Antenna array control device for high frequency equipment

Abstract

To provide an antenna array control device for a high frequency device that can reduce power consumption while maintaining tracking / suppression functions of grading lobe and sidelobe performance at any beam angle.SOLUTION: A base design 207a includes on-elements 211a that are configured to be grouped adjacently in a two-dimensional array along a specific direction such as a vertical direction or a horizontal direction and are controlled by the same phase shifter, and includes on-elements 211c which are provided separately from the on-elements 211a and arranged at a specific interval in the specific direction (the same direction as the grouping). A control circuit operates an antenna array 207 while increasing the on-elements 211a and 211c set in off-elements 211ab and 211cb as compared to base designs 207a, thereby reducing the numbers of the on-elements 211a and 211c as compared to the number of the base designs 207a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an antenna array control device for a high frequency device. [Background technology]

[0002] Technological development of phased array antennas for high-frequency devices is progressing (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to the phased array antenna described in Patent Document 1, individual array elements (hereinafter referred to as on-elements) are arranged two-dimensionally, and the individual array elements are grouped into units of eight, for example, 4x2 or 8x1 rectangular subarrays. The multiple rectangular subarrays are then tiled to reduce the periodicity of the phase centers, thereby reducing grating lobes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2019-503621 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology described in Patent Document 1 reduces the periodicity of the phase center to suppress grating lobes. However, grating lobes themselves still remain (approximately -10 dBc), and the beam scanning range with side lobe and grating lobe suppression is limited to approximately ±10°. Furthermore, reducing the periodicity of the phase center causes all phase centers to shift irregularly from the element coordinates, complicating the calculation of phase values ​​and tapering. In other words, as the off-grid phase center position increases both vertically and horizontally, the distance between adjacent on-elements deviates from the ideal distance of 0.5λ, which is no longer a given assumption, complicating the calculation of phase values.

[0005] The inventors have also discovered that grouping adjacent individual array elements vertically or horizontally to reduce the number of phase shifters and simplify the system results in the generation of grating lobes when scanning in the same vertical or horizontal direction as the grouping. In a prior application prior to this application, the inventors have also proposed a technology that can cancel grating lobes by forming a null filter using pairs of single elements arranged at specific intervals. Meanwhile, for example, in scanning radar sensors, there is a particular need to further reduce the number of phase shifters electrically connected to phased array elements in order to reduce costs and simplify the system. Furthermore, there is a need for a technology that can suppress side lobes to suppress unwanted surrounding waves.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide an antenna array control device for high frequency equipment that can reduce power consumption while maintaining the ability to track and suppress grading lobes and side lobe performance at any beam angle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to the invention of claim 1, the antenna array is configured based on a base design in which the effective elements are grouped adjacently along a specific direction, either vertically or horizontally, in a two-dimensional arrangement and are set to be controlled by the same phase shifter, and the effective elements are provided separately and isolated from the effective elements and are set to be single-on elements arranged in pairs at specific intervals in a specific direction (the same direction as the grouping). In the base design, the effective elements grouped adjacently along the specific direction are arranged in line symmetry in the specific direction in the antenna array, and the pair of single-on elements are arranged in line symmetry in the specific direction, Each pair of single-ON elements is sandwiched between OFF elements in a specific direction.The element control unit sets both of the paired single-on elements in the base design, or some of the grouped effective elements, as off elements that are not electrically connected to the phase shifters, and by increasing the number of off elements compared to the base design, the antenna array is operated with fewer on elements, which makes it possible to reduce the number of phase shifters operating as on elements and thereby reduce power consumption. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an electrical configuration diagram of a radar device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an electrical configuration diagram illustrating a transmitter according to a first embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an electrical configuration diagram illustrating a receiving section according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram (base design) showing a schematic diagram of the arrangement of elements constituting a receiving antenna array according to the first embodiment; [Figure 5] An explanatory diagram of the layout dimensions of elements constituting a receiving antenna array in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the arrangement of elements constituting a transmitting antenna array according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the layout dimensions of elements constituting a transmitting antenna array according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an optimization pattern in which effective elements are reduced in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an optimization pattern in which effective elements are reduced in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] Comparison of beam pattern simulation results for the E-plane front direction of the first embodiment (64CH all ON vs. 45CH ON (low power consumption operation)) [Figure 11]Part 2 of the first embodiment E-plane 17.5° beam pattern simulation comparison results (64CH all ON vs. 45CH ON (low power consumption operation)) [Figure 12] Part 3 of the first embodiment H-plane front beam pattern simulation comparison results (64CH all ON vs. 45CH ON (low power consumption operation)) [Figure 13] Part 4 of the first embodiment H-plane 60° beam pattern simulation comparison results (64CH all ON vs. 45CH ON (low power consumption operation)) [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating an arrangement pattern of a comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the high frequency antenna array control device is used in a radar device 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. The radar device 1 is attached to a predetermined location on a vehicle and is used as a long range radar (LRR) that scans a predetermined range of about 10 m to several hundred m, or as a short range radar.

[0010] 1, a radar device 1 for a vehicle includes a control circuit 2, a signal generating unit 3, a transmitting unit 4, a receiving unit 5, a signal processing unit 6, a transmitting antenna array 107, and a receiving antenna array 207. The receiving antenna array 207 of the radar device 1 has, for example, a plurality of receiving RX channels, and calculates the distance to a target 8, the presence angle, etc. by combining the signals of each receiving RX channel.

[0011] The control circuit 2 is configured to function as an element control unit according to the present invention by executing a predetermined control logic, and performs various controls on the signal generating unit 3, the transmitting unit 4, and the receiving unit 5. At this time, it controls the frequency, amplification, phase value φ, etc. related to the radar device 1.

[0012] The signal generation unit 3 includes, for example, a PLL and a multiplier (not shown), and generates a local signal to be output to the transmission unit 4, as well as a local signal to be output to the reception unit 5. At this time, the local signal is supplied from the same PLL to the mixer 7 of the reception RX channel. The local signal indicates, for example, a signal in the 77 GHz band.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 2, the transmitter 4 includes a variable gain amplifier 11, a phase shifter 12, and an amplifier 13, and is connected to the transmitting antenna array 107 via a pad 10. The variable gain amplifier 11 is configured to be able to adjust its amplification under the control of the control circuit 2, and receives the TX signal from the signal generator 3. The phase shifter 12 shifts the output phase of the variable gain amplifier 11, and its phase value φ can be changed under the control of the control circuit 2. The amplifier 13 is a so-called power amplifier and amplifies the output signal of the phase shifter 12.

