[0029] The receiving unit 30 may include corresponding receiving antennas 31A to 31D, as shown in Fig. 2. 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 roughly as a representative example.

[0030] The above-mentioned sensor 5 may include, for example, a transmitting antenna 26 and a receiving antenna 31. Furthermore, the sensor 5 may also include at least one of other functional units such as a control unit 10 as appropriate.

[0031] The control unit 10 included in the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment can control the operation of the entire 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 CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), to provide control and processing power for executing various functions. The control unit 10 may be realized as one processor, several processors, or individual processors. The processor may be realized as a single integrated circuit. The integrated circuit is also called an IC (Integrated Circuit). The processor may be realized as a plurality of integrated circuits and discrete circuits connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other. The processor may be realized 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 a range in which an object is detected by the transmission wave T transmitted from the transmission antenna 26 and the reflected wave R received from the reception antenna 31.

[0032] In the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment, the control unit 10 can control at least one of the transmission unit 20 and the reception unit 30. In this case, the control unit 10 may control at least one of the transmission unit 20 and the reception unit 30 based on various information stored in, for example, an arbitrary memory. Also, in the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment, the control unit 10 may instruct the signal generation unit 21 to generate a signal, or control the signal generation unit 21 to generate a signal.

[0033] 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 assign a frequency of the transmission signal based on the control of the control unit 10, for example. Specifically, the signal generating unit 21 may assign a frequency of the transmission signal according to parameters set by the control unit 10. For example, the signal generating unit 21 receives frequency information from the control unit 10 to generate 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).

[0034] The signal generating unit 21 may be configured as hardware having the function, or may be configured as a microcomputer, 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 function, or may be configured as a microcomputer, or may be configured as a processor such as a CPU and a program executed by the processor, etc., if possible.

[0035] 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 (linear chirp signal) whose frequency changes periodically and linearly. For example, the signal generating unit 21 may generate a chirp signal whose frequency increases periodically and linearly from 77 GHz to 81 GHz over time. Also, for example, the signal generating unit 21 may generate a signal whose frequency periodically repeats a linear increase (up chirp) and decrease (down chirp) from 77 GHz to 81 GHz over time. The signal generated by the signal generating unit 21 may be set in advance in, for example, the control unit 10. Also, the signal generated by the signal generating unit 21 may be stored in advance in, for example, any memory. Since chirp signals used in technical fields such as radar are known, a more detailed description will be appropriately simplified or omitted. The signal generated by the signal generating unit 21 is supplied to the synthesizer 22.

[0036] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of a chirp signal generated by the signal generating unit 21. As shown in FIG.

[0037] In Fig. 3, the horizontal axis represents the elapsed time, and the vertical axis represents the frequency. In the example shown in Fig. 3, the signal generating unit 21 generates a linear chirp signal whose frequency changes periodically and linearly. In Fig. 3, each chirp signal is shown as c1, c2, ..., c8. As shown in Fig. 3, in each chirp signal, the frequency increases linearly with the passage of time.

[0038] 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, about 30 milliseconds to 50 milliseconds long.

[0039] In Fig. 3, frame 2 and onwards may have the same configuration. Also, in Fig. 3, frame 3 and onwards may have the same configuration. In the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment, the signal generating unit 21 may generate a transmission signal as an arbitrary number of frames. Also, in Fig. 3, some chirp signals are omitted. In this manner, the relationship between time and frequency of the transmission signal generated by the signal generating unit 21 may be stored in, for example, an arbitrary memory.

[0040] In this manner, the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may transmit a transmission signal consisting of subframes including a plurality of chirp signals. Also, the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may transmit a transmission signal consisting of a frame including a predetermined number of subframes.

[0041] 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 generating unit 21 may generate a subframe including any number of chirp signals (for example, any multiple). 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 generating unit 21 may generate a frame including any number of subframes (for example, any multiple). The signal generating unit 21 may generate signals of different frequencies. The signal generating unit 21 may generate a plurality of discrete signals having different bandwidths, each having a frequency f.

