Antenna array, radar, electronic device, and vehicle

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application belong to the technical field of antennas. Provided are an antenna array, a radar, an electronic device, and a vehicle. The antenna array comprises a transmitting antenna array and a receiving antenna array. The transmitting antenna array and the receiving antenna array are used for forming a virtual array. The transmitting antenna array comprises at least two transmitting sub-arrays arranged spaced apart from each other in a first direction, wherein the gap between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays in the first direction is smaller than or equal to the aperture length of the receiving antenna array in a second direction. The receiving antenna array comprises at least two receiving sub-arrays arranged in the second direction, wherein each receiving sub-array comprises at least two receiving antennas arranged spaced apart from each other in the second direction. The receiving antenna array satisfies the relational expression: 0＜|dn-dn-1|≤0.5λ. The antenna array provided in the embodiments of the present application may have the characteristics of having a large array aperture, a high resolution, and having no grating lobe and a low side lobe.

Description

Antenna arrays, radars, electronics, and vehicles

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 6, 2023, with application number 202311667808.0 and application name “Antenna Array, Radar, Electronic Equipment and Vehicle”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to an antenna array, a radar, an electronic device, and a vehicle. Background Art

[0003] At present, traffic radar continues to develop towards high resolution, long distance and large array with the evolution and expansion of application scenarios (such as high-speed scenarios, urban scenarios, etc.). Traffic radar includes an antenna and a processing module. The antenna includes multiple units arranged in an array. The radio frequency signal transmitted by the processing module is radiated through the antenna. The antenna can also be used to receive the echo signal formed by the radio frequency signal encountering an obstacle, and the antenna transmits the echo signal to the processing module. The processing module obtains position information such as distance, speed and angle based on the transmitted signal. However, while the antenna achieves a large array aperture and high resolution, grating lobes often appear, resulting in a decrease in antenna performance. Therefore, how to achieve grating-free lobes while achieving a large array space and high angular resolution has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide an antenna array, a radar, an electronic device, and a vehicle, which can enable the antenna array to have the characteristics of a large array aperture, high resolution, no grating lobes, and low side lobes, thereby improving the performance of the antenna array.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides an antenna array, comprising a transmitting antenna array and a receiving antenna array. The transmitting antenna array and the receiving antenna array are used to form a virtual array. The transmitting antenna array comprises at least two transmitting sub-arrays spaced apart along a first direction, wherein the spacing between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays in the first direction is less than or equal to the aperture length of the receiving antenna array in the second direction. The receiving antenna array comprises at least two receiving sub-arrays spaced apart along a second direction, wherein each receiving sub-array comprises at least two receiving antennas spaced apart along the second direction. The receiving antenna array satisfies the relationship: 0 < |d n -d n-1 |≤0.5λ,d n Refers to the distance between two adjacent receiving antennas in the nth receiving subarray in the second direction, d n-1 It refers to the distance in the second direction between two adjacent receiving antennas in the n-1th receiving subarray, λ is the operating wavelength of the antenna array, and n is a positive integer.

[0006] When the receiving antenna array 300 satisfies the relationship: 0<|d n -d n-1 |≤0.5λ, and at least two receiving subarrays in the receiving antenna array have different second receiving spacings, and the spacing between two adjacent transmitting subarrays in the first direction is less than or equal to the aperture length of the receiving antenna array in the second direction. This allows a virtual array to be composed of multiple regular arrays with unequal spacing. As a result, the antenna array can exhibit large array aperture, high resolution, no grating lobes, and low sidelobe characteristics. Furthermore, information about the sidelobe angles of the antenna array can be used to select appropriate transmitting and receiving antennas, further reducing the sidelobe energy of the antenna array.

[0007] During the formation of a virtual array, where two adjacent receiving sub-arrays overlap, a small half-wavelength array with an element spacing less than or equal to 0.5λ exists. This array exhibits no grating lobes and low sidelobe energy, providing a new solution for addressing false alarms caused by multiple targets and large reflective targets. Furthermore, because the virtual array is constructed from multiple regular arrays with unequal spacing, a large half-wavelength array with no grating lobes can be obtained through array interpolation during back-end algorithm processing. This further reduces sidelobe energy and helps improve antenna performance.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the spacing between two adjacent transmitting subarrays in the first direction is greater than or equal to zero, which can ensure that the transmitting antenna array and the receiving antenna array can form a virtual array, so that the antenna array has the characteristics of large array aperture, high resolution, no grating lobe, and low side lobe.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the transmit antenna array includes at least two first transmit spacings, where at least two of the first transmit spacings in the transmit antenna array are the same or all of the first transmit spacings in the transmit antenna array are different. The spacing between two adjacent transmit sub-arrays in the first direction is defined as the first transmit spacing. This configuration reduces the design difficulty of the transmit antenna array while maintaining the characteristics of a large array aperture, high resolution, no grating lobes, and low side lobes.

[0010] In one possible implementation, each transmit subarray includes at least one transmit antenna, where: at least two transmit subarrays in the transmit antenna array have the same number of transmit antennas; or each transmit subarray in the transmit antenna array has a different number of transmit antennas. By adjusting the number of transmit antennas in the transmit subarray, the aperture, sidelobe positions, and number of the virtual array can be flexibly adjusted.

[0011] In a possible implementation manner, the receiving antenna array further satisfies the relationship: 0≤d m≤(d n +d n-1 ), d m It refers to the distance between the nth receiving sub-array and the (n-1)th receiving sub-array in the second direction, where m is a positive integer.

[0012] Through the relationship: 0≤d m ≤(d n +d n-1 ), the aperture, sidelobe position and number of the virtual array can be flexibly adjusted to improve the application range of the antenna array.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the receiving antenna array includes at least two first receiving spacings, where at least two of the first receiving spacings in the receiving antenna array are the same or all of the first receiving spacings in the receiving antenna array are different. The spacing between two adjacent receiving subarrays in the first direction is defined as the first receiving spacing. This configuration reduces the design difficulty of the receiving antenna array while maintaining the characteristics of a large array aperture, high resolution, no grating lobes, and low side lobes.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the receiving antenna array includes at least one first receiving spacing, and at least one first receiving spacing in the receiving antenna array is equal to zero. The spacing between two adjacent receiving sub-arrays in the first direction is defined as the first receiving spacing. By setting the first receiving spacing equal to zero, the size of the receiving antenna array in the second direction can be reduced, thereby simplifying the layout of the receiving antenna array.

[0015] In one possible implementation, two adjacent receiving subarrays corresponding to at least one first receiving spacing equal to zero share the same receiving antenna. Under the condition that the first receiving spacing is zero, allowing two adjacent receiving subarrays corresponding to the first receiving spacing equal to zero to share the same receiving antenna can reduce the number of receiving antennas while maintaining the antenna array's large array aperture, high resolution, no grating lobes, and low side lobes, thereby helping to reduce the size of the receiving antenna array in the second direction.

[0016] In one possible implementation, at least two receiving subarrays in the receiving antenna array have the same number of receiving antennas; or, each receiving subarray in the receiving antenna array has a different number of receiving antennas. By adjusting the number of receiving antennas in the receiving subarrays, the aperture, sidelobe positions, and number of the virtual array can be flexibly adjusted.

[0017] In one possible implementation, at least one receiving subarray includes at least two second receiving spacings, and at least two second receiving spacings within at least one receiving subarray are identical. The spacing between two adjacent receiving antennas in the same receiving subarray in the second direction is defined as the second receiving spacing. By controlling the spacing between multiple receiving antennas within the receiving subarray, the aperture, sidelobe positions, and number of the virtual array can be flexibly adjusted.

[0018] A second aspect of the present application provides a radar, comprising an antenna array as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0019] A third aspect of the present application provides an electronic device, comprising an antenna array as described in any one of the first aspect or a radar as described in the second aspect.

[0020] A fourth aspect of the present application provides a vehicle comprising an antenna array as in any one of the first aspect or a radar as in the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a radar provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a first antenna array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a receiving antenna array provided in an embodiment of the present application that is different from the receiving antenna array in FIG2 ;

[0024] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a second antenna array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the array formation process of the antenna array in FIG4 to form a virtual array;

[0026] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of position information of a virtual array formed by the antenna array in FIG4 ;

[0027] FIG7 is an array factor pattern when the virtual array shown in FIG6 scans 0°;

[0028] FIG8 is an array factor pattern when the virtual array shown in FIG6 scans 60°;

[0029] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the position information of the virtual array in FIG6 after being processed by the algorithm backend;

[0030] FIG10 is an array factor pattern when the virtual array in FIG9 scans 60°;

[0031] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a third antenna array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the array formation process of the antenna array in FIG11 to form a virtual array;

[0033] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of position information of a virtual array formed by the antenna array in FIG11;

[0034] FIG14 is an array factor pattern when the virtual array shown in FIG13 scans 0°;

[0035] FIG15 is an array factor pattern when the virtual array shown in FIG13 scans 60°;

[0036] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of the position information of the virtual array in FIG13 after being processed by the algorithm backend;

[0037] FIG17 is an array factor pattern when the virtual array in FIG16 scans 60°.

[0038] Explanation of reference numerals: 100, radar; 110, antenna array; 120, radio frequency module; 130, processing module; 200, transmitting antenna array; 210, transmitting sub-array; 211, transmitting antenna; 300, receiving antenna array; 310, receiving sub-array; 311, receiving antenna. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Currently, traffic radars include a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antenna, a processing unit, and a radio frequency unit (RFU). The MIMO antenna includes multiple receiving antennas and multiple transmitting antennas, meaning it includes multiple receiving channels and multiple transmitting channels. This allows the MIMO antenna to form a virtual array antenna. The RF unit's transmitting channel is connected to the transmitting antenna, and the RF unit's receiving channel is connected to the receiving channel. The RF signal emitted by the RF unit's transmitting channel is radiated by the transmitting antenna. After reflecting off a target object, the RF signal forms an echo signal, which is received by the receiving antenna. The RF unit can also perform frequency mixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the echo signal received by the receiving antenna, and transmit it to the processing unit. The processing unit is used to perform operations such as Fourier transform and constant false-alarm rate (CFAR) on the echo signal, thereby determining information such as the target's distance, speed, and azimuth based on the received echo signal.

[0040] However, while MIMO antennas can achieve large array apertures and high resolution, they also suffer from the appearance of grating lobes, which degrade antenna performance. Furthermore, the presence of a large number of side lobes and their high energy can lead to false alarms.

[0041] In view of this, embodiments of the present application provide an antenna array 110, a radar 100, an electronic device, and a vehicle. The antenna array 110 can exhibit the characteristics of a large array aperture, high resolution, no grating lobes, and low side lobes. Furthermore, the virtual array formed by the antenna array 110 includes a small array with no grating lobes and an element spacing of less than or equal to 0.5λ, which can reduce sidelobe energy and thus address false alarm issues.

[0042] The radar 100 provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to a variety of fields. For example, the radar 100 provided in the embodiments of the present application can include, but is not limited to, vehicle-mounted radars, traffic radars, and drone radars. In the embodiments of the present application, the traffic radar is used as an example for illustration. The specific type of traffic radar is not limited here. For example, the traffic radar can be a traffic millimeter-wave radar.

[0043] The radar 100 provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to electronic devices or vehicles. Electronic devices include, but are not limited to, traffic lights, drones, point-of-sale terminals, and vehicle-mounted computers. Vehicles can include cars, trains, airplanes, ships, bicycles, or tricycles. Vehicles can include gasoline-powered, electric, or hybrid vehicles.