[0014] A transmitting antenna array 107 is electrically connected to the phase shifter 12 via an amplifier 13. The transmitting antenna array 107, which will be described in detail later, is configured with a phased array antenna and can output radar waves toward a target 8. The received waves reflected by the target 8 are input to a receiving antenna array 207.

[0015] The receiving unit 5 shown in Fig. 1 is connected to the receiving antenna array 207 via a pad 20 shown in Fig. 3. The receiving unit 5 has the same configuration for each of the multiple receiving RX channels. As shown in Fig. 3, each receiving unit 5 includes a variable gain amplifier 14, a phase shifter 15, and an amplifier 16. The phase shifter 15 is electrically connected to the receiving antenna array 207 via the variable gain amplifier 14.

[0016] When the receiver 5 receives a signal from the receiving antenna array 207, the variable gain amplifier 14 amplifies the signal received from the receiving antenna array 207, and the phase shifter 15 shifts the phase of the amplified signal from the variable gain amplifier 14 by a phase value φ. Then, the amplifier 16 amplifies the phase-shifted signal from the phase shifter 15 and outputs it to the mixer 7 for each receiving RX channel.

[0017] On the other hand, when the signal generating unit 3 outputs a local signal to the receiving unit 5, the LO amplifier 9 amplifies the local signal and outputs it to the mixer 7. The mixer 7 mixes the output of the amplifier 16 and the output of the LO amplifier 9 and outputs the result as an IF signal to the signal processing unit 6. The signal processing unit 6 shown in FIG. 1 is configured by a processor or predetermined electronic control logic, similar to the control circuit 2.

[0018] The signal processing unit 6 filters the IF signal processed by the mixer 7 using an IF filter (not shown) and then performs A / D conversion, and then performs signal processing such as digital beam forming (DBF) using the FFT results, thereby measuring the distance to the target 8, the relative speed to the target 8, and the angle at which the target 8 exists.

[0019] The control circuit 2 controls the beam scanning angle by controlling the phase value φtx of the phase shifter 12 in the transmitter 4 and the phase value φrx of the phase shifter 15 in the receiver 5 of each receiving channel. This creates a narrow virtual beam within the sector area, enabling the scanned target 8 to be identified with higher resolution. Because the field of view can be narrowed to a sector area, the amount of calculation required can be reduced compared to conventional MIMO radar. The hybrid method is an efficient scanning method that alleviates the trade-off between reduced scan time and high resolution. It is also possible to apply techniques such as multi-signal classification (MUSIC), which can achieve higher separation capabilities for multiple targets 8 than the aforementioned DBF.

[0020] The following describes the element arrangement of the base design 207a of the receiving antenna array 207 and the base design 107a of the transmitting antenna array 107 used in the radar device 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the receiving antenna array 207 is used as a phased array antenna, and is configured by combining on-elements 211a and 211c electrically connected to the receiving unit 5 and off-element 211b not electrically connected to the receiving unit 5.

[0021] The on-element 211a corresponds to a second grouping on-element, or an effective element, and the on-element 211c corresponds to a second single on-element, or an effective element. The on-elements 211c are provided in pairs spaced apart in the Y direction, which is a specific direction, and this pair of on-elements 211c corresponds to a pair of second single on-elements. The off-element 211b corresponds to a dummy element. It is preferable that the electrical line lengths from each of the on-elements 211a, 211c to the mixer 17 of the receiving unit 5 be configured to be equal-length paths so that they are in phase with each other.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 4, the elements 211a to 211c of the receiving antenna array 207 each have a rectangular metal surface. The outer frame of the receiving antenna array 207 is configured as a square, and the rectangular elements 211a to 211c are arranged in the lattice-like vertex areas within the outer frame of the receiving antenna array 207. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the on-elements 211a and 211c are arranged in a predetermined two-dimensional area partitioned into 16 rows and 12 columns, but this is not limiting. The receiving antenna array 207 and the transmitting antenna array 107 have outer frames with the same shape. Note that Fig. 5 shows an extracted portion of the receiving antenna array 207 shown in Fig. 4.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 6, the transmitting antenna array 107 is also used as a phased array antenna and is configured by combining on elements 111a and 111c electrically connected to the transmitting unit 4 and off elements 111b not electrically connected to the transmitting unit 4. The on elements 111a correspond to first grouping on elements or active elements, and the on elements 111c correspond to first single on elements or active elements. The on elements 111c are provided in pairs spaced apart in the Y direction, which is a specific direction, and this pair of on elements 111c corresponds to a pair of first single on elements. The off elements 111b correspond to dummy elements. It is preferable that the electrical line lengths from the output of the phase shifter 12 of the transmitting unit 4 to the on elements 111a and 111c be configured as equal-length paths so that they are in phase with each other.

[0024] 6, the elements 111a to 111c of the transmitting antenna array 107 each have a rectangular metal surface. The outer frame of the transmitting antenna array 107 is configured in a square shape, and the rectangular elements 111a to 111c are arranged in the areas of the vertices of a lattice pattern within the outer frame of the transmitting antenna array 107.

[0025] The elements 111a to 111c of the transmitting antenna array 107 and the elements 211a to 211c of the receiving antenna array 207 have a center-to-center spacing between adjacent elements 111a to 111c and 211a to 211c set to half the radar wavelength λ, and each element 111a to 111c and 211a to 211c is configured to be rectangular. Although a rectangular configuration is shown here, it may also be configured to be hexagonal or octagonal. The transmitting antenna array 107 and the receiving antenna array 207 are each arranged on the XY plane, and transmit and receive beams from the +Z-axis direction orthogonal to the XY plane.

[0026] Although this embodiment is simply shown in Figures 3 to 6, dummy elements (not shown) may be separately arranged on the outermost periphery of the two-dimensional arrangement of the transmitting antenna array 107 and the receiving antenna array 207. Like the off elements 111b and 211b, these dummy elements are not connected to the transmitting unit 4 and the receiving unit 5. By arranging the dummy elements on the outermost periphery of the two-dimensional arrangement, it is possible to improve the quality of signals transmitted and received using the transmitting antenna array 107 and the receiving antenna array 207. In this embodiment, by devising a two-dimensional arrangement of the on elements 111a, 111c, 211a, and 211c and the off elements 111b and 211b, the number of on elements 111a, 111c, 211a, and 211c that require phase shift control is reduced, making phase shift control easier.

[0027] 4 and 6, the columns of the transmitting antenna array 107 and the receiving antenna array 207 will be referred to as columns X1 to X12, and the rows of the transmitting antenna array 107 and the receiving antenna array 207 will be referred to as rows Y1 to Y16.

[0028] The arrangement areas of the elements 111a to 111c and 211a to 211c are expressed using coordinates (X, Y). For example, as shown in Fig. 6, in column X3, if the ON element 111a in row Y2 and the ON element 111a in row Y3 are electrically connected and grouped, the ON elements 111a are connected with a minus sign, as in "Y2-Y3," to indicate that the ON elements 111a are grouped.

[0029] The on-elements 111a and 111c of the transmitting antenna array 107 shown in Fig. 6 are connected to the transmitting unit 4 by a transmission line using a printed wiring board, which allows a directional transmitting beam to be formed by combining and radiating the beam energy from the grouped on-elements 111a and the single on-elements 111c of the transmitting antenna array 107. Also, the on-elements 211a and 211c of the base design 207a of the receiving antenna array 207 shown in Fig. 4 are connected to the receiving unit 5 by a transmission line using a printed wiring board, which allows a directional receiving beam to be formed by combining and receiving the energy of signals from the on-elements 211a and 211c of the receiving antenna array 207 at a desired angle.

[0030] <Detailed Description of the Arrangement Structure of the On-Elements 211a and 211c in the Base Design 207a of the Receiving Antenna Array 207> Next, the arrangement structure of the on-elements 211a and 211c in the base design 207a will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4, in the receiving antenna array 207, the centers of all rows are located between row Y8 and row Y9, and the centers of all columns are located between column X6 and column X7. The on-elements 211a and 211c are arranged symmetrically above and below the centers of these rows and symmetrically left and right about the centers of the columns. Furthermore, the on-elements 211a and 211c are arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the center of the receiving antenna array 207.

[0031] Specifically, the on-element 211a in the left half area of ​​the base design 207a is: Coordinates (X1, Y3-Y4) and coordinates (X1, Y13-Y14), Coordinates (X2, Y2-Y3) and coordinates (X2, Y14-Y15), Coordinates (X2, Y5-Y6) and coordinates (X2, Y11-Y12), Coordinates (X2, Y8-Y9), Coordinates (X3, Y4-Y5) and coordinates (X3, Y12-Y13), Coordinates (X3, Y7-Y8) and coordinates (X3, Y9-Y10), They are located at the top and bottom and are arranged symmetrically.

[0032] In addition, the on-element 211a is Coordinates (X4, Y1-Y2) and coordinates (X4, Y15-Y16), Coordinates (X4, Y3-Y4) and coordinates (X4, Y13-Y14), Coordinates (X4, Y6-Y7) and coordinates (X4, Y10-Y11), Coordinates (X5, Y4-Y5) and coordinates (X5, Y12-Y13), Coordinates (X5, Y6-Y7) and coordinates (X5, Y10-Y11), Coordinates (X5,Y8-Y9), Coordinates (X6, Y2-Y3) and coordinates (X6, Y14-Y15), Coordinates (X6, Y7-Y8) and coordinates (X6, Y9-Y10), They are located at the top and bottom and are arranged symmetrically.

[0033] Furthermore, the on-element 211a in the right half region of the base design 207a is Coordinates (X12, Y3-Y4) and coordinates (X12, Y13-Y14), Coordinates (X11, Y2-Y3) and coordinates (X11, Y14-Y15), Coordinates (X11, Y5-Y6) and coordinates (X11, Y11-Y12), Coordinates (X11, Y8-Y9), Coordinates (X10, Y4-Y5) and coordinates (X10, Y12-Y13), Coordinates (X10, Y7-Y8) and coordinates (X10, Y9-Y10), They are located at the top and bottom and are arranged symmetrically.

[0034] In addition, the on-element 211a is Coordinates (X9, Y1-Y2) and coordinates (X9, Y15-Y16), Coordinates (X9, Y3-Y4) and coordinates (X9, Y13-Y14), Coordinates (X9, Y6-Y7) and coordinates (X9, Y10-Y11), Coordinates (X8, Y4-Y5) and coordinates (X8, Y12-Y13), Coordinates (X8, Y6-Y7) and coordinates (X8, Y10-Y11), Coordinates (X8, Y8-Y9), Coordinates (X7, Y2-Y3) and coordinates (X7, Y14-Y15), Coordinates (X7, Y7-Y8) and coordinates (X7, Y9-Y10), They are located at the top and bottom and are arranged symmetrically.

[0035] The on-elements 211a are grouped in the Y direction, with no grouping in the X direction. Therefore, the effective elements are arranged at a λ / 2 pitch in the X direction, and grating lobes do not occur in principle. In this embodiment, the X direction corresponds to the second direction, or horizontal direction, and the Y direction corresponds to the first direction, or vertical direction.

[0036] The transmission line has a receiving power feed point at the connection center where the pair of on-elements 211a are connected, and the phase center of the grouped pair of on-elements 211a is located at the connection center. The transmission line is configured using wiring configured on a printed circuit board, and in this case, it is desirable that the electrical line lengths of the transmission line connecting the IC pad and the pair of on-elements 211a be equal to each other or have a relationship of p × λ (where p is an integer) to ensure equal phase.

[0037] 4, the on-elements 211c are arranged in pairs at a specific interval (corresponding to the second interval) in the receiving antenna array 207. Two single on-elements 211c are arranged spaced apart in the same direction as the Y direction in which the on-elements 211a are grouped, and are arranged line-symmetrically with respect to the center of the row.

[0038] The on-elements 211c are arranged in pairs at coordinates (X6, Y5) and (X6, Y12). The on-elements 211c are arranged in pairs at coordinates (X7, Y5) and (X7, Y12). The center-to-center distance d1 between the on-elements 211c in rows Y5 and Y12 is 3.5λ. These on-elements 211c spaced at a specific interval of 3.5λ act as a steerable null filter that can generate a null at the first grating lobe generation angle.

[0039] Furthermore, the on-elements 211c are provided in pairs at coordinates (X5, Y1) and (X5, Y16). Similarly, the on-elements 211c are provided in pairs at coordinates (X8, Y1) and (X8, Y16). The center-to-center distance d2 between the on-elements 211c in rows Y1 and Y16 is 7.5λ. These on-elements 211c spaced 7.5λ apart act as a second null filter.

[0040] The on-elements 211c are provided in pairs at coordinates (X3, Y2) and coordinates (X3, Y15). Similarly, the on-elements 211c are provided in pairs at coordinates (X10, Y2) and coordinates (X10, Y15). Because the row-to-row or column-to-column distance between adjacent elements 211a to 211c is 0.5λ, the center-to-center distance d3 between the on-elements 211c in rows Y3 and Y15 is 6.5λ. These on-elements 211c spaced 6.5λ apart act as a third null filter.

[0041] In this way, the on-elements 211c are single elements arranged at intervals, but the distances d1 to d3 between the centers of these on-elements 211c in the Y direction are set to specific intervals of (0.5+m)λ (where m is an integer). That is, the on-elements 211c are arranged line-symmetrically from the center of the column of the receiving antenna array 207 at intervals of (0.5+m)λ (where m=1, 2, ...).

[0042] Furthermore, in order to increase the density of the on-elements 211a and 211c in the central portion, it is desirable to intentionally set m to 3 or more. By setting m to 3 or more, the effective elements in the central portion of the receiving antenna array 207 can be densely packed, thereby making it possible to deal with side lobes. Note that FIG. 6 shows examples where m = 3, 6, and 7. Furthermore, in order to change the characteristics of the null filters, it is desirable to provide multiple sets of on-elements 211c in the receiving antenna array 207 that satisfy the condition of different m values. Because grating lobes have an angular width, it is possible to suppress grating lobes with an angular width by overlapping null filters with different attenuation characteristics near the angle at which the grating lobes occur.

[0043] 5 shows the element arrangement of columns X6 and X7. The ON elements 211a in rows Y7-Y8 adjacent in the Y direction are controlled so that the phase values ​​φ of the transmitting TX phase shifter 12 and the receiving RX phase shifter 15 are the same. Therefore, the phase centers of the ON elements 211a in rows Y7-Y8 are located at the midpoint between rows Y7-Y8. Similar signals are also provided to the ON elements 211a in rows Y9-Y10, so the phase centers of the ON elements 211a in rows Y9-Y10 are located at the midpoint between rows Y9-Y10.

[0044] Because the inter-element distance in each of rows Y7-Y8 and Y9-Y10 is λ / 2, the phase center spacing d of the on-elements 211a in rows Y7-Y8 and rows Y9-Y10 is λ, which is twice λ / 2. When the theoretical grating lobe angle is calculated when the main beam angle is changed, the grating lobe occurrence angle is equivalent to that when the relationship between the phase center spacing d and the radar wavelength λ is designed to be d=1λ, and in principle, there is a risk that strong grating lobes will be generated.

[0045] This phenomenon is caused by the adverse effect of grouping adjacent elements in the Y direction to reduce the number of phase shifters 12 and 15. However, as mentioned above, the λ periodicity of the phase center spacing d can be broken by inserting a single on-element 211c. This has been confirmed to reduce grating lobes by several dB. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that the on-element 211c has attenuation characteristics as a null filter (steerable null filter), making it possible to track and suppress grating lobes.

[0046] In other words, a pair of adjacent ON elements 211a are arranged line-symmetrically in the Y direction in the receiving antenna array 207, but a single ON element 211c is arranged in the Y direction with OFF elements 211b sandwiching it on both sides in the Y direction. For this reason, it can be said that the periodicity of the phase center can be disrupted even if adjacent ON elements 211a are grouped into a pair.

[0047] Since a single on-element 211c is arranged spaced apart from a pair of on-elements 211a adjacent to each other along the Y direction, the uniformity of the phase center interval when the on-elements 211a are grouped can be reduced, and grating lobes can be tracked and suppressed.

[0048] According to the configuration of the base design 207a of the receiving antenna array 207 of this embodiment, by designing the density of the on-elements 211a to be high in the center and low at the four corners, it is possible to configure with a small number of phase shifters and keep the side lobe performance low. From the viewpoint of tapering, a design that does not have on-elements 211a and 211c at the four corners is also effective. This is because, since the distance from the center of the receiving antenna array 207 is large, a large amount of attenuation is required for the internal variable gain amplifier 14 to achieve tapering.

[0049] <Detailed Description of the Arrangement Structure of the On-Elements 111a and 111c in the Base Design 107a of the Transmitting Antenna Array 107> Next, the arrangement structure of the ON elements 111a and 111c in the base design 107a will be described in detail with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The ON elements 111a are elements that are electrically connected to the transmitter 4 in pairs adjacent to each other in the Y direction, while the ON elements 111c are elements that are electrically connected to the transmitter 4 in pairs spaced apart at a specific interval in the Y direction. For this reason, the ON elements 111a and 111c are shown with different reference numerals. In Figures 6 and 7, the solid rectangular area indicates the ON element 111a, and the isolated ON element 111c is shown with hatching. The OFF element 111b is shown with a solid line frame and is not hatched.

[0050] 6, the on-elements 111a for transmitting TX are arranged symmetrically about the center of the rows and symmetrically about the center of the columns, similar to the on-elements 211a for receiving RX. Also, the on-elements 111a and 111c are arranged point-symmetrically about the center of the transmitting antenna array 107.

[0051] Specifically, the on-element 111a in the left half area of ​​the base design 107a is: Coordinates (X1, Y5-Y6) and coordinates (X1, Y11-Y12), Coordinates (X2, Y4-Y5) and coordinates (X2, Y12-Y13), Coordinates (X2, Y6-Y7) and coordinates (X2, Y10-Y11), Coordinates (X2, Y8-Y9), Coordinates (X3, Y2-Y3) and coordinates (X3, Y14-Y15), Coordinates (X3, Y5-Y6) and coordinates (X3, Y11-Y12), Coordinates (X3, Y8-Y9), They are located at the top and bottom and are arranged symmetrically.