[0042] 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. In addition, 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 the mixers 35 in each of the multiple receiving sections 30 .

[0043] The phase control section 23 controls (adjusts) the phase of the transmission signal supplied from the synthesizer 22. Specifically, the phase control section 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 the control by the control section 10, for example. In this case, the phase control section 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 the phase control section 23 appropriately adjusting the phase of each transmission signal, the transmission waves T transmitted from the multiple transmission antennas 26 reinforce each other in a predetermined direction to form a beam (beamforming). In this case, the correlation between the direction of beamforming and the phase amount to be controlled of the transmission signal transmitted by each of the multiple transmission antennas 26 may be stored in, for example, an arbitrary memory. The phase control section 23 may be configured to include, for example, an arbitrary phase shifter. The transmission signal phase-controlled by the phase control section 23 is supplied to the amplifier 24.

[0044] The amplifier 24 amplifies the power of the transmission signal supplied from the phase control section 23, for example, based on the control by the control section 10. When the sensor 5 includes a plurality of transmission antennas 26, the plurality of amplifiers 24 may respectively amplify the power of the transmission signal supplied from each of the plurality of phase control sections 23 corresponding thereto, for example, based on the 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.

[0045] The transmitting antenna 26 outputs (transmits) the transmission signal amplified by the amplifier 24 as a transmission wave T. When the sensor 5 includes a plurality of transmitting antennas 26, the plurality of transmitting antennas 26 may output (transmit) the transmission signals amplified by corresponding ones of the plurality of amplifiers 24 as transmission waves 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.

[0046] In this manner, the electronic device 1 according to an 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 one housing. In this case, the housing may have a structure that cannot be easily opened. For example, the transmitting antenna 26, the receiving antenna 31, and the amplifier 24 may be housed in one housing, and the housing may have a structure that cannot be easily opened. Furthermore, in this case, when the sensor 5 is installed in a moving body 100 such as an automobile, the transmitting antenna 26 may transmit the transmission wave T to the outside of the moving body 100 through a cover member such as a radar cover. In this case, the radar cover may be made of a material that allows electromagnetic waves to pass through, such as synthetic resin or rubber. This radar cover may be, for example, a housing for the sensor 5. By covering the transmitting antenna 26 with a member such as a radar cover, the risk of the transmitting antenna 26 being damaged or malfunctioning due to contact with the outside can be reduced. The above-mentioned radar cover and housing may also be called a radome.

[0047] The electronic device 1 shown in FIG. 2 shows an example having three transmitting antennas 26. However, in one embodiment, the electronic device 1 may have any number of transmitting antennas 26. On the other hand, in one embodiment, the electronic device 1 may have a plurality of transmitting antennas 26 when the transmitting wave T transmitted from the transmitting antenna 26 forms a beam in a predetermined direction. In one embodiment, the electronic device 1 may also have a plurality of phase control units 23 and amplifiers 24 corresponding to the plurality of transmitting antennas 26. The plurality of phase control units 23 may control the phases of the plurality of transmitting waves supplied from the synthesizer 22 and transmitted from the plurality of transmitting antennas 26, respectively. The plurality of amplifiers 24 may amplify the power of the plurality of transmitting signals transmitted from the plurality of transmitting antennas 26, respectively. In this case, the sensor 5 may be configured to include a plurality of transmitting antennas. In this way, when the electronic device 1 shown in FIG. 2 has a plurality of transmitting antennas 26, it may also be configured to include a plurality of functional units required for transmitting the transmitting wave T from the plurality of transmitting antennas 26.

[0048] The receiving antenna 31 receives a reflected wave R. The reflected wave R is a transmission wave T reflected by a predetermined object 200. The receiving antenna 31 may be configured to include a plurality of antennas, for example, receiving antennas 31A to 31D. The receiving antenna 31 can be configured in the same manner as a receiving antenna used in known radar technology, and therefore a detailed description will be omitted. The receiving antenna 31 is connected to the LNA 33. A reception signal based on the reflected wave R received by the receiving antenna 31 is supplied to the LNA 33.

[0049] The electronic device 1 according to an embodiment can receive a reflected wave R that is a result of a transmission wave T transmitted as a transmission signal (transmission chirp signal) such as a chirp signal from a plurality of receiving antennas 31 and reflected by a predetermined object 200. In this way, 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 body 100 such as an automobile, the receiving antenna 31 may receive the reflected wave R from the outside of the moving body 100 through a cover member such as a radar cover. In this case, the radar cover may be made of a material that allows electromagnetic waves to pass through, such as synthetic resin or rubber. This radar cover may be, for example, a housing for the sensor 5. By covering the receiving antenna 31 with a member such as a radar cover, the risk of the receiving antenna 31 being damaged or defective due to contact with the outside can be reduced. The above-mentioned radar cover and housing may also be called a radome.

[0050] Furthermore, when the receiving antenna 31 is installed near the transmitting antenna 26, these may be configured to be collectively included in 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 a plurality of transmitting antennas 26 and a plurality of receiving antennas 31. In such a case, one radar sensor may be covered with a cover member such as, for example, a radar cover.

[0051] The LNA 33 amplifies, with low noise, a reception 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 reception signal supplied from the receiving antenna 31. The reception signal amplified by the LNA 33 is supplied to a phase control unit 34.

[0052] The phase control unit 34 controls (adjusts) the phase of the reception signal supplied from the LNA 33. Specifically, the phase control unit 34 may adjust the phase of the reception signal by appropriately advancing or delaying the phase of the signal supplied from the LNA 33 based on, for example, the control by the control unit 10. In this case, the phase control unit 34 may adjust the phase of each reception signal based on the path difference of each reflected wave R received from the multiple reception antennas 31. In this case, the phase amount to be controlled of the reception signal received from each of the multiple reception 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.

[0053] Mixer 35 generates a beat signal by mixing (multiplying) the RF frequency reception signal supplied from phase control unit 34 with the transmission signal supplied from synthesizer 22. The beat signal mixed by mixer 35 is supplied to IF unit 36.

[0054] The IF unit 36 ​​reduces the frequency of the beat signal supplied from the mixer 35 to an intermediate frequency (IF frequency). The beat signal whose frequency has been reduced by the IF unit 36 ​​is supplied to an AD conversion unit 37.

[0055] 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, each of the beat signals digitized by the multiple AD conversion units 37 may be supplied to the distance FFT processing unit 11.

[0056] The distance FFT processing unit 11 estimates the distance between the moving body 100 mounting 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 a fast Fourier transform (FFT) process.

[0057] 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" as 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). The distance FFT processing unit 11 can express the beat signal as a signal strength (power) corresponding to each frequency by performing FFT processing on such a beat signal. If a peak is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold in the result obtained by the distance FFT processing, the distance FFT processing unit 11 may determine that a predetermined object 200 is present at a 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 transmission wave (a reflecting object) is present, as in a constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection process.

[0058] In this manner, the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment can detect an object 200 that reflects a transmission wave T based on a transmission signal transmitted as a transmission wave T and a reception signal received as a reflected wave R.

[0059] 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 appropriately simplified or omitted. 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. In addition, 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.

[0060] 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 a fast Fourier transform (FFT) process.

[0061] The velocity FFT processing unit 12 further performs FFT processing on the beat signal that has been subjected to the distance FFT processing by the distance FFT processing unit 11 (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as "velocity FFT processing"). For example, the velocity FFT processing unit 12 may perform FFT processing on the complex signal supplied from the distance FFT processing unit 11. The velocity FFT processing unit 12 can estimate the relative velocity with respect to a predetermined object based on a subframe of the chirp signal (for example, subframe 1 shown in FIG. 3). When the distance FFT processing is performed on the beat signal as described above, a plurality of vectors can be generated. The relative velocity with respect to the predetermined object can be estimated by determining the phase of the peak in the result of performing the velocity FFT processing on these plurality of vectors. That is, the electronic device 1 can measure (estimate) the relative velocity between the moving body 100 and the predetermined object 200 shown in FIG. 1 by performing the velocity FFT processing. The technology itself for measuring (estimating) the relative velocity with respect to a predetermined object by performing the velocity FFT processing on the result of performing the distance FFT processing is known, so a more detailed description will be simplified or omitted as appropriate. 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.