[0044] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a radar provided in an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG1 , the radar 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application includes an antenna array 110, a radio frequency module 120, and a processing module 130. The antenna array 110 includes a transmitting antenna array 200 and a receiving antenna array 300. The transmitting antenna array 200 and the receiving antenna array 300 make the antenna array 110 have a multiple-input multiple-output architecture, which can form a virtual array. The radio frequency signal emitted by the transmitting channel of the radio frequency module 120 is radiated through the transmitting antenna array 200. When the radio frequency signal encounters an obstacle, an echo signal is formed. The receiving channel of the radio frequency module 120 can receive the echo signal through the receiving antenna 311. The radio frequency module 120 also transmits the received echo signal to the processing module 130. The processing module 130 performs operations such as Fourier transform and constant false alarm detection on the echo signal, thereby determining information such as the distance, speed, and azimuth of the target based on the received echo signal.

[0045] The antenna array 110 provided in the embodiment of the present application adopts a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system to form a virtual antenna array 110, which can reduce the number of transmit channels and receive channels while increasing the array aperture, so that the antenna array 110 has the characteristics of a large array aperture and high resolution. In addition, the antenna array 110 is designed based on the concept of an irregular array, which can make the antenna array 110 have the characteristics of a large array, high resolution, no grating lobes and low side lobes. In addition, the virtual array formed by the antenna array 110 has a small array without grating lobes with an array element spacing less than or equal to 0.5λ, which can reduce the sidelobe energy and thus solve the false alarm problem.

[0046] It should be noted that, in addition to being applied to the radar 100 , the antenna array 110 provided in the embodiment of the present application can also be applied to electronic devices or vehicles.

[0047] The following describes an implementation of the antenna array 110 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0048] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first antenna array provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG2 , the antenna array 110 may include a transmitting antenna array 200 and a receiving antenna array 300. The transmitting antenna array 200 and the receiving antenna array 300 are used to form a virtual array, allowing the antenna array 110 to be configured as a MIMO antenna system. This allows for a larger virtual array and increases the aperture of the antenna array 110 to achieve higher angular resolution. The transmitting antenna array 200 is used to transmit radio frequency signals, which are reflected by a target object to form an echo signal. The receiving antenna array 300 is used to receive the echo signal.

[0049] There is no limitation on the relative positional relationship between the transmit antenna array 200 and the receive antenna array 300. For example, as shown in FIG2 , along the vertical direction (e.g., the Y direction in FIG2 ), the projection of the transmit antenna array 200 partially overlaps with the projection of the receive antenna array 300. Of course, the projection of the transmit antenna array 200 and the projection of the receive antenna array 300 may not overlap. As shown in FIG2 , along the horizontal direction (e.g., the X direction in FIG2 ), the projection of the transmit antenna array 200 and the projection of the receive antenna array 300 do not overlap. Of course, the projection of the transmit antenna array 200 and the projection of the receive antenna array 300 may at least partially overlap.

[0050] The transmit antenna array 200 may include at least two transmit sub-arrays 210 arranged along a first direction. For example, as shown in FIG2 , the transmit antenna array 200 may include three transmit sub-arrays 210 spaced apart along the first direction. Of course, the number of transmit sub-arrays 210 may be more or less than three. The first direction may be parallel to the horizontal direction (such as the X direction in FIG2 ). Alternatively, the first direction may be parallel to the vertical direction (such as the Y direction in FIG2 ), or the first direction may intersect with one of the horizontal and vertical directions and be non-perpendicular.

[0051] The spacing between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays 210 in the first direction (as shown by N in FIG. 2 ) can be less than or equal to the aperture length of the receiving antenna array 300 in the second direction (as shown by L in FIG. 2 ). For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , the spacing between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays 210 in the first direction can be less than the aperture length of the receiving antenna array 300 in the second direction (as shown by L in FIG. 2 ). Of course, the spacing between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays 210 in the first direction can also be equal to the aperture length of the receiving antenna array 300 in the second direction. As shown in FIG. 2 , the second direction can be parallel to the horizontal direction (such as the X direction in FIG. 2 ). Of course, the second direction can also be parallel to the vertical direction (such as the Y direction in FIG. 2 ), or the second direction can intersect with one of the horizontal and vertical directions and be non-perpendicular. Furthermore, since the first direction is parallel to the horizontal direction, the first direction is parallel to the second direction. However, the first direction and the second direction can also be perpendicular, or the first direction and the second direction can also intersect and be non-perpendicular.

[0052] When the spacing between two adjacent transmit sub-arrays 210 in the first direction is less than or equal to the aperture length of the receive antenna array 300 in the second direction, the aperture length of the virtual array can be adjusted to meet usage requirements. Furthermore, this ensures that the virtual array formed by the transmit antenna array 200 and the receive antenna array 300 overlaps, thereby producing a small half-wavelength array with an element spacing less than or equal to 0.5λ.

[0053] The distance between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays 210 in the first direction may also be greater than or equal to zero. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , the distance between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays 210 in the first direction is greater than zero. Of course, the distance between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays 210 in the first direction may also be equal to zero.

[0054] In the embodiment of the present application, the spacing between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays 210 in the first direction is defined as a first transmitting spacing (as shown by N in FIG2 ). There is at least one first transmitting spacing, each first transmitting spacing is greater than or equal to zero, and each first transmitting spacing is less than or equal to the aperture length of the receiving antenna array 300 in the second direction.

[0055] In some possible implementations, the transmit antenna array 200 may include at least two first transmission spacings. The at least two first transmission spacings in the transmit antenna array 200 may be the same, or all first transmission spacings in the transmit antenna array 200 may be different. For example, as shown in FIG2 , the two first transmission spacings in the transmit antenna array 200 are the same. Of course, the two first transmission spacings in FIG2 may also be different. When the number of first transmission spacings is at least three, the at least three first transmission spacings may be all the same or all different, or may be partially the same and another part different. Therefore, the multiple first transmission spacings may be the same, partially the same, or different.

[0056] It is understandable that when the first transmission interval is multiple, the number of the transmitting sub-arrays 210 can be at least three, and the at least three transmitting sub-arrays 210 can be arranged at equal intervals along the first direction, or can be arranged at non-equal intervals along the first direction, or some of the transmitting sub-arrays 210 can be arranged at equal intervals along the first direction.

[0057] Each transmit subarray 210 may include at least one transmit antenna 211. For example, as shown in FIG2 , each transmit subarray 210 may include one transmit antenna 211. Of course, the number of transmit subarrays 210 including one transmit antenna 211 may be more than or less than three, or even zero. When at least one transmit subarray 210 includes multiple transmit antennas 211, the multiple transmit antennas 211 in the at least one transmit subarray 210 may be arranged in a spaced relationship along the first direction.

[0058] The number of transmit antennas 211 in each transmit subarray 210 may be different. For example, the transmit antenna array 200 may include three transmit subarrays 210. Among the three transmit subarrays 210, the first transmit subarray 210 may include one transmit antenna 211, the second transmit subarray 210 may include three transmit antennas 211, and the third transmit subarray 210 may include six transmit antennas 211.

[0059] Alternatively, the number of transmit antennas 211 in at least two transmit sub-arrays 210 in the transmit antenna array 200 may be the same. The number of transmit antennas 211 in each transmit sub-array 210 in the transmit antenna array 200 may be the same, or the number of transmit antennas 211 in some transmit sub-arrays 210 in the transmit antenna array 200 may be the same, while the number of transmit antennas 211 in another portion of transmit sub-arrays 210 may be different. For example, the transmit antenna array 200 may include three transmit sub-arrays 210, two of which may include three transmit antennas 211, and another of which may include one transmit antenna 211, or each of the three transmit sub-arrays 210 may include one transmit antenna 211 (as shown in FIG. 2 ).

[0060] In this embodiment of the present application, the distance between two adjacent transmitting antennas 211 in the same transmitting subarray 210 in the first direction is defined as a second transmitting spacing. At least one transmitting subarray 210 may include at least one second transmitting spacing, and accordingly, at least one transmitting subarray 210 may include at least two transmitting antennas 211. When at least one transmitting subarray 210 includes multiple second transmitting spacings, the multiple second transmitting spacings in the same transmitting subarray 210 may be the same, partially the same, or different. In addition, when there are multiple transmitting subarrays 210 with second transmitting spacings, the second transmitting spacings of the multiple transmitting subarrays 210 may be the same, partially the same, or different.

[0061] When a transmit subarray 210 includes multiple transmit antennas 211, the structures of the multiple transmit antennas 211 in the same transmit subarray 210 may be identical or different, or may be partially identical and partially different. Furthermore, the structures of the transmit antennas 211 in at least two transmit subarrays 210 may be identical or different, or may be partially identical and partially different.

[0062] The specific structure of the transmitting antenna 211 is not limited here. The transmitting antenna 211 may include, but is not limited to, a dipole antenna, a half-wave dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, a loop antenna, an inverted F antenna (also known as an IFA, inverted F antenna), a planar inverted F antenna (also known as a PIFA, planar inverted F antenna), a waveguide antenna, a horn antenna, a slot antenna, a paraboloid antenna, a lens antenna, or a patch antenna.

[0063] The receive antenna array 300 may include at least two receive sub-arrays 310 arranged along the second direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , the receive antenna array 300 may include three receive sub-arrays 310 arranged along the second direction. Of course, the number of receive sub-arrays 310 may be more or less than three. Each receive sub-array 310 may include at least two receive antennas 311 arranged along the second direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , each receive sub-array 310 may include two receive antennas 311. Of course, the number of receive sub-arrays 310 including two receive antennas 311 may be more or less than three, or even zero. The spacing between adjacent receive antennas 311 in at least two receive sub-arrays 310 in the second direction (e.g., d1 and d2 in FIG. 2 ) is different, so that the receive antenna array 300 may have the characteristics of an irregular array.

[0064] The receiving antenna array 300 can satisfy the relationship: 0<|d n -d n-1 |≤0.5λ. Among them, d n It refers to the distance between two adjacent receiving antennas 311 in the nth receiving sub-array 310 in the second direction (such as shown by d2 in FIG2 ), d n-1 It refers to the distance between two adjacent receiving antennas 311 in the n-1th receiving sub-array 310 in the second direction (for example, d1 in FIG2 ), λ is the operating wavelength of the antenna array 110 , and n is a positive integer, for example, n can be 1, 2, 3, etc.

[0065] Accordingly, by making the receiving antenna array 300 satisfy the relationship 0<|d n -d n-1 |≤0.5λ, so that the spacing between two adjacent receiving antennas 311 in at least two receiving sub-arrays 310 in the second direction is different, so that the receiving antenna array 300 can have the characteristics of an irregular array, thereby providing conditions for the antenna array 110 to construct a virtual array without grating lobes, so that the antenna array 110 has the characteristics of no grating lobes and low side lobes.

[0066] There is no limitation on the specific value of the spacing between two adjacent receiving sub-arrays 310 in the second direction. For example, the receiving antenna array 300 may also satisfy the relationship: 0≤d m ≤(d n +d n-1 ), d m Refers to the spacing between the nth receiving sub-array 310 and the n-1th receiving sub-array 310 in the second direction (for example, as shown by M in FIG2 ), where m is a positive integer, for example, m can be 1, 2, 3, etc. Since the first receiving spacing is the spacing between two adjacent receiving sub-arrays 310 in the second direction, the first receiving spacing can be greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to (d n +d n-1 ).

[0067] Accordingly, by limiting the receiving antenna array 300 to satisfy the relationship: 0≤d m ≤(d n +d n-1 ), the aperture, sidelobe position, and number of the virtual array can be flexibly adjusted. In addition, the number of sidelobes and the sidelobe energy can be further reduced, thereby further improving the performance of the antenna array 110.

[0068] In the embodiment of the present application, the distance between two adjacent receiving sub-arrays in the second direction is defined as a first receiving distance (as shown by M in FIG2 ), and the receiving antenna array 300 may include at least one first receiving distance.

[0069] In some possible implementations, the receive antenna array 300 may include at least two first receiving spacings. The at least two first receiving spacings in the receive antenna array 300 may be the same, or all first receiving spacings in the receive antenna array 300 may be different. For example, as shown in FIG2 , the receive antenna array 300 may include two identical first receiving spacings. Of course, the two first receiving spacings in FIG2 may also be different. When the number of first receiving spacings is at least three, in addition to all first receiving spacings being the same or different, some of the at least three first receiving spacings may be the same, and others may be different.

[0070] In some possible implementations, the receive antenna array 300 includes at least one first receiving spacing, and at least one first receiving spacing in the receive antenna array 300 is equal to zero. For example, as shown in FIG4 or FIG11 below, the receive antenna array 300 includes three first receiving spacings, all of which are zero. Of course, the number of first receiving spacings equal to zero may be less than three. By setting the first receiving spacing equal to zero, the size of the receive antenna array 300 in the second direction can be reduced, which helps to reduce the difficulty of arranging the receive antenna array 300.

[0071] It is understood that since the first receiving spacing is the spacing between two adjacent receiving sub-arrays 310 in the second direction, when there are multiple first receiving spacings, the multiple first receiving spacings may be zero, or some of them may be zero. For example, the receiving antenna array 300 may include three receiving sub-arrays 310, and thus the number of first receiving spacings is two. Both first receiving spacings may be zero (for example, as shown in FIG4 or FIG11 ), or one of the two first receiving spacings may be zero, and the other may be non-zero.

[0072] In some possible implementations, two adjacent receiving sub-arrays 310 corresponding to at least one first receiving spacing equal to zero share the same receiving antenna 311. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 11 below, all first receiving spacings in the receiving antenna array 300 are equal to zero, and two adjacent receiving sub-arrays 310 corresponding to each first receiving spacing share the same receiving antenna 311.

[0073] Accordingly, under the condition that the first receiving spacing is equal to zero, the two adjacent receiving sub-arrays 310 corresponding to the first receiving spacing equal to zero share the same receiving antenna 311. Under the premise that the antenna array 110 has the characteristics of large array aperture, high resolution, no grating lobe and low side lobe, the number of receiving antennas 311 can be reduced, which helps to reduce the size of the receiving antenna array 300 in the second direction.

[0074] In some possible implementations, the number of receiving antennas 311 in at least two receiving sub-arrays 310 in the receiving antenna array 300 may be the same. For example, the receiving antenna array 300 may include three receiving sub-arrays 310, two of which may include five receiving antennas 311 spaced apart along the second direction, and the remaining receiving sub-array 310 may include three receiving antennas 311. Alternatively, the receiving antenna array 300 may include three receiving sub-arrays 310, each of which may include three receiving antennas 311.

[0075] In some possible implementations, the number of receiving antennas 311 in each receiving sub-array 310 in the receiving antenna array 300 may also be different. For example, the receiving antenna array 300 may include three receiving sub-arrays 310, and the first receiving sub-array 310 of the three receiving sub-arrays 310 may include four receiving antennas 311, the second receiving sub-array 310 may include five receiving antennas 311, and the third receiving sub-array 310 may include seven receiving antennas 311.

[0076] In the embodiment of the present application, the distance between two adjacent receiving antennas 311 in the same receiving sub-array 310 in the second direction is defined as a second receiving distance (for example, as shown by d1 or d2 in FIG. 2 ). Each receiving sub-array 310 may include at least one second receiving distance.

[0077] In some possible implementations, at least one receiving sub-array 310 may include at least two second receiving spacings. For example, the receiving antenna array 300 may include three receiving sub-arrays 310, and each receiving sub-array 310 may include four second receiving spacings. Of course, the number of receiving sub-arrays 310 having at least two second receiving spacings may be less than or greater than three, or even zero. At least two second receiving spacings in at least one receiving sub-array 310 may be the same. For example, the receiving antenna array 300 may include three receiving sub-arrays 310, and each second receiving spacing in two receiving sub-arrays 310 may be the same. Alternatively, some of the second receiving spacings in the two receiving sub-arrays 310 may be the same, while other second receiving spacings may be different.

[0078] When multiple second receiving intervals in at least one receiving sub-array 310 are the same, the multiple receiving antennas 311 in the receiving sub-array 310 may be arranged at equal intervals along the second direction. Additionally, when some of the multiple second receiving intervals in the receiving sub-array 310 are the same, some of the receiving antennas 311 in the receiving sub-array 310 may be arranged at equal intervals along the second direction.

[0079] It should be noted that, in addition to being the same, the multiple second receiving intervals in at least one receiving sub-array 310 may also be different. In other words, the at least three receiving antennas 311 in at least one receiving sub-array 310 are arranged at unequal intervals along the second direction.

[0080] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a receiving antenna array provided in an embodiment of the present application, which is different from the receiving antenna array in FIG2 .

[0081] Whether the receiving antennas 311 in each receiving sub-array 310 have the same structure is not restricted herein. For example, as shown in FIG3 , the receiving antennas 311 in each receiving sub-array 310 have the same structure, and the receiving antennas 311 in any two receiving sub-arrays 310 have the same structure. Of course, the receiving antennas 311 in at least two receiving sub-arrays 310 may have different structures, and at least two receiving antennas 311 in at least one receiving sub-array 310 may also have different structures.

[0082] The specific structure of the receiving antenna 311 is not limited herein. For example, as shown in FIG3 , the receiving antenna 311 may be a patch antenna, and the receiving antenna 311 may include a feeding unit 3112 and a plurality of radiating units 3111 . The plurality of radiating units 3111 are disposed on either side of the feeding unit 3112 , and the radiating units 3111 on either side of the feeding unit 3112 are arranged alternately.

[0083] In summary, when the receiving antenna array 300 satisfies the relationship: 0<|d n -d n-1 |≤0.5λ, and the second receiving spacing of at least two receiving sub-arrays 310 in the receiving antenna array 300 is different, and the spacing between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays 210 in the first direction is less than or equal to the aperture length of the receiving antenna array 300 in the second direction, so that the virtual array can be composed of multiple regular arrays with unequal spacing. Therefore, the antenna array 110 can have the characteristics of large array aperture, high resolution, no grating lobes, and low side lobes. Since the antenna array 110 has the characteristics of no grating lobes and low side lobes, the difficulty and computing power requirements of the back-end algorithm processing can be reduced. In addition, the angle information of the side lobes of the antenna array 110 can be combined to select appropriate transmitting antennas 211 and receiving antennas 311 to further reduce the sidelobe energy of the antenna array 110.

[0084] During the formation of the virtual array formed by the transmitting antenna array 200 and the receiving antenna array 300, two adjacent receiving sub-arrays 310 overlap. At this overlapping location, a small half-wavelength array with an element spacing less than or equal to 0.5λ exists. This array exhibits no grating lobes and low sidelobe energy, providing a new solution for addressing false alarms caused by multiple targets and large reflective targets. Furthermore, because the virtual array is constructed from multiple regular arrays with unequal spacing, a large half-wavelength array with no grating lobes can be obtained through array interpolation during back-end algorithm processing. This further reduces sidelobe energy and helps further improve antenna performance.

[0085] The antenna array 110 provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0086] Example 1:

[0087] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second antenna array provided in an embodiment of the present application, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the array formation process of the antenna array in Figure 4 to form a virtual array, and Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the position information of the virtual array formed by the antenna array in Figure 4.

[0088] 4 , the antenna array 110 provided in the first embodiment may include a transmitting antenna array 200 and a receiving antenna array 300. The transmitting antenna array 200 and the receiving antenna array 300 are spaced apart in a vertical direction (e.g., the Y direction in FIG4 ), and a portion of the projection of the transmitting antenna array 200 overlaps with the projection of the receiving antenna array 300 in the vertical direction.

[0089] Continuing with FIG4 , the transmit antenna array 200 may include three transmit sub-arrays 210. The three transmit sub-arrays 210 are arranged at equal intervals along a first direction. The interval between two adjacent transmit sub-arrays 210 in the first direction is 12λ. Each transmit sub-array 210 may include a transmit antenna 211. The first direction is parallel to the horizontal direction (e.g., the X direction in FIG4 ).

[0090] Continuing with FIG4 , the receive antenna array 300 may include three receive sub-arrays 310 arranged along a second direction parallel to the horizontal direction. The spacing between two adjacent receive sub-arrays 310 in the second direction is zero, meeting the requirement. Each receive sub-array 310 includes six receive antennas 311 spaced apart along the second direction. Two adjacent receive sub-arrays 310 share one receive antenna 311, resulting in the receive antenna array 300 comprising 16 receive antennas 311. Within the first receive sub-array 310 (such as rx1 in FIG4 ), the six receive antennas 311 are equally spaced along the second direction, with the spacing between two adjacent receive antennas 311 in the second direction being 1λ. Within the second receive sub-array 310 (such as rx2 in FIG4 ), the six receive antennas 311 are equally spaced along the second direction, with the spacing between two adjacent receive antennas 311 in the second direction being 1.5λ. In the third receiving sub-array 310 (such as rx3 in FIG4 ), six receiving antennas 311 are arranged at equal intervals along the second direction, and the interval between two adjacent receiving antennas 311 in the second direction is 1λ.

[0091] As shown in Figure 4 , the spacing between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays 210 in the first direction is 12λ, and the aperture length of the receiving antenna array 300 in the second direction is 17.5λ. Therefore, the spacing between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays 210 in the first direction is greater than zero and less than the aperture length of the receiving antenna array 300 in the second direction, meeting the requirements. As shown in Figure 4 , the aperture length of the receiving antenna array 300 in the second direction can be understood as the spacing between the leftmost receiving antenna 311 and the rightmost receiving antenna 311 in the second direction.

[0092] 4 , the absolute value of the difference between the spacing between two adjacent receiving antennas 311 in the first receiving subarray 310 and the spacing between two adjacent receiving antennas 311 in the second receiving subarray 310 is equal to 0.5λ, and the absolute value of the difference between the spacing between two adjacent receiving antennas 311 in the second receiving subarray 310 and the spacing between two adjacent receiving antennas 311 in the third receiving subarray 310 is equal to 0.5λ, satisfying the relationship: 0<|d n -d n-1 |≤0.5λ.

[0093] Since transmit antenna array 200 includes three transmit antennas 211 and receive antenna array 300 includes 16 receive antennas 311, transmit antenna array 200 and receive antenna array 300 can form a virtual array comprising 3×16 virtual channels, with the 3×16 virtual channels in the virtual array arranged horizontally. In other words, antenna array 110 can form a 1×48 virtual array, where 1 indicates that the virtual array is one-dimensionally distributed, and 48 indicates that the virtual array has 48 virtual channels arranged horizontally (as shown in FIG6 ).

[0094] As shown in Figure 5 , during the virtual array formation process, the first receiving sub-array 310 overlaps with the second receiving sub-array 310 (indicated by the dashed box a in Figure 5 ), and the second receiving sub-array 310 overlaps with the third receiving sub-array 310 (indicated by the dashed box b in Figure 5 ). The element spacing at each of these two overlapping locations differs by 0.5λ, and the aperture length at the overlap is 5.5λ. This half-wavelength array at this overlap exhibits no grating lobes, providing a new solution to the false alarm problem caused by multiple targets and large reflective targets in traffic radar.

[0095] 6 , the aperture length of the virtual array formed by the antenna array 110 in FIG. 4 is 41.5λ. Based on the aperture length of the virtual array, the corresponding angular resolution can be calculated to be approximately 1.38°, which meets the requirements of large array aperture and high resolution.

[0096] FIG7 is an array factor pattern when the virtual array shown in FIG6 scans 0°, and FIG8 is an array factor pattern when the virtual array shown in FIG6 scans 60°.

[0097] As shown in Figure 7, the 0° array factor pattern has no grating lobes, but eight high-energy sidelobes (six of which are concentrated in a wide angle region outside ±40°). The small number of sidelobes and their low energy allow antenna array 110 to exhibit low sidelobe characteristics. Figure 8 shows that the 60° array factor pattern still has no grating lobes, demonstrating its wide-angle scanning and high dynamic range characteristics.

[0098] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of position information of the virtual array in FIG6 after being processed by the algorithm backend, and FIG10 is an array factor direction diagram when the virtual array in FIG9 scans 60°.

[0099] After the array position information of the virtual array in Figure 6 is processed by the algorithm backend (such as array interpolation), a large array with no grating lobes and a factor of ≤0.5λ can be obtained, as shown in Figure 9. When its array factor pattern scans 60° (as shown in Figure 10), it has the characteristics of no grating lobes and low sidelobe energy, which can be used to solve the false alarm problem caused by multiple targets and large reflective targets in traffic radar.

[0100] Example 2:

[0101] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the third antenna array provided in an embodiment of the present application, Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the array formation process of the antenna array in Figure 11 to form a virtual array, and Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the position information of the virtual array formed by the antenna array in Figure 11.

[0102] As shown in Figure 11, the antenna array 110 provided in Example 2 may include a transmitting antenna array 200 and a receiving antenna array 300. The transmitting antenna array 200 and the receiving antenna array 300 are arranged at intervals along the vertical direction (such as the Y direction in Figure 11). Along the vertical direction, a portion of the projection of the transmitting antenna array 200 overlaps with the projection of the receiving antenna array 300.

[0103] Continuing with FIG. 11 , the transmit antenna array 200 may include three transmit sub-arrays 210. The three transmit sub-arrays 210 are arranged at equal intervals along a first direction, with the spacing between two adjacent transmit sub-arrays 210 in the first direction being 7.6λ. Each transmit sub-array 210 may include a transmit antenna 211. The first direction is parallel to the horizontal direction.

[0104] Continuing with FIG11 , the receive antenna array 300 may include three receive sub-arrays 310 arranged along a second direction parallel to the horizontal direction. The spacing between two adjacent receive sub-arrays 310 in the second direction is zero, meeting the requirement. Each receive sub-array 310 includes six receive antennas 311 spaced apart along the second direction. Two adjacent receive sub-arrays 310 share one receive antenna 311, thus comprising 16 receive antennas 311. Within the first receive sub-array 310 (as shown by rx1 in FIG11 ), the six receive antennas 311 are equally spaced along the second direction, with the spacing between two adjacent receive antennas 311 in the second direction being 0.8λ. Within the second receive sub-array 310 (as shown by rx2 in FIG11 ), the six receive antennas 311 are equally spaced along the second direction, with the spacing between two adjacent receive antennas 311 in the second direction being 1λ. In the third receiving sub-array 310 (as shown by rx3 in FIG11 ), six receiving antennas 311 are arranged at equal intervals along the second direction, and the interval between two adjacent receiving antennas 311 in the second direction is 0.8λ.

[0105] As shown in Figure 11 , the spacing between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays 210 in the first direction is 7.6λ, and the aperture length of the receiving antenna array 300 in the second direction is 13λ. Therefore, the spacing between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays 210 in the first direction is greater than zero and less than the aperture length of the receiving antenna array 300 in the second direction, meeting the requirements. As shown in Figure 11 , the aperture length of the receiving antenna array 300 in the second direction can be understood as the spacing between the centers of the leftmost receiving antenna 311 and the rightmost receiving antenna 311 in the second direction.

[0106] 11 , it can be seen that the absolute value of the difference between the spacing between two adjacent receiving antennas 311 in the first receiving sub-array 310 and the spacing between two adjacent receiving antennas 311 in the second receiving sub-array 310 is equal to 0.2λ, and the absolute value of the difference between the spacing between two adjacent receiving antennas 311 in the second receiving sub-array 310 and the spacing between two adjacent receiving antennas 311 in the third receiving sub-array 310 is also equal to 0.2λ, satisfying the relationship: 0<|dn-dn-1|≤0.5λ.

[0107] Since transmit antenna array 200 includes three transmit antennas 211 and receive antenna array 300 includes 16 receive antennas 311, transmit antenna array 200 and receive antenna array 300 can form a virtual array containing 3×16 virtual channels (as shown in FIG13 ). The 3×16 virtual channels in the virtual array are arranged horizontally. In other words, antenna array 110 can form a 1×48 virtual array, where 1 indicates that the virtual array is one-dimensionally distributed, and 48 indicates that the virtual array has 48 virtual channels.

[0108] As shown in Figure 12, during the virtual array formation process, the first receiving sub-array 310 overlaps with the second receiving sub-array 310 (indicated by the dashed box a in Figure 12), and the second receiving sub-array 310 overlaps with the third receiving sub-array 310 (indicated by the dashed box b in Figure 12). The element spacing at each of these two overlapping locations differs by 0.4λ, and the aperture length at the overlap is 1.2λ. The half-wavelength array at this overlap exhibits no grating lobes, providing a new solution to the false alarm problem caused by multiple targets and large reflective targets in traffic radar.

[0109] In conjunction with Figure 13, it can be seen that the aperture length of the virtual array formed by the transmitting antenna array 200 and the receiving antenna array 300 in Figure 11 is 28.2λ. Based on the aperture length of the virtual array, the corresponding angular resolution can be calculated to be approximately 2.03°, which meets the requirements of large array aperture and high resolution.

[0110] FIG14 is an array factor pattern when the virtual array shown in FIG13 scans 0°, and FIG15 is an array factor pattern when the virtual array shown in FIG13 scans 60°.

[0111] As shown in Figure 14 , the array factor pattern has no grating lobes, but has two high-energy sidelobes (two of which are concentrated in a wide angle region outside ±60°). The small number of sidelobes and their low energy allow antenna array 110 to exhibit low sidelobe characteristics. Figure 15 shows that the array factor pattern with a 60° scan still has no grating lobes, demonstrating its wide-angle scanning and high dynamic range characteristics.

[0112] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of position information of the virtual array in FIG13 after being processed by the algorithm backend, and FIG17 is an array factor direction diagram when the virtual array in FIG16 scans 60°.

[0113] After the array position information of the virtual array in Figure 13 is processed by the algorithm backend (such as array interpolation), a large array with no grating lobes and a factor of ≤0.5λ can be obtained, as shown in Figure 16. When its array factor pattern scans 60° (as shown in Figure 17), it has the characteristics of no grating lobes and low sidelobe energy, which can be used to solve the false alarm problem caused by multiple targets and large reflective targets in traffic radar.

[0114] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to a fixed connection, an indirect connection via an intermediate medium, internal communication between two components, or an interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of this application based on specific circumstances.

[0115] In the embodiments of the present application, any device or element referred to or implied must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present application. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise specifically specified.

[0116] The terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth", etc. (if any) in the specification and claims of the embodiments of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequential order. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the embodiments of the present application described herein can, for example, be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, a process, method, system, product or device comprising a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0117] The term "plurality" in this document refers to two or more. The term "and / or" in this document simply describes a relationship between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A alone, A and B together, or B alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document generally indicates an "or" relationship between the related objects; in a formula, the character " / " indicates a "division" relationship between the related objects.

[0118] It will be understood that the various numerical numbers involved in the embodiments of the present application are merely distinctions for the convenience of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0119] It can be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. An antenna array, characterized in that: including a transmitting antenna array and a receiving antenna array; The transmitting antenna array and the receiving antenna array are used to form a virtual array; The transmitting antenna array comprises at least two transmitting sub-arrays arranged along a first direction, and a distance between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays in the first direction is less than or equal to an aperture length of the receiving antenna array in a second direction; The receiving antenna array includes at least two receiving sub-arrays arranged along the second direction, and each of the receiving sub-arrays includes at least two receiving antennas arranged along the second direction; The receiving antenna array satisfies the relationship: 0<|d n -d n-1 |≤0.5λ, the d n refers to the distance between two adjacent receiving antennas in the nth receiving subarray in the second direction, wherein d n-1 It refers to the distance between two adjacent receiving antennas in the n-1th receiving subarray in the second direction, λ is the working wavelength of the antenna array, and n is a positive integer.

2. The antenna array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays in the first direction is greater than or equal to zero.

3. The antenna array according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The transmitting antenna array includes at least two first transmitting spacings, at least two of the first transmitting spacings in the transmitting antenna array are the same or all the first transmitting spacings in the transmitting antenna array are different; wherein the spacing between two adjacent transmitting sub-arrays in the first direction is defined as the first transmitting spacing.

4. The antenna array according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Each of the transmitting subarrays comprises at least one transmitting antenna, wherein: At least two of the transmit sub-arrays in the transmit antenna array have the same number of transmit antennas; or, The number of the transmitting antennas in each transmitting sub-array in the transmitting antenna array is different.

5. The antenna array according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The receiving antenna array also satisfies the relationship: 0≤d m ≤(d n +d n-1 ), said d m It refers to the distance between the nth receiving sub-array and the (n-1)th receiving sub-array in the second direction, and m is a positive integer.

6. The antenna array according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The receiving antenna array includes at least two first receiving spacings, at least two of the first receiving spacings in the receiving antenna array are the same or all of the first receiving spacings in the receiving antenna array are different; wherein the spacing between two adjacent receiving sub-arrays in the first direction is defined as the first receiving spacing.

7. The antenna array according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The receiving antenna array includes at least one first receiving spacing, and at least one of the first receiving spacings in the receiving antenna array is equal to zero; wherein the spacing between two adjacent receiving sub-arrays in the first direction is defined as the first receiving spacing.

8. The antenna array according to claim 7, characterized in that: Two adjacent receiving sub-arrays corresponding to at least one first receiving interval equal to zero share the same receiving antenna.

9. The antenna array according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: At least two of the receiving sub-arrays in the receiving antenna array have the same number of receiving antennas; or, The number of the receiving antennas in each receiving sub-array in the receiving antenna array is different.

10. The antenna array according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: At least one of the receiving subarrays includes at least two second receiving spacings, and at least two of the second receiving spacings in at least one of the receiving subarrays are the same; wherein the spacing between two adjacent receiving antennas in the same receiving subarray in the second direction is defined as the second receiving spacing.

11. A radar, characterized in that: Comprising the antenna array according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. An electronic device, characterized in that: Comprising the antenna array according to any one of claims 1 to 10 or comprising the radar according to claim 11.

13. A means of transport, characterized in that: Comprising the antenna array according to any one of claims 1 to 10 or comprising the radar according to claim 11.

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