[0052] In addition, the on-element 111a is Coordinates (X4, Y5-Y6) and coordinates (X4, Y11-Y12), Coordinates (X4, Y7-Y8) and coordinates (X4, Y9-Y10), Coordinates (X5, Y1-Y2) and coordinates (X5, Y15-Y16), Coordinates (X5, Y3-Y4) and coordinates (X5, Y13-Y14), Coordinates (X5,Y8-Y9), Coordinates (X6, Y4-Y5) and coordinates (X6, Y12-Y13), Coordinates (X6, Y6-Y7) and coordinates (X6, Y10-Y11), Coordinates (X6, Y8-Y9), They are located at the top and bottom and are arranged symmetrically.

[0053] Furthermore, the on-element 111a in the right half area of ​​the base design 107a is Coordinates (X12, Y5-Y6) and coordinates (X12, Y11-Y12), Coordinates (X11, Y4-Y5) and coordinates (X11, Y12-Y13), Coordinates (X11, Y6-Y7) and coordinates (X11, Y10-Y11), Coordinates (X11, Y8-Y9), Coordinates (X10, Y2-Y3) and coordinates (X10, Y14-Y15), Coordinates (X10, Y5-Y6) and coordinates (X10, Y11-Y12), Coordinates (X10, Y8-Y9), They are located at the top and bottom and are arranged symmetrically.

[0054] In addition, the on-element 111a is Coordinates (X9, Y5-Y6) and coordinates (X9, Y11-Y12), Coordinates (X9, Y7-Y8) and coordinates (X9, Y9-Y10), Coordinates (X8, Y1-Y2) and coordinates (X8, Y15-Y16), Coordinates (X8, Y3-Y4) and coordinates (X8, Y13-Y14), Coordinates (X8, Y8-Y9), Coordinates (X7, Y4-Y5) and coordinates (X7, Y12-Y13), Coordinates (X7, Y6-Y7) and coordinates (X7, Y10-Y11), Coordinates (X7, Y8-Y9), They are located at the top and bottom and are arranged symmetrically.

[0055] The grouping direction of the on-elements 111a for transmission TX is the same as that of the on-elements 111a for reception RX, that is, the Y direction, and they are not grouped in the X direction. Therefore, effective elements are arranged at an ideal λ / 2 pitch in the X direction, and grating lobes do not occur in principle.

[0056] The phase center of a pair of grouped on-elements 111a is located at the center of their connection. The transmission lines are configured using wiring on a printed wiring board, and in this case, it is desirable that the electrical line lengths of the transmission lines connecting the IC pad and the pair of on-elements 111a be equal to each other or have a relationship of p × λ (where p is an integer) so that they are in phase.

[0057] 6, an ON element 111c is also arranged inside, but is arranged as an isolated one sandwiched between OFF elements 111b in the Y direction. Two single ON elements 111c are arranged at a first interval in the same direction as the Y direction in which the ON elements 111a are grouped, and are arranged line-symmetrically with respect to the center of the entire row.

[0058] The on-elements 111c are arranged in pairs at coordinates (X4, Y3) and (X4, Y14). Similarly, the on-elements 111c are arranged in pairs at coordinates (X9, Y3) and (X9, Y14). The center-to-center distance d4 between the on-elements 111c in rows Y3 and Y14 is a specific interval of 5.5λ. These on-elements 111c spaced apart by a specific interval of 5.5λ act as a fourth null filter.

[0059] Furthermore, the ON elements 111c are arranged in pairs at coordinates (X5, Y6) and coordinates (X5, Y11). Similarly, the ON elements 111c are arranged in pairs at coordinates (X8, Y6) and coordinates (X8, Y11). The center-to-center distance d5 between the ON elements 111c in rows Y6 and Y11 is a specific interval of 2.5λ. These ON elements 111c spaced 2.5λ apart act as a fifth null filter.

[0060] Furthermore, the ON elements 111c are arranged in pairs at coordinates (X6, Y2) and coordinates (X6, Y15). Similarly, the ON elements 111c are arranged in pairs at coordinates (X7, Y2) and coordinates (X6, Y15). The center-to-center distance d6 between the ON elements 111c in rows Y2 and Y15 is a specific interval of 6.5λ. These ON elements 111c spaced 6.5λ apart act as a sixth null filter.

[0061] In this way, the on-elements 111c are spaced apart from each other and are electrically connected to the phase shifter 12, but the distances d4 to d6 between the centers of these on-elements 111c in the Y direction are designed to be specific intervals of (0.5+m)λ (where m is an integer) that are different from one another. That is, the on-elements 111c are arranged line-symmetrically from the center of the column of the transmitting antenna array 107 at intervals of (0.5+m)λ (where m=1, 2, ...).

[0062] 6 shows examples where m = 2, 5, and 6. Furthermore, in order to change the characteristics of the null filters, it is desirable to provide multiple sets of on-elements 111c that satisfy the condition of different values ​​of m in the transmitting antenna array 107. Because grating lobes also have angular widths, it is possible to suppress grating lobes with angular widths by overlapping null filters with different attenuation characteristics near the angles at which the grating lobes occur.

[0063] 7 shows the element arrangements of columns X6 and X7. The ON elements 111a in rows Y8-Y9 adjacent in the Y direction are controlled so that the phase values ​​φ of the phase shifters 12 are the same. Therefore, the phase centers of the ON elements 111a in rows Y8-Y9 are located at the midpoint between rows Y8-Y9. Similarly, the ON elements 111a in rows Y4-Y5, Y6-Y7, Y10-Y11, and Y12-Y13 adjacent in the Y direction are controlled so that the phase values ​​φ of the phase shifters 12 are the same.

[0064] Therefore, the phase centers of the ON elements 111a in the rows Y4-Y5, Y6-Y7, Y10-Y11, and Y12-Y13 are located at the midpoints between the rows Y4-Y5, Y6-Y7, Y10-Y11, and Y12-Y13, respectively. Also, by grouping the ON elements 111a in pairs in the Y direction, or in the vertical direction in this case, the number of phase shifters 12 can be reduced by approximately half.

[0065] 6, the density of the on-elements 111a and 111c near the center of the transmitting antenna array 107 is configured to be higher than the density at the four corners, so the side lobe level can be suppressed while reducing the number of on-elements 111a and 111c arranged compared to a random arrangement configuration. Therefore, the side lobe level can be suppressed while reducing the number of on-elements 111a and 111c arranged.

[0066] Furthermore, by arranging the on-elements 111c sandwiched between the off-elements 111b to reduce the periodicity of the phase center after grouping the on-elements 111a, and arranging the on-elements 111c in line symmetry or point symmetry so as to be at specific intervals d4 to d6, fourth to sixth null filters can be configured, which can track and suppress grating lobes.

[0067] In the design of the on-elements 111a / off-elements 111b, increasing the density of the on-elements 111a in the center and decreasing the density at the four corners simplifies phase shift control, allowing for a reduction in the number of phase shifters 12 and further reducing the side lobe level. Furthermore, by grouping adjacent on-elements 111a, it becomes possible to collectively control multiple on-elements 111a in correspondence with the same phase shifter 12, reducing the number of phase shifters 12 required by approximately half. The grating lobes that occur in this case can be suppressed at all required scan angles.

[0068] In this way, the receiving antenna array 207 and the transmitting antenna array 107 are configured using the base designs 207a and 107a, respectively, but the inventors have also attempted to reduce the number of phase shifters 15 connected to the on-elements 211a and 211c. This is because if the number of phase shifters 15 connected to the on-elements 211a and 211c is reduced, the number of operating phase shifters 15 can be reduced, thereby enabling lower power consumption.

[0069] The inventors have applied Monte Carlo element failure analysis to the base designs 207a, 107a of such large-scale transmitting antenna array 107 and receiving antenna array 207, and have performed computer simulations to learn on-element arrangements that are strongly related to performance at major beam angles, and to extract elements that experience little performance degradation even when turned off, thereby optimizing the effective element arrangement in low power consumption mode.

[0070] Under conditions where base designs 107a and 207a are applied in which the elements of the transmitting antenna array 107 and the receiving antenna array 207 are arranged to complement each other, the on-elements 211a and 211c that can be used for the off-elements 211b are calculated while optimizing the various characteristics of the receiving antenna array 207 in particular.

[0071] In the element failure analysis using the Monte Carlo method, constraints were set to maintain the characteristics of the grating lobe and side lobe suppression effect of the base designs 107a and 207a described above (maintaining the upper and lower pairs of null filters and having multiple null filters), and conditions were searched for that would optimize various characteristics while randomly reducing the on-elements 211a and 211c in the base design 207a of the receiving antenna array 207 under these constraints.

[0072] In this simulation method, the inventors performed a coherency test to verify the likelihood of gain degradation depending on the number of channels turned on in the phase shifter IC. In this test method, the initial state is a state in which all of the on-elements 111a, 111c of the transmitting antenna array 107 are electrically turned off, and then pairs of on-elements 111a-111a and 111c-111c are assigned channels and turned on in order from channel 1 to channel 64.

[0073] Then, we can obtain the relative gain when channels 1 to 64 are turned on in order. If the relative phase of each channel is aligned, the theoretical value is 20log 10 The array gain of N can be obtained. By using this method, it has been confirmed that the trends between the theoretical values ​​and the measured values ​​match.

[0074] The first constraint of the simulation method is that it must be possible to maintain the performance of suppressing grating lobes while reducing the number of channels turned on by applying an E-plane 17.5°V as the maximum beam angle in the same direction as the grouping. This is because it is assumed that it will be performed within a practical range when applied to a general vehicle radar. In addition, to verify whether a wide FoV can be ensured, a simulation was also performed in which a maximum beam angle of up to an H-plane 60°H angle was applied.

[0075] The second constraint is that when an isolated single-on element 211c is set to off in the base design 207a, a pair of single-on elements 211c arranged in the Y direction must be reduced as a pair. This is because the on-elements 211c function as a null filter when arranged in pairs at a specific interval.

[0076] Under the constraints described above, element failure analysis is performed using the Monte Carlo method, and beam analysis is performed after changing the on-elements 211a and 211c to off-elements 211ab and 211ac, which are randomly reduced, and the arrangement of the on-elements 211a and 211c that can be set to off while minimizing performance degradation is accumulated, learned, and scored. This makes it possible to extract the on-elements 211a and 211c that can be set to off, and to derive an arrangement of the on-elements 211a and 211c that can appropriately maintain or optimize various characteristics even if the number of channels of the phase shifter 15 is reduced.

[0077] The optimized element placement results are shown as optimized placement 207b in Figures 8 and 9. As a result of optimizing the placement of on elements 211a and 211c through numerous trials using the Monte Carlo method, the placement of on elements 211a and 211c and off elements 211b and 211ab was obtained, as shown in the upper right and lower right diagrams in Figure 8. Figure 9 shows the results of these on elements 211a and 211c and off elements 211b and 211ab superimposed, with off element 211ab, which was changed to off among the on elements 211a of base design 207a, indicated by a black frame.

[0078] Of the ON elements 211c, OFF elements 211cb that have been changed to OFF are indicated by black frames (not filled in). Even in this optimized layout 207b, the single ON elements 211c remain in pairs spaced apart at specific intervals in the Y direction.

[0079] The base design 207a in Fig. 4 is compared with the optimized layout 207b in Fig. 9. In the optimized layout 207b, the on-elements 211c remain in pairs at the coordinates (X6, Y5) and (X6, Y12), and also remain in pairs at the coordinates (X7, Y5) and (X7, Y12). Also, in the optimized layout 207b, the on-elements 211c remain in pairs at the coordinates (X5, Y1) and (X5, Y16), but do not remain in pairs at the coordinates (X8, Y1) and (X8, Y16).

[0080] Furthermore, in the optimized layout 207b, the on-elements 211c remain in pairs at the coordinates (X10, Y2) and (X10, Y15), but do not remain in pairs at the coordinates (X3, Y2) and (X3, Y15). As a result of repeated Monte Carlo calculation trials, it has been confirmed that single on-elements 211c with low scores that cannot exist in pairs lose their grating lobe suppression effect. For this reason, it is advisable to set the single on-elements 211c to on or off for each pair. It is particularly desirable to leave only a few pairs. This allows the grating lobe suppression effect of the null filter to be maintained.

[0081] When the base design 207a is adopted, operation is possible by preparing 64 phase shifters 15 for 64 channels, and even with this base design 207a, the number of operating phase shifters 15 can be reduced by 33% compared to the conventional technology. Furthermore, if the Monte Carlo simulation method is applied and optimization is performed to reduce the number of operating phase shifters 15 to 45 channels, this can be reduced to 24% compared to the conventional technology. If the receiving antenna array 207 is operated with 45 channels using the optimized arrangement 207b instead of operating with 64 channels, the number of installed phase shifters 15 can be reduced, and waste can also be avoided.

[0082] Reducing the number of channels to 45 compared to 64 channel operation results in increased insertion loss and a decrease in the received power of the receiving antenna array 207. Figures 10 and 11 show the results of a loss simulation corresponding to changes in angle in the E-plane. The simulation results for the main lobe insertion loss show that by reducing the number of channels from 64 to 45, Δ is approximately -1.5 dB, even when the main lobe is set to boresight and the angle θ is 17.5°V.

[0083] Considering the results of an electromagnetic field analysis of the wiring extending from the elements of the 16 × 12 array to the transmitter 4 and receiver 5, the insertion loss is thought to be substantially about -3 dB. However, as shown in the angular regions θl1 and θh1 in Fig. 10 and the angular regions θl2 and θh2 in Fig. 11, it can be seen that the side lobe level on the sides of the main lobe for 45 channels is further improved compared to the side lobe level for 64 channels. In other words, it can be seen that adding randomness to the off-elements 211b can improve the side lobe level at 17.5°V.

[0084] According to the simulation results, the loss increases by -3.1 dB compared to 64-channel operation. However, the number of phase shifters 15 operating in the receiver 5 can be reduced by 23.4% compared to conventional methods, achieving a power consumption reduction of approximately 71% (= 24% / 33%). Furthermore, in the coherency test mentioned above, a good agreement was observed between the measured values ​​and the theoretically calculated values.

[0085] Figures 12 and 13 show the loss simulation results according to angle changes in the H-plane. The simulation results for insertion loss show that when a main lobe is provided on the boresight, Δ = -1.5 dB, and when the angle θ = 60°H, Δ = -1.3 dB. This confirms that it is possible to minimize the deterioration of the main lobe and maintain a wide FoV.

[0086] Furthermore, this simulation has shown that the density in the center can be increased by setting more of the ON elements 211a in the four corners of the base design 207a to OFF than in the center.

[0087] <Explanation of Comparative Example> As shown in a comparative example in Figure 14, it is possible to simply bulk-reducing only the upper right region of the entire receiving antenna array 207, thereby eliminating the on-elements 211a electrically connected to the phase shifter 15. However, in the base design 207a, a single on-element 211c that existed as a pair in the Y direction would remain on only one side. See the off-elements 211cb at coordinates (X8, Y1) and (X10, Y2) in Figure 14, which are changed from the on-element 211c to off, and the pair Pb, where the pairing is broken. In this case, the side lobe suppression effect is not achieved.

[0088] In contrast to this, according to this embodiment, the off elements 211ab and 211cb are randomly set while optimizing their placement, and by increasing the number of elements set as off elements 211ab and 211cb compared to the base design 207a, the number of on elements 211a and 211c can be reduced, making it possible to operate the receive antenna array 207 on 45 channels. This allows communication to be performed by operating only the on elements 211a and 211c shown in the optimized placement 207b, in which case power consumption can be reduced efficiently.

[0089] Even after the number of channels is reduced to 45, the single-on elements 211c electrically connected to the phase shifter 15 are configured in multiple pairs in a specific Y direction at specific intervals to form a null filter. By configuring a null filter with multiple pairs of single-on elements 211c, it is possible to maintain the ability to track and suppress grating lobes according to any beam angle.

[0090] The receiving antenna array 207 of this embodiment can maintain the grating lobe suppression characteristics whether the base design 207a or the optimized layout 207b is used. Furthermore, the optimized layout 207b can further reduce side lobes by adding randomness. In this case, by reducing the number of on-elements 211a and 211c connecting the phase shifter 15 to be operated, the phase shifter 15 can be operated in a non-operating state, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0091] When the above-described base design 207a is adopted as is, the control circuit 2 can activate all of the ON elements 211a, 211c of the base design 207a and input a beam by operating the phase shifters 15 for 64 channels, which is the normal number of channels. It is also possible to operate the receive antenna array 207 while arranging the ON elements 211a, 211c in such a way that the number of elements that are turned ON is reduced based on the base design 207a.

[0092] Furthermore, for example, if the control circuit 2 were to control using only the optimized layout 207b after reducing the number of channels to 45, rather than using 64 channels, the number of phase shifters 15 implemented could be reduced, thereby achieving cost reduction.

[0093] Considering the configuration of the receiving antenna array 207, the control circuit 2 may control the on / off of the electrical connection to each on-element 211a, 211c in the base design 207a, thereby adaptively switching while keeping the same array arrangement, such as switching the number of channels from 64 to 45 using the same arrangement of the receiving antenna array 207 and operating in a low power consumption mode as a short-range radar in exchange for a slight loss of gain.

[0094] For example, if the control circuit 2 electrically connects the receiving unit 5 to all of the on-elements 211a, 211c of the base design 207a, the reception characteristics can be improved by relatively reducing the off-elements 211b, and the system can be adapted to targets 8 located further away. Conversely, if the control circuit 2 electrically connects the receiving unit 5 to on-elements 211a, 211c that have been optimized for 45 channels by increasing the off-elements 211ab, 211cb from the base design 207a, the reception characteristics can be adapted to targets 8 located closer while reducing power consumption. This allows adaptive control with a trade-off.

[0095] The control circuit 2 adaptively switches modes, such as a full power mode (64 channels) that uses the base design 207a as is, and a low power consumption mode (45 channels) that adds off elements 207ab and 207cb to the base design 207a, and switches the connection of the receiver 5, thereby making it possible to generate multiple beam patterns using the same element arrangement of the receiving antenna array 207. Depending on the situation, surrounding reception environment, or application, the system can be adaptively changed while keeping the same array arrangement, making it applicable to adaptive power control.

[0096] Although the above configuration has been mainly described with respect to the receiving antenna array 207, an optimized arrangement may also be determined for the transmitting antenna array 107. In this case, under conditions in which the on-elements 111a, 111c, 211a, and 211c of the transmitting antenna array 107 and the receiving antenna array 207 are arranged to complement each other, the control circuit 2 may operate the transmitting antenna array 107 and the receiving antenna array 207 by turning off the on-elements 111a, 111c, 211a, and 211c that can be turned off, respectively, to reduce the number of on-elements 111a, 111c, 211a, and 211c compared to the base designs 107a and 207a. This makes it possible to reduce the number of operating phase shifters 12 and 15 while maintaining the overall characteristics by complementarily complementing the characteristics of the transmitting antenna array 107 and the receiving antenna array 207.

[0097] <Additional Notes> The present disclosure includes the aspects listed below. (First aspect) A control device for a high frequency antenna array that controls elements (111a to 111c, 211a to 211c) that are configured to be electrically settable to ON or OFF connection to a phase shifter (12, 15), wherein the antenna array (107, 207) is configured as effective elements (111a, 211a) that are grouped adjacently along a specific direction, vertical or horizontal, in a two-dimensional arrangement and controlled by the same phase shifter (12, 15), and single elements that are not grouped separately from the effective elements but are connected to the phase shifter individually and are arranged at specific intervals in the specific direction. An antenna array control device for a high frequency device, which is configured based on a base design (107a, 207a) set to on elements (111c, 211c), and includes an element control unit (2) that operates the antenna array (107, 207) by reducing the number of effective elements (111a, 211a) or single on elements (111c, 211c) compared to the base design (107a, 207a) by increasing the number of elements set to off elements (111ab, 111cb) that are not electrically connected to the phase shifters (12, 15) compared to the base design (107a, 207a).

[0098] (Second aspect) The element control unit (2) operates the antenna array (107, 207) in an optimized on-element arrangement with randomness and a smaller number of elements from the base design (107a, 207a), based on the base design (107a, 207a).

[0099] (Third aspect) The antenna array control device for a high frequency device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the single-on elements (111c, 211c) connected to the phase shifters (12, 15) are configured in pairs at specific intervals in a specific direction (the same direction as the grouping) and form a plurality of null filters having multiple types of specific intervals.

[0100] (Fourth aspect) The antenna array control device for a high frequency device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the element control unit (2) controls on / off of the electrical connection to (111a, 211a) or the single-on element (111c, 211c), thereby making it possible to adaptively switch between the element arrangement of the same antenna array (107, 207) by trading off the radar detection distance and power consumption.

[0101] (Fifth aspect) The antenna array control device for a high frequency device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the elements (111a to 111c, 211a to 211c) are respectively configured in a transmitting antenna array (107) that outputs radar and a receiving antenna array (207) that receives radar, and the element control unit (2) operates the transmitting antenna array (107) and the receiving antenna array (207) by reducing the number of effective elements (111a, 211a) or single-on elements (111c, 211c) from that of a base design (107a, 207a) by turning off effective elements (111a, 211a) or single-on elements (111c, 211c) that can be turned off, which are determined for the transmitting antenna array (107) and the receiving antenna array (207), under conditions where the elements of the transmitting antenna array (107) and the receiving antenna array (207) are arranged to complement each other.

[0102] (Other embodiments) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be implemented in various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the following modifications are possible:

[0103] Although the configuration has been described in which the on-elements 11a are grouped in pairs in the Y direction, i.e., the vertical direction, this is not limiting. The on-elements 11a may also be grouped in pairs in the X direction, i.e., the horizontal direction. Although the configuration has been described in which two single on-elements 11c are arranged spaced apart in the Y direction, i.e., the vertical direction, this is not limiting. Four or more single elements may be arranged in the same direction so that the on-elements 11c are isolated in the Y direction and the pairs are spaced apart at specific intervals.

[0104] Although the present invention has been described based on the above-described embodiment, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment or structure. The present invention also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the scope of equivalents. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms including one, more, or less than one element, are also within the scope and spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] In the drawing, 2 indicates a control circuit (element control unit), 5 indicates a receiving unit, 107 indicates a transmitting antenna array (antenna array), 207 indicates a receiving antenna array (antenna array), 111a indicates an on element (effective element) of the transmitting antenna, 111b indicates an off element of the transmitting antenna, 111c indicates an on element (single on element) of the transmitting antenna, 211a indicates an on element (effective element) of the receiving antenna, 211c indicates an on element (single on element) of the receiving antenna, 211b indicates an off element of the receiving antenna, and 15 indicates a phase shifter.

Claims

1. A radio frequency antenna array control device for controlling an antenna array (107, 207) having elements (111a to 111c, 211a to 211c) configured to be electrically settable to be connected to or disconnected from a phase shifter (12, 15), comprising: The antenna array is configured as effective elements (111a, 211a) that are configured by grouping adjacent elements along a specific direction, either vertically or horizontally, in a two-dimensional arrangement and controlled by the same phase shifter, and as single-on elements (111c, 211c) that are not grouped separately from the effective elements but are connected to the phase shifter as individual elements and are arranged in pairs at specific intervals in the specific direction, the effective elements (111a, 211a) that are grouped adjacent to each other along the specific direction are arranged line-symmetrically in the antenna array, the pair of single-on elements (111c, 211c) are arranged line-symmetrically in the specific direction, and each of the pair of single-on elements is arranged with off-elements on both sides in the specific direction, An antenna array control device for a high frequency device, comprising: an element control unit (2) that sets both of the pair of single-on elements or some of the grouped effective elements in the base design to off elements (211ab, 211cb) that are not electrically connected to the phase shifter (12, 15), and operates the antenna array (107, 207) by increasing the number of off elements compared to the base design (107a, 207a) to reduce the number of effective elements (111a, 211a) or single-on elements (111c, 211c) compared to the base design.

2. 2. The antenna array control device for a high frequency device according to claim 1, wherein the element control unit randomizes the grouped effective elements or the single on-elements based on the base design, and operates the antenna array with an optimized on-element arrangement with a smaller number of elements.

3. 3. An antenna array control device for a high frequency device according to claim 1, wherein the single-on elements connected to the phase shifter are configured in pairs in the specific direction at the specific intervals and form a plurality of null filters having a plurality of types of specific intervals.

4. 3. The antenna array control device for a high frequency device according to claim 1, wherein the element control unit controls on / off of electrical connection to the effective elements or the single-on elements, thereby enabling adaptive switching to trade-off between radar detection distance and power consumption using the same antenna array arrangement.

5. The elements are respectively configured as a transmitting antenna array (107) that outputs the radar and a receiving antenna array (207) that receives the radar; 3. The antenna array control device for a high frequency device according to claim 1, wherein the element control unit operates the transmitting antenna array and the receiving antenna array by turning off the effective elements or single-on elements that can be turned off, which are determined for the transmitting antenna array and the receiving antenna array, respectively, under conditions where the elements of the transmitting antenna array and the receiving antenna array are arranged to complement each other, thereby reducing the number of effective elements or single-on elements to be less than that of the base design.

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