[0062] 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 multiple receiving antennas 31. For example, the multiple receiving antennas 31 are arranged at a predetermined interval. In this case, the transmission wave T transmitted from the transmission antenna 26 is reflected by the predetermined object 200 to become the reflected wave R, and the multiple receiving antennas 31 arranged at a predetermined interval each receive the reflected wave R. Then, 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 multiple receiving antennas 31 and the path difference of each reflected wave 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.

[0063] Various techniques have been proposed for estimating the direction from which the reflected wave R arrives based on the results of the 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 appropriately simplified or omitted. 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.

[0064] The object detection unit 14 detects an object present in the range where 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. For example, DBSCAN (Density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise) is known as an algorithm used for clustering data. 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, when the moving body 100 is an automobile, communication may be performed using a communication interface such as CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0065] The control unit 10 sets various parameters that define a transmission signal and a 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.

[0066] 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. Also, 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.

[0067] The various parameters set by the control unit 10 may be supplied to the signal generation unit 21. This allows the signal generation unit 21 to 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. This allows the object detection unit 14 to perform processing to detect an object within an object detection range determined based on the various parameters set by the control unit 10.

[0068] The power supply device 50 may be any member having a function of supplying power to each functional unit shown in Fig. 2. Specifically, the power supply device 50 may supply power to at least one of the transmitting unit 20, the receiving unit 30, and the control unit 10, as shown in Fig. 2, for example. In one embodiment, the power supply device 50 may be configured to include, for example, a switching power supply. Here, the power supply device 50 may be configured to include, for example, a DC / DC converter that functions as a switching regulator. Also, in one embodiment, the power supply device 50 may be configured to include, for example, a low dropout (LDO) regulator.

[0069] The ECU 60 included in the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment can control the operation of the entire mobile body 100, including the control of each functional unit constituting the mobile body 100. The ECU 60 may include at least one processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), to provide control and processing power for executing various functions. The ECU 60 may be realized as one processor, several processors, or individual processors. The processor may be realized as a single integrated circuit. The integrated circuit is also called an IC (Integrated Circuit). The processor may be realized as a plurality of integrated circuits and discrete circuits connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other. The processor may be realized 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 the operation of the ECU 60 as appropriate. In addition, at least a part of the functions of the control unit 10 may be the functions of the ECU 60, or at least a part of the functions of the ECU 60 may be 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 a number of transmitting antennas 26 that transmit a transmission wave and a number of receiving antennas 31 that receive a reflected wave of the transmission wave. 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 the 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 an embodiment will be further described. The sensor 5 according to an embodiment improves noise countermeasures when transmitting and receiving a signal for detecting an object. Therefore, the following description of the sensor 5 according to an embodiment will focus on the details related to noise countermeasures, and other general details will be simplified or omitted as appropriate.

[0072] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of functional units mounted on a substrate of a sensor 5 according to an embodiment.

[0073] As shown in Fig. 4, the sensor 5 according to one embodiment has electronic components for realizing various functions mounted on a substrate 70. The substrate 70 has a first surface 71 facing in the positive direction of the Z axis shown in Fig. 4, and a second surface facing the opposite side to the first surface 71, i.e., facing in the negative direction of the Z axis. In Fig. 4, the second surface 72 of the substrate 70 is visually shown.

[0074] 2, for example, may be arranged on the surface opposite to the second surface 72 of the substrate 70 shown in Fig. 4, i.e., the first surface 71 of the substrate 70. On the other hand, the electronic component 15 and the power supply device 50 may be arranged on the second surface 72 of the substrate 70, as shown in Fig. 4. The power supply device 50 shown in Fig. 4 may be a functional unit corresponding to the power supply device 50 described in Fig. 2.

[0075] 2. The electronic component 15 shown in FIG. 4 may be a functional unit including the control unit 10 described in FIG. 2. The electronic component 15 shown in FIG. 4 may be configured to include at least one of the transmitting unit 20 and the receiving unit 30 shown in FIG. 2. Hereinafter, the electronic component 15 shown in FIG. 4 will be described as including the control unit 10, the transmitting unit 20, and the receiving unit 30 shown in FIG. 2. As described in FIG. 2, the control unit 10 detects 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. As described in FIG. 2, the transmitting unit 20 transmits a transmission wave from the transmitting antenna 26. As described in FIG. 2, the receiving unit 30 receives a reflected wave of the transmission wave from the receiving antenna 31.

[0076] Thus, in the sensor 5 according to one embodiment, the transmitting antenna 26, the receiving antenna 31, the control unit 10, and the power supply device 50 are arranged on the substrate 70. The transmitting antenna 26 and the receiving antenna 31 may be arranged on a first surface 71 of the substrate 70. Furthermore, the control unit 10 and the power supply device 50 may be arranged on a second surface 72 of the substrate 70. Furthermore, as described above, in the sensor 5 according to one embodiment, the transmitting unit 20 and the receiving unit 30 may be arranged on the second surface 72 of the substrate 70.

[0077] Further, for example, waveguide 40A and waveguide 40B may be appropriately formed on second surface 72 of substrate 70 as shown in Fig. 4. In Fig. 4, two waveguides, such as waveguide 40A and waveguide 40B, are illustrated. However, in sensor 5 according to one embodiment, any number of waveguides, one or more, may be formed as necessary. Hereinafter, when there is no particular distinction between waveguide 40A and waveguide 40B, they will be simply referred to as "waveguide 40".

[0078] The waveguide 40 may be any waveguide formed by penetrating between the second surface 72 of the substrate 70 and the first surface 71 of the substrate 70 shown in FIG. 4. For example, when the control unit 10 includes the transmitting unit 20, the waveguide 40 may be a path along which a transmitting signal generated in the transmitting unit 20 is guided when the transmitting signal is output to the transmitting antenna 26 (arranged on the first surface 71 of the substrate 70). Also, when the control unit 10 includes the receiving unit 30, the waveguide 40 may be a path along which a receiving signal received by the receiving antenna 31 (arranged on the first surface 71 of the substrate 70) is guided when the receiving signal is input to the transmitting unit 20. Thus, in the sensor 5 according to one embodiment, the substrate 70 may include the waveguide 40. In this case, the waveguide 40 may guide at least one of a transmitting wave and a reflected wave between the first surface 71 and the second surface 72.

[0079] For example, the sensor 5 shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 is a sensor based on radar technology and capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves in the 77 / 79 GHz band. In this case, the frequency of the received signal input to the AD conversion unit 37 via the mixer 35 of the receiving unit 30 included in the electronic component 15 and the intermediate frequency filter in the IF unit 36 ​​is DC (direct current) to several tens of MHz. If impulse noise from, for example, a switching power supply in the power supply device 50 enters such a frequency band, the characteristics of the radar may be degraded near the frequency.

[0080] In order to avoid such a decrease in radar characteristics as much as possible, the power supply device 50 may include, for example, a low dropout (LDO) regulator or a switching power supply (DC / DC converter) as described above.

[0081] LDOs have lower noise than switching power supplies. However, when there is a potential difference between the input and output of an LDO, the power obtained by multiplying the potential difference by the output current is converted into heat loss. For this reason, LDOs consume more power and require heat dissipation measures. On the other hand, switching power supplies are more efficient at passing large currents than LDOs, so the power consumption of the system can be relatively low. However, in switching power supplies, the noise generated during switching can easily become a problem as radiated noise. In particular, radiated noise can easily become a problem in the area from the power supply device to the smoothing filter. For this reason, in switching power supplies, if the circuit configuration and / or pattern wiring are not designed correctly, conductive noise can also become a problem. In addition, switching power supplies are often operated at a fixed frequency. For this reason, if radio waves of that frequency get around the waveguide, a specific frequency of the radar can be degraded.

[0082] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of noise that may occur in the sensor 5 according to one embodiment if appropriate noise countermeasures are not taken.

[0083] In the sensor 5 shown in Fig. 4, if noise countermeasures are not appropriately implemented, noise such as noises N1 and N2 may occur at a specific frequency as shown in Fig. 5. The horizontal axis of Fig. 5 indicates frequency, and the vertical axis of Fig. 5 indicates signal amplitude. As shown in Fig. 5, the signal amplitude may exhibit steep peaks (noises N1 and N2) at a specific frequency. If the curves other than the steep peaks (noises N1 and N2) shown in Fig. 5 are, for example, the noise floor in the AD conversion unit 37 of the received signal, the steep peaks such as noises N1 and N2 may cause erroneous detection of an object.

[0084] To deal with such noise, in the sensor 5 according to one embodiment, the waveguide 40 and / or the power supply device 50 are shielded by an electromagnetic shielding member.

[0085] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration in which noise countermeasures are implemented in the sensor 5 according to an embodiment.

[0086] In the sensor 5 according to the embodiment, the waveguide 40A shown in Fig. 4 may be shielded by an electromagnetic shielding member 80A as shown in Fig. 6. In addition, in the sensor 5 according to the embodiment, the waveguide 40B shown in Fig. 4 may be shielded by an electromagnetic shielding member 80B as shown in Fig. 6. Hereinafter, when there is no particular distinction between the electromagnetic shielding member 80A and the electromagnetic shielding member 80B, they will be simply referred to as "electromagnetic shielding member 80". Herein, the shielding by the electromagnetic shielding member 80 may mean, for example, covering the periphery of the waveguide 40 with a shielding plate that is conductive to ground.

[0087] The electromagnetic shielding member 80 may be made of any material that shields electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic shielding member 80 may be, for example, a plate-like member having a thickness of about 0.25 mm. In general, the shielding effect can be enhanced by making the shielding relatively thick. In the sensor 5 according to the embodiment, the thickness of the electromagnetic shielding member 80 may be appropriately determined, for example, taking into consideration the desired effect and / or cost. In FIG. 6, the two waveguides 40 are each shielded by the electromagnetic shielding member 80. However, in the sensor 5 according to the embodiment, for example, a part of the multiple waveguides 40 may be shielded by the electromagnetic shielding member 80.

[0088] Furthermore, the electromagnetic wave shielding member 80 may be disposed so as to shield the waveguide 40 at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the second surface of the substrate 70 on which the waveguide 40 is formed.

[0089] Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the substrate 70 and the electromagnetic wave shielding member 80. As shown in Fig. 7, the electromagnetic wave shielding member 80 (80A, 80B) may be spaced a predetermined distance from the second surface of the substrate 70. Here, the predetermined distance may be, for example, ¼ of the wavelength λ of the transmitted wave or the received wave, as shown in Fig. 7.

[0090] Thus, in one embodiment of the sensor 5, the waveguide 40 may be configured to be covered by an electromagnetic wave shielding member 80 spaced from the second surface 72 of the substrate 70 by a distance of 1 / 4 of the wavelength λ of the transmitted wave or reflected wave.

[0091] In addition, in the sensor 5 according to one embodiment, the power supply device 50 shown in Fig. 4 may also be shielded by an electromagnetic shielding member 82 as shown in Fig. 6. Here, shielding by the electromagnetic shielding member 82 may mean, for example, covering the periphery of the power supply device 50 and / or peripheral circuits such as a capacitor with a shielding plate that is conductive to ground.

[0092] The electromagnetic shielding member 82 may be made of any material that can shield electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic shielding member 82 may also be a plate-like member having a thickness of, for example, about 0.25 mm. As described above, the effect of the shield can be enhanced by making the shield relatively thick. In the sensor 5 according to one embodiment, the thickness of the electromagnetic shielding member 82 may also be appropriately determined, for example, taking into consideration the desired effect and / or cost.

[0093] Unlike the above-described electromagnetic shielding member 80, the electromagnetic shielding member 82 does not need to be spaced a predetermined distance from the second surface of the substrate 70. For example, the power supply device 50 may be covered by the electromagnetic shielding member 82 without being spaced substantially from the second surface 72 of the substrate 70.

[0094] Thus, in the sensor 5 according to one embodiment, the power supply device 50 may be covered by the electromagnetic wave shielding member 82 on the second surface 72 side of the substrate 70.

[0095] In the sensor 5 according to the embodiment, the power supply device 50 is shielded by the electromagnetic shielding member 82. As a result, when the power supply device 50 includes an LDO as described above, the electromagnetic shielding member 82 functions as a member that promotes heat dissipation of the power supply device 50. In this case, a heat dissipation sheet for promoting heat dissipation may be interposed between the electromagnetic shielding member 82 and the power supply device 50. In this way, in the sensor 5 according to the embodiment, a heat dissipation sheet may be interposed between the power supply device 50 and the electromagnetic shielding member 82.

[0096] On the other hand, when the power supply device 50 includes a switching power supply as described above, the power supply device 50 is shielded by the electromagnetic shielding member 82, and the electromagnetic shielding member 82 functions as a member that promotes noise countermeasures for the power supply device 50. Therefore, according to the sensor 5 according to one embodiment, by shielding the power supply device 50 with the electromagnetic shielding member 82 and also shielding the analog waveguide 40, it is possible to reduce intrusion of noise generated from the power supply device 50.

[0097] Furthermore, when the waveguide 40 is shielded by the electromagnetic shielding member 80, the reflection characteristics of the radar can be cancelled by setting the distance between them to λ / 4 as described above. Therefore, the sensor 5 according to one embodiment can satisfy the radar characteristics while taking effective measures against noise.

[0098] As described above, the sensor 5 according to one embodiment can improve noise countermeasures when transmitting and receiving a signal for detecting an object.

[0099] As described above, the sensor 5 according to one embodiment may be covered by a radar cover or a housing (casing) such as a radome. For example, the sensor 5 according to one embodiment may have the portion of the sensor 5 shown in FIG. 2 surrounded by a resin member 90 covered therein. The resin member 90 may be a member such as a radar cover or a housing made of resin. In this way, by covering the sensor 5 with the resin member 90, the robustness of the sensor 5 can be significantly improved.

[0100] In this case, the resin member 90 may be disposed at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the first surface 71 of the substrate 70 as shown in Fig. 7. Here, the predetermined distance may be, for example, 1 / 2 the wavelength λ of the transmitted wave or the received wave as shown in Fig. 7. In this manner, the electronic device (sensor 5) according to one embodiment may be covered with the resin member 90 spaced a distance of 1 / 2 the wavelength λ of the transmitted wave or the reflected wave from the first surface 71 of the substrate 70. According to the electronic device (sensor 5) according to one embodiment, the characteristics of the radar can be further improved by the action of the resin member 90.

[0101] In addition, the resin member 90 has a wavelength of the transmitted wave or the received wave of λ and a relative dielectric constant of the resin of ε r For example, the thickness may be as shown in the following formula (1).

number

[0102] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that a person skilled in the art can easily make various modifications or corrections based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications or corrections are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each functional unit can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent. Multiple functional units, etc. may be combined into one or divided. Each embodiment of the present disclosure described above is not limited to being implemented faithfully to each of the embodiments described, and may be implemented by combining each feature as appropriate or omitting a part. In other words, the contents of the present disclosure can be modified and corrected in various ways by a person skilled in the art based on the present disclosure. Therefore, these modifications and corrections are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in each embodiment, each functional unit, each means, each step, etc. can be added to other embodiments so as not to be logically inconsistent, or replaced with each functional unit, each means, each step, etc. of other embodiments. In addition, in each embodiment, multiple functional units, each means, each step, etc. can be combined into one or divided. 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 may be implemented by combining each feature or omitting some features as appropriate.

[0103] The above-described embodiment is not limited to being implemented only as an electronic device (sensor 5). For example, the above-described embodiment may be implemented as a control method for an apparatus such as an electronic device (sensor 5). Furthermore, for example, the above-described embodiment may be implemented as a control program for an apparatus such as an electronic device (sensor 5).

[0104] The electronic device according to an embodiment may have, as a minimum configuration, at least a part of, for example, only one of the sensor 5 or the control unit 10. Meanwhile, the electronic device according to an embodiment may be configured to include 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 in addition to the control unit 10. Also, the electronic device according to an embodiment may be configured to include 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 instead of the above-mentioned functional units or together with the above-mentioned functional units. Furthermore, the electronic device according to an embodiment may be configured to include any memory. In this way, the electronic device according to an embodiment may have various configurations. Also, when the electronic device according to an embodiment is mounted on the moving body 100, at least one of the above-mentioned functional units may be installed in an appropriate location, such as inside the moving body 100. Meanwhile, in an embodiment, at least one of the transmitting antenna 26 and the receiving antenna 31 may be installed outside the moving body 100, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 1 Electronic equipment 5 Sensors 10 Control section 11 Distance FFT processing section 12 Speed ​​FFT processing section 13 Arrival angle estimator 14 Object detection unit 15 Electronic Components 20 Transmitter 21 Signal Generation Unit 22 Synthesizer 23 Phase control section 24 Amplifier 26 Transmitting Antenna 30 Receiving section 31 Receiving antenna 33 LNA 34 Phase control section 35 Mixer 36 IF Section 37 AD conversion section 40 Waveguide 50 Power Devices 60 ECU 70 Substrate 80,82 Electromagnetic shielding materials 90 Plastic parts 100 Mobile 200 objects

Claims

1. A transmitting unit that transmits a transmission wave from a transmitting antenna; a receiving unit that receives a reflected wave of the transmission wave from a receiving antenna; a control unit that detects an object that reflects the transmission wave based on a transmission signal that is transmitted as the transmission wave and a reception signal that is received as the reflected wave; a power supply device that supplies power to at least one of the transmitting unit, the receiving unit, and the control unit; a substrate on which the transmitting antenna, the receiving antenna, the control unit, and the power supply device are disposed; An electronic device comprising: the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna are disposed on a first surface of the substrate; the control unit and the power supply device are disposed on a second surface of the substrate opposite to the first surface, the substrate includes a waveguide that guides at least one of the transmitted wave and the reflected wave between the first surface and the second surface; the waveguide is covered by a first electromagnetic shielding member spaced from the second surface of the substrate by a distance equal to ¼ of the wavelength of the transmitted wave or the reflected wave; the power supply device is covered on the second surface side of the board by a second electromagnetic shielding member that is not spaced apart from the second surface or the power supply device, or, when the power supply device includes a low dropout regulator, by a second electromagnetic shielding member with a heat dissipation sheet interposed between the power supply device and the second electromagnetic shielding member; the first electromagnetic shielding member and the second electromagnetic shielding member are separate shielding members, the first electromagnetic shielding member covers a periphery of the waveguide and is conductive to ground, The electronic device, wherein the second electromagnetic shielding member covers the periphery of the power supply device and is conductive to ground.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the power supply device comprises a low dropout regulator.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply device comprises a switching power supply.

4. 4 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising a resin member spaced from the first surface of the substrate by a distance equal to half the wavelength of the transmitted wave or the reflected wave.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the transmitting unit and the receiving unit are disposed on the second surface of the substrate.

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