Antenna array, transceiving apparatus, radar and terminal

Abstract

An antenna array, a transceiving apparatus, a radar and a terminal, which are applied to the technical field of detection. The antenna array comprises M receiving antennas and N transmitting antennas. The M receiving antennas are designed to be in the same row and in a non-uniform arrangement. Among the N transmitting antennas, L transmitting antennas are arranged in the same row, and the positions of H transmitting antennas among the N transmitting antennas are different in the column direction. In addition, other than the L transmitting antennas, there is further provided at least one transmitting antenna which is a first value spaced apart in the column direction from the L transmitting antennas in the same row, the first value falling within [0.5λ, 1λ]. The arrangement design of the array antenna of the embodiments of the present application can significantly improve the angular resolution of the antenna array in the azimuth dimension and in the elevation dimension, and achieve relatively large field-of-view ranges in both directions and a relatively high sidelobe suppression effect. Correspondingly, the present application further provides a transceiving apparatus having the antenna array, a radar and a terminal.

Description

An antenna array, transceiver, radar, and terminal

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510127546.1, filed on January 27, 2025, entitled "An antenna array, transceiver, radar and terminal", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of detection technology, and more particularly to an antenna array, transceiver, radar, and terminal. Background Technology

[0003] Radar (radio detection and ranging) uses radio waves to detect objects in space, identify targets, and determine their distance, velocity, and angle. Currently, radar has achieved high accuracy in ranging and velocity measurement, but its angle measurement capabilities still have significant room for improvement. Especially in the design of vehicle-mounted radar systems, enhancing the ability to measure the azimuth and elevation angles of targets has always been a key focus and challenge in designing vehicle-mounted millimeter-wave radar systems.

[0004] Currently, vehicle-mounted radars often employ a uniform linear array design, arranging the transmitting antennas in one row and the receiving antennas in another. This linear array arrangement does contribute to improving overall sidelobe suppression and increasing overall anti-interference capability. However, this approach sacrifices the ambiguity range of the grating lobes, easily causing angular ambiguity, and the improvement in angular resolution is not significant, resulting in weak angular measurement capability. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides an antenna array, transceiver, radar, and terminal that can significantly improve the angular resolution of the antenna array in the first and second directions, and has a large field of view in both directions, as well as a high sidelobe suppression effect.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides an antenna array comprising M receiving antennas and N transmitting antennas, where M and N are integers, M ≥ 5, and N ≥ 6. The M receiving antennas are arranged along a first direction, and along this first direction, at least two sets of adjacent receiving antennas have different spacing. Among the N transmitting antennas, L transmitting antennas are arranged along the first direction, and these L transmitting antennas are in the same position along a second direction, where L is an integer and 3 ≤ L < N. Among the N transmitting antennas, H transmitting antennas are in different positions along the second direction, where H is an integer and 4 ≤ H < N.

[0007] Among them, N transmitting antennas include the first transmitting antenna, and the first transmitting antenna does not belong to L transmitting antennas. The distance between the first transmitting antenna and the L transmitting antennas in the second direction is a first value, which falls within [0.5λ, 1λ], where λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave corresponding to the operating frequency of the antenna array.

[0008] In the aforementioned antenna array, the M receiving antennas of the receiving section are non-uniformly arranged in the first direction. This non-uniform arrangement includes antennas with close adjacent spacing and antennas with far adjacent spacing. The closer adjacent antennas achieve grating-lobe-free operation over a larger field of view and improve sidelobe suppression, resulting in a larger field of view and stronger anti-interference capability. The farther adjacent antennas result in a narrower main lobe beamwidth, leading to higher detection resolution. Therefore, the non-uniform arrangement helps to balance a large field of view, high resolution, and strong anti-interference capability.

[0009] For the transmitting section, the antenna array includes at least three transmitting antennas arranged in the same row along a first direction. The L transmitting antennas arranged in the same row, combined with the M receiving antennas arranged in the same row, ensure that the angle measurement of the target in the first direction is unaffected by angular differences in other directions, resulting in extremely high angular resolution and a large field of view in the first direction. In some cases, at least three transmitting antennas and at least five receiving antennas are arranged in the same row along the first direction. The narrowing of the main lobe beamwidth of the transceiver channel significantly improves the angular resolution in the first direction and creates good sidelobe suppression near the main lobe, further enhancing the angular resolution of the antenna array in the first direction.

[0010] Meanwhile, the antenna array has at least four transmitting antennas positioned differently in the second direction. Combined with the M receiving antennas arranged along the first direction, the angular resolution in the second direction can be greatly improved.

[0011] Furthermore, the antenna array of this application features a specially designed position for the first transmitting antenna. While the first transmitting antenna is not located in the same row as the L transmitting antennas, its distance from them in the second direction is relatively close, for example, one time the first value. On one hand, the distance between the first transmitting antenna and the L transmitting antennas in the second direction is the first value. The range of this first value allows for controllability of the distance between the grating lobe position and the main lobe position of the transmitting antenna array, even achieving a grating lobe-free range within 180° (when the first value is 0.5λ), which helps to increase the field of view range of the antenna array in the second direction. On the other hand, because the distance between the first transmitting antenna and the L transmitting antennas in the second direction is relatively close, the first transmitting antenna can also participate in angle measurement in the first direction, thereby further improving the angular resolution of the antenna array in the first direction.

[0012] In summary, the solution provided in this application can significantly improve the angular resolution of the antenna array in both the first and second directions, and has a large field of view in both directions, as well as a high sidelobe suppression effect. Especially when this antenna is used in vehicles, such as in vehicle radar, it can meet the requirements of high resolution, high sidelobe suppression effect, and no grating lobes in a large field of view, making it more suitable for vehicle use scenarios.

[0013] In some cases, for K antenna elements arranged along a certain direction, the corresponding field of view (i.e., the angle range in which no grating lobe appears) satisfies the following relationship:

[0014] Where, δ m λ is the angle of the grating lobe, which can be used to represent the field of view; λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave corresponding to the operating frequency of the K antenna elements; d is the smallest spacing element of the K antenna elements; δ m0 This is the angle of the direction of maximum radiation of the main lobe, where m is a non-zero integer, taking values ​​of ±1, ±2, ... . Let δ m0 Taking 0° and d equal to λ / 2 as an example, δ is calculated. m It is equal to 90° or -90°, therefore the field of view ranges from -90° to 90°.

[0015] In some cases, taking d = 0.7λ as an example, δ is calculated. m It equals 45.8° or -45.8°, therefore the field of view ranges from -45.8° to 45.8°. Similarly, taking d equal to 1 / λ as an example, δ can be calculated. m It is equal to ±30°, therefore the field of view ranges from -30° to 30°.

[0016] According to the scheme of this application, along the second direction, the spacing between the first transmitting antenna and the L antennas located in the same row is within the range of [0.5λ, 1λ]. Therefore, in the second direction, the field of view of the antenna array is at least -30° to 30° and at most -90° to 90°, which can meet the field of view requirements of most application scenarios. Especially in vehicle scenarios, where the antenna array is set in the radar of the vehicle body, the second direction is usually perpendicular to the bottom surface of the vehicle (i.e., the pitch direction), and the aforementioned field of view range can meet the measurement requirements of the vehicle in the second direction.

[0017] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the L transmitting antennas include a second transmitting antenna, and the distance between the second transmitting antenna and the first transmitting antenna along a first direction is the maximum value of the distance between the N transmitting antennas. That is, in the first direction, the first transmitting antenna is located at the outermost edge of the N transmitting antennas.

[0018] In some schemes, the first transmitting antenna can also participate in the angle measurement along the first direction using L transmitting antennas. The above embodiments design the first transmitting antenna to have the maximum spacing with the second transmitting antenna along the first direction, which significantly increases the aperture of the antenna array in the first direction. Increased aperture allows the antenna array to radiate electromagnetic waves more effectively, improving antenna gain. Furthermore, according to the Rayleigh criterion, a larger aperture in the antenna array results in higher resolution and more accurate determination of the target's position and orientation. In addition, a larger space allows the transmitting antenna array to have a narrower main lobe beamwidth, thereby enhancing the ability to suppress interference signals.

[0019] Furthermore, by designing the first transmitting antenna to be located far away from the L transmitting antennas, the L transmitting antennas are arranged relatively closely together. In this configuration, the signals transmitted by the L transmitting antennas exhibit better sidelobe suppression, thereby improving the antenna array's anti-interference capability.

[0020] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the first transmitting antenna is located in an array of L transmitting antennas along the first direction. That is, along the first direction, some of the L transmitting antennas are located on one side of the first transmitting antenna, and the other part of the antennas are located on the other side of the first transmitting antenna. In this case, at least one of the L transmitting antennas is located at the outermost edge of the N transmitting antennas in the first direction, and even more specifically, two of the L transmitting antennas are located at the outermost edges on both sides of the first direction.

[0021] For example, L is an even number, and in the first direction, half of the L transmitting antennas are located on one side of the first transmitting antenna, and the other half are located on the other side of the first transmitting antenna.

[0022] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, M receiving antennas and N transmitting antennas form a virtual array comprising M×N virtual array elements. In the virtual array, at least P virtual array elements are positioned identically in the first direction, where P is an integer and P is greater than 2. Further, 2≤P≤H.

[0023] By using a virtual array, at least P virtual array elements are positioned identically in the first direction, ensuring that angle measurements in the second direction are unaffected by differences in the antenna's position in the first direction. This significantly enhances the antenna array's angle measurement capability in the second direction and improves its angular resolution.

[0024] For example, P = H. That is, there are H virtual array elements with the same position in the first direction. This allows H array elements with different positions in the second direction to each have a corresponding virtual array element with a specific position in the first direction, thereby maximizing the angle measurement capability gain in the second direction and greatly improving the angular resolution of the antenna array.

[0025] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, along the first direction, at most two sets of adjacent transmitting antennas among the N transmitting antennas have the same spacing. In this case, the first transmitting antennas are non-uniformly arranged, which can achieve a higher sidelobe suppression effect, a narrower main lobe beamwidth, and a larger field of view.

[0026] In some cases, along the first direction, the spacing between adjacent groups of N transmitting antennas is different.

[0027] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, at most two sets of adjacent receiving antennas among the M receiving antennas have the same spacing. In this case, the first transmitting antenna is non-uniformly arranged, which can achieve a higher sidelobe suppression effect, a narrower main lobe beamwidth, and a larger field of view.

[0028] In some cases, along the first direction, the spacing between adjacent groups of N transmitting antennas is different.

[0029] In yet another possible implementation of the first aspect, L satisfies the following equation:

[0030] In the above embodiment, one-quarter to one-half of the N transmitting antennas are located in the same row, combined with at least 5 receiving antennas. This ratio ensures the angular resolution of the antenna array in the first direction, especially when the number of transmitting antennas is limited, maximizing the detection capability of the antenna system.

[0031] Furthermore, H satisfies the following equation:

[0032] In the above embodiment, since the M transmitting antennas are arranged along the first direction, a large number of transmitting antennas need to be arranged in different positions in the second direction to improve the angle measurement capability of the antenna system in the second direction.

[0033] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, H = N - L + 1. In this case, apart from L transmitting antennas located in the same row, there are no other transmitting antennas located in the same row; that is, the positions of the remaining transmitting antennas in the second direction are all different. This design can guarantee the angular resolution of the antenna array in the second direction under various numbers of transmitting antennas, especially when the number of transmitting antennas is limited, thus maximizing the detection capability of the antenna system.

[0034] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, M = 8 and N = 8. In the above implementation, the number of receiving antenna arrays is 8, and the number of transmitting antennas is also 8.

[0035] Since the number of signal processing paths in the signal processing module of an antenna array is usually a multiple of 4, the 8T8R antenna array can maximize the utilization of the signal processing module while meeting performance requirements.

[0036] Alternatively, L = 4, H = 5. Or, L = 3, H = 6.

[0037] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the M receiving antennas are positioned in the same direction in the second direction.

[0038] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the spacing between any two adjacent receiving antennas among the M receiving antennas is an integer multiple of a second value (e.g., denoted as da), the second value falling within [0.5λ, 1λ].

[0039] Along the first direction, the spacing between any two adjacent transmitting antennas among the N transmitting antennas is an integer multiple of the second value.

[0040] Along the second direction, the spacing between any two adjacent transmitting antennas among the N transmitting antennas is an integer multiple of the first value (e.g., denoted as de).

[0041] The above-described embodiments can improve the angular spacing of the grating lobes and increase the field of view of the antenna array.

[0042] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, taking M=8 as an example, the spacing between two adjacent receiving antennas on the M receiving antennas along the first direction are respectively: 6*da, 5*da, 3*da, 10*da, 7*da, 5*da, 4*da.

[0043] For example, taking da as 0.5λ, the spacing between two adjacent transmitting antennas on the M receiving antennas are 3λ, 2.5λ, 1.5λ, 5λ, 3.5λ, 2.5λ, and 2λ, respectively. Taking the position of the receiving antenna closest to the first side in the first direction as 0, the coordinate positions of the M receiving antennas in the first direction from the first side to the second side are 0, 3λ, 5.5λ, 7λ, 12λ, 15.5λ, 18λ, and 20λ, respectively.

[0044] Along the second direction, the M receiving antennas are in the same position. Taking the coordinate position of the transmitting antenna closest to the third side in the second direction as 0 as an example, then the coordinate position of all M receiving antennas in the second direction is 16λ.

[0045] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, N = 8 and L = 3. Of the 8 transmitting antennas, 3 transmitting antennas in the same row and the third transmitting antenna are located on one side along the first direction. Further, the third transmitting antenna is connected to the same signal processing chip as the 3 transmitting antennas in the same row. The remaining 4 transmitting antennas are located on the other side along the first direction, and further, the remaining 4 transmitting antennas are connected to the same signal processing chip.

[0046] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, taking N=8 as an example, the spacing between two adjacent transmitting antennas on the N transmitting antennas along the first direction are respectively: 6*da, 4*da, 13*da, 9*da, 0*da, 9*da, 5*da.

[0047] For example, taking da as 0.5λ, the spacing between any two adjacent transmitting antennas on the N transmitting antennas are 3λ, 2λ, 6.5λ, 4.5λ, 0λ, 4.5λ, and 2.5λ, respectively. Taking the position of the receiving antenna closest to the first side in the first direction as 0 as an example, the positions of the 8 antennas starting from the first side along the first direction are: 0, 3λ, 5λ, 11.5λ, 16λ, 16λ, 20.5λ, and 23λ, respectively.

[0048] Along the second direction, taking L=3 as an example, the spacing between two adjacent transmitting antennas on the N transmitting antennas are 3*de, 1*de, 2*de, 2*de, 1*de.

[0049] For example, with de = 0.8λ, the spacing between two adjacent transmitting antennas on N transmitting antennas are 2.4λ, 0.8λ, 1.6λ, 1.6λ, and 0.8λ, respectively.

[0050] For another example, if the coordinate position of each antenna is represented as (x, y), where x is the coordinate position in the first direction and y is the coordinate position in the second direction, then the coordinate positions of the 8 antennas are as follows: (0, 3.2λ), (5λ, 3.2λ), (11.5λ, 3.2λ), (16λ, 4.8λ), (3λ, 8.8λ), (16λ, 0λ), (20.5λ, 6.4λ), (23λ, 2.4λ), where da is 0.5λ and de is 0.8λ.

[0051] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, taking N=8 as an example, the spacing between two adjacent transmitting antennas on the N transmitting antennas along the first direction are respectively: 6*da, 4*da, 5*da, 8*da, 9*da, 8*da, 6*da.

[0052] For example, taking da as 0.5λ, the spacing between any two adjacent transmitting antennas on the N transmitting antennas are 3λ, 2λ, 2.5λ, 4λ, 4.5λ, 4λ, and 3λ, respectively. Taking the position of the receiving antenna closest to the first side in the first direction as 0, the positions of the 8 antennas starting from the first side along the first direction are: 0, 3λ, 5λ, 7.5λ, 11.5λ, 16λ, 20λ, and 23λ, respectively.

[0053] Along the second direction, taking L=3 as an example, the spacing between two adjacent transmitting antennas on the N transmitting antennas are 3*de, 1*de, 2*de, 2*de, 3*de.

[0054] For example, with de = 0.8λ, the spacing between any two adjacent transmitting antennas on the N transmitting antennas are 2.4λ, 0.8λ, 1.6λ, 1.6λ, and 2.4λ, respectively. Taking the position of the transmitting antenna closest to the third side in the second direction as 0, the coordinate positions of the N transmitting antennas in the second direction from the third side to the fourth side are: 0, 2.4λ, 3.2λ, 4.8λ, 6.4λ, and 8.8λ, respectively. For example, the coordinate position of all L transmitting antennas in the second direction is 3.2λ.

[0055] For example, the coordinate position of each antenna is represented as (x, y), where x is the coordinate position in the first direction and y is the coordinate position in the second direction. Then the coordinate positions of the 8 antennas are as follows: (0, 3.2λ), (5λ, 3.2λ), (11.5λ, 3.2λ), (16λ, 0), (3λ, 8.8λ), (7.5λ, 4.8λ), (20λ, 6.4λ), (23λ, 2.4λ), where da is 0.5λ and de is 0.8λ.

[0056] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the gain plots along the first direction corresponding to the L transmitting antennas include at least one first minimum point, and the gain plots along the first direction corresponding to the M receiving antennas include at least one second minimum point.

[0057] The angle values ​​corresponding to at least one first minimum point and at least one second minimum point are different, and the angle values ​​corresponding to at least one first minimum point and at least one second minimum point are within the first angle range of the main lobe center point.

[0058] In the above scheme, the null angles of the L transmitting antennas do not coincide. The L transmitting antennas and M receiving antennas can form a virtual array for angle measurement in the first direction. The gain of this virtual array in the first direction is positively correlated with the product of the gains of the L transmitting antennas and the M receiving antennas in the first direction. Therefore, in the above embodiment, at least the first minimum point and at least one second minimum point correspond to different angle values ​​within the first angular range of the main lobe beam. This can stagger the maximum gain points of the L transmitting antennas and the M receiving antennas in the first direction, avoiding the multiplication of maximum points. Consequently, the gain of the virtual array corresponding to the M transmitting antennas and the L receiving antennas has a strong sidelobe suppression effect within the first angular range of the main lobe beam, thereby improving the detection capability of the antenna array within a certain angular range in the direction of the main lobe beam.

[0059] Especially in vehicle-mounted scenarios, the value of detection results varies significantly depending on the location within the field of view. Typically, strong detection accuracy (such as ranging, velocity measurement, and angular resolution) is required within a specific angular range, such as the region of interest (ROI), while requirements can be relaxed for other ranges. This necessitates that the antenna array possess strong sidelobe suppression near the main lobe beam, increasing anti-interference capabilities within the angular range near the main lobe, significantly enhancing the angular resolution of the detection device, and improving the ability to detect small and weakly reflective targets.

[0060] Some experiments show that, under the above design, the antenna array using 1T1R can detect weak reflection targets and small targets with a gain difference of about 10dB, while 3T8R can detect weak reflection targets and small targets with a gain difference of about 15dB.

[0061] Alternatively, the L transmitting antennas in the above embodiments can be replaced by a combination of L transmitting antennas and the first transmitting antenna.

[0062] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, along the first direction, the angle value of the peak of the main lobe of the L transmitting antennas is the midpoint of a first angle range, the width of the first angle range being 20°.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the main lobe beam exhibits high sidelobe suppression within a 10° range to the left and right, enabling the array antenna to maintain high sidelobe suppression capability throughout the first angular range. Especially in automotive scenarios, this sidelobe suppression effect can meet the requirements of most applications.

[0064] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the gain plots along the first direction corresponding to the L transmitting antennas include two first minima adjacent to the main lobe, and the angle values ​​corresponding to the two first minima are different. The gain plots along the first direction corresponding to the M transmitting antennas include two second minima adjacent to the main lobe, and the directional values ​​corresponding to the two second minima are different. The angle values ​​corresponding to the two first minima and the angle values ​​corresponding to the two second minima are different.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the two first minimum points and two second minimum points adjacent to the main lobe beam are staggered, which allows the side lobes closest to the main lobe to be suppressed, thereby improving the detection capability of the antenna array within a certain angle range in the direction of the main lobe beam.

[0066] Secondly, this application provides a transceiver device, wherein the detection device includes an antenna array and circuit described in the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect. The circuit is used to generate electromagnetic wave signals and transmit the electromagnetic wave signals into space using the transmitting antenna in the antenna array, and to process the electromagnetic wave signals received by the receiving antenna in the antenna array to obtain digital signals.

[0067] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the circuit includes a first signal processing chip and a second signal processing chip, which are positioned differently along a first direction. For example, they may be arranged along the first direction but in the same position along the second direction, i.e., in the same row.

[0068] For example, the antenna array includes eight receiving antennas, of which four receiving antennas located on a first side along a first direction are connected to a first signal processing chip, and four receiving antennas located on a second side along the first direction are connected to a second signal processing chip.

[0069] For example, the antenna array includes eight transmitting antennas. Of these eight transmitting antennas, four transmitting antennas located on a first side along a first direction are connected to a first signal processing chip, and four transmitting antennas located on a second side along the first direction are connected to a second signal processing chip. The four transmitting antennas located on the first side along the first direction include three transmitting antennas that are positioned identically and in the same row along the second direction.

[0070] In another possible implementation of the second aspect, the three transmitting antennas, which are located in the same row and are in the same position in the second direction, have the same length of connection line to the first signal processing chip.

[0071] Considering process precision and manufacturing tolerances, the difference in length between the connection lines of the three transmitting antennas located in the same row and the first signal processing chip should be no more than half the distance resolution of the transceiver device to ensure measurement accuracy. For example, if the distance resolution of the transceiver device is 2 millimeters (mm), then the difference in length between the connection lines should be less than 1 mm.

[0072] Thirdly, this application provides a radar that includes the antenna array described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or includes the transceiver device of the second aspect.

[0073] Fourthly, this application provides a terminal, which includes an antenna array as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or includes a transceiver device as described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect, or includes a radar as described in the third aspect.

[0074] Optionally, the terminal can be a smart terminal or means of transportation such as a vehicle, drone, or robot.

[0075] Some of the beneficial effects of the second to fourth aspects of this application can be referred to the beneficial effects of the first aspect, and will not be described in detail here. Attached Figure Description

[0076] The accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below.

[0077] Figure 1 shows the directional gain diagram of a uniform array;

[0078] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the surrounding environment of a vehicle;

[0079] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an antenna array provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0080] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another antenna array provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0081] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another antenna array provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0082] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another antenna array provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0083] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another antenna array provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0084] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the resolution capability of an antenna array when measuring different targets according to an embodiment of this application;

[0085] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the resolution capability of another antenna array provided in the embodiments of this application when measuring different targets;

[0086] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of virtual array elements of an antenna array provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0087] Figure 11 is an antenna gain diagram of an antenna array in the elevation dimension provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0088] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of the transmitting antenna, receiving antenna and virtual array elements of another antenna array provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0089] Figure 13 is an antenna gain diagram of an antenna array in the azimuth dimension provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0090] Figure 14 is an antenna gain diagram in the azimuth dimension of another antenna array provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0091] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a transceiver device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0092] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of another antenna array provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0093] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of another transceiver device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0094] For ease of understanding, the following examples illustrate some concepts related to the embodiments of this application for reference.

[0095] A detection device is a device for detecting targets in an object space. Its working principle involves emitting a detection signal into the object space, receiving a return signal from the object space, and obtaining relevant information about the target in the object space based on the return signal. This information may include one or more of the target's distance, position, angle, speed, reflectivity, reflection intensity, color, or material. The detection signal and its return signal are typically electromagnetic waves or sound waves, including light, millimeter waves, or centimeter waves. The detection device provided in this application uses electromagnetic waves as the detection signal, such as radar (radio detection and ranging).

[0096] The antenna is the device in a detection system that transmits and receives electromagnetic waves. An antenna can transform guided waves propagating on a transmission line into electromagnetic waves propagating in an unbounded medium (usually free space), or vice versa. Specifically, the transmitting antenna converts electrical signals into electromagnetic waves and radiates them, while the receiving antenna captures these electromagnetic waves and converts them back into electrical signals. Detection systems typically have multiple antennas, which can form an antenna array.

[0097] Detection devices are widely used in terminal applications, such as vehicles, drones, robots, and other mobile or smart devices, to measure the distance, speed, and angles (including azimuth and elevation) of targets in space. Improving the azimuth and elevation measurement capabilities of detection devices has always been a key focus and challenge in their design. The antenna array design within the detection device directly affects its angle measurement capabilities, and how to design the arrangement of transmitting and receiving antennas within the array has been a hot research topic for those skilled in the art.

[0098] When evaluating the performance of an antenna array, the directional gain pattern of the antenna array is often indispensable. The directional gain pattern, also known as the antenna radiation pattern, radiation pattern, or far-field pattern, is a graph showing the relative field strength (normalized modulus) of the antenna's radiated field as a function of direction at a certain distance from the antenna. It is typically represented by two mutually perpendicular planar radiation patterns passing through the antenna's maximum radiation direction. The antenna radiation pattern includes multiple radiating beams, which can be broadly categorized into main lobes, side lobes (or secondary lobes), and grating lobes.

[0099] The antenna radiation pattern is described below with reference to Figure 1, taking a uniform array as an example. In the antenna radiation pattern, the beam with the highest radiation intensity is called the main lobe. In some schemes, the interval between two points on either side of the main lobe's maximum radiation direction (taking 0° as an example) where the radiation intensity decreases by 3dB (i.e., the power density is halved) is defined as the beamwidth, also known as the lobe width, main lobe beamwidth, or half-power angle. The main lobe beamwidth is related to the angular resolution of the array antenna; the narrower the main lobe beamwidth along a certain direction, the higher the angular resolution in that direction. Furthermore, the main lobe beamwidth is also related to the antenna's directivity; the narrower the main lobe beamwidth, the better the directivity, the longer the effective range, and the stronger the anti-interference capability. Therefore, designing the array antenna arrangement to reduce the main lobe beamwidth can improve the antenna's detection capability.

[0100] The small beams next to the main lobe are called sidelobes, and the radiation intensity of the sidelobes is related to their susceptibility to interference. The greater the radiation intensity of a sidelobe, the more susceptible the corresponding angle is to interference, leading to measurement deviations. Conversely, the smaller the radiation intensity of a sidelobe, the less susceptible the corresponding angle is to interference, resulting in more accurate measurements. Therefore, designing the array antenna arrangement to suppress the radiation intensity of the sidelobes improves the antenna's anti-interference capability. Better sidelobe suppression indicates lower sidelobe radiation intensity and stronger anti-interference capability.

[0101] Besides the main lobe, radiated beams in other directions will superimpose due to in-phase field strength, forming radiation lobes with similar intensity to the main lobe, called grating lobes. The presence of grating lobes will cause measurement results to become non-unique, affecting the normal operation of the antenna. Therefore, grating lobes should be avoided within the field of view.

[0102] In some cases, for K antenna elements arranged along a certain direction, the corresponding field of view (i.e., the angle range in which no grating lobe appears) satisfies the following relationship:

[0103] Where, δ m λ is the angle of the grating lobe, which can be used to represent the field of view; λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave corresponding to the operating frequency of the K antenna elements; d is the smallest spacing element of the K antenna elements; δ m0 This is the angle of the direction of maximum radiation of the main lobe, where m can be a non-zero integer, such as ±1, ±2, etc. Let δ m0 Taking 0° and d equal to λ / 2 as an example, δ is calculated. m It is equal to 90° or -90°, therefore the field of view ranges from -90° to 90°.

[0104] The above explanations of terminology can be applied to the embodiments described below.

[0105] Currently, most array antennas in detection devices are designed as uniform arrays, meaning that the arrangement of multiple transmitting antennas is uniform, and the arrangement of multiple receiving antennas is also uniform. The element spacing in a uniform array is usually designed to be 0.5λ or 1λ. While uniform arrays can achieve low sidelobes, they struggle to balance angular resolution and field of view. Referring to Figure 1, if the element spacing is designed to be 0.5λ, the main lobe beamwidth increases significantly, leading to a decrease in angular resolution. Conversely, if the element spacing is set to 1λ, grating lobes will form around ±75°, resulting in a significantly narrower field of view.

[0106] Furthermore, with a uniform array design, sidelobe suppression is uniform, resulting in insufficient suppression near the main lobe. As shown in Figure 1, the signal intensity of the sidelobes near the main lobe is relatively high. However, some scenarios require extremely high sidelobe suppression within the angular range near the main lobe, making uniform arrays almost useless in such cases.

[0107] Figure 2 illustrates an operational scenario for an array antenna, which can be applied to automotive radar. Automotive radar uses electromagnetic waves to sense the position of surrounding targets. For vehicles traveling on roads, obstacles such as surrounding vehicles and vulnerable road users (e.g., bicycles and pedestrians) significantly influence the vehicle's driving decisions. This necessitates that the automotive radar possess extremely high azimuth resolution, as well as high elevation resolution. Furthermore, when the target is far from the vehicle, the echo energy is weaker. The closer the target is to the radar at 0° azimuth, the better the radar can suppress sidelobes near the main lobe (e.g., within ±10°). Simultaneously, when the target is close to the vehicle, the radar requires a large field of view to detect nearby targets.

[0108] In summary, existing uniform array antennas cannot simultaneously achieve high angular resolution, a wide field of view, and strong sidelobe suppression capabilities, thus failing to meet users' performance requirements for antennas, especially in vehicle-mounted sensing scenarios.

[0109] In view of this, this application provides an antenna array, transceiver, radar, and terminal that can significantly improve the angular resolution of the antenna array in the first and second directions, and has a large field of view in both directions, as well as a high sidelobe suppression effect.

[0110] Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of an antenna array provided in an embodiment of this application. The antenna array includes a receiving antenna array 10 and a transmitting antenna array 20. The receiving antenna array 10 and the transmitting antenna array 20 will be described below.

[0111] The receiving antenna array 10 includes M receiving antennas, where M is an integer and M≥5. The M receiving antennas are arranged along a first direction, which is the x-axis direction as shown in Figure 3. Further, the M receiving antennas are positioned identically in a second direction, which is different from the first direction; for example, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, i.e., the x-axis direction. Optionally, the antenna position refers to the position of the antenna's phase center.

[0112] In the receiving antenna array, at least five receiving antennas are arranged in the same row. The main lobe beamwidth of the receiving antennas along the first direction is further narrowed compared to four receiving antennas, which can improve the angular resolution of the antenna array along the first direction. At the same time, designing at least five receiving antennas can increase the aperture of the receiving antenna array, especially meeting the high angular resolution requirements for distant targets in vehicle-mounted scenarios.

[0113] Along the first direction, at least two sets of adjacent receiving antennas among the M receiving antennas have different spacing. For example, taking M=5 as an example, the 5 receiving antennas are represented as Rx1 to Rx5, and the spacing between any two adjacent receiving antennas in Rx1 to Rx5 is m. r1 *da, m r1 *da, m r2 *da, m r3 *da and m r4 *da, at least two of the aforementioned four spacing values ​​are unequal. In other words, the M receiving antennas of the receiving section are non-uniformly arranged in the first direction. This non-uniform arrangement includes antennas with close adjacent spacing and receiving antennas with far adjacent spacing. Antennas with close adjacent spacing can achieve grating-lobe-free operation over a larger field of view and improve sidelobe suppression, resulting in a larger field of view and stronger anti-interference capability for the antenna array. Antennas with far adjacent spacing result in a narrower main lobe beamwidth, giving the antenna array higher detection resolution. Furthermore, some experiments have shown that placing at least five receiving antennas in the same row in a non-uniform arrangement can improve sidelobe suppression near the main lobe beam. Therefore, a non-uniform arrangement helps to balance a large field of view, high resolution, and strong anti-interference capability.

[0114] Furthermore, at most two sets of adjacent receiving antennas among the M receiving antennas have the same spacing. In this case, the receiving antenna array 10 is an almost completely non-uniform array. Even in some implementations, the spacing between any two sets of adjacent receiving antennas among the M receiving antennas is not the same. In some schemes, the arrangement of the M receiving antennas in the receiving antenna array 10 is also constrained by the arrangement design of the virtual array elements (described below). Therefore, the non-uniform arrangement of the M receiving antennas can meet the requirements of various possible virtual array element arrangement designs, and can achieve a balance between high angular resolution, large field of view, and strong sidelobe suppression capability.

[0115] In some cases, the second value can be referred to as the minimum unambiguous distance in the first direction, or the angular ambiguity distance, which is the antenna spacing corresponding to the angular ambiguity-free angular range. Since the angular ambiguity-free angular range is designed according to the application scenario of the antenna array, the value of the second value is determined accordingly once the angular ambiguity-free angular range is defined. For example, when the antenna array needs to have a field of view of 180° in the first direction (i.e., the angular ambiguity-free range), the second value should be designed to be 0.5λ.

[0116] The design of the receiving antenna array 10 has been described above. The transmitting antenna array 20 is described below. The transmitting antenna array 20 includes N transmitting antennas, where N is an integer and N≥6.

[0117] First, among the N transmitting antennas, L transmitting antennas are arranged along the first direction, and these L transmitting antennas are in the same position along the second direction, where L is an integer and 3 ≤ L < N. For example, referring to Figure 3, taking 6 transmitting antennas as an example, these 6 transmitting antennas can be represented as Tx1 to Tx6, where Tx2, Tx3, and Tx4 are arranged along the x-direction, and their coordinate positions in the y-direction are the same. The L transmitting antennas arranged in the same row can be combined with the M receiving antennas arranged in the same row, so that when measuring the angle of the target in the first direction, they are not affected by the angle differences in other directions, resulting in extremely high angular resolution of the antenna along the first direction and a large field of view in the first direction. In some cases, in the first direction, at least 3 transmitting antennas are arranged in the same row and at least 5 receiving antennas are arranged in the same row. The main lobe beamwidth of the transceiver channel can be significantly narrowed, and the angular resolution of the antenna array in the first direction can be significantly improved. At the same time, both the transmitting and receiving channels can have a high sidelobe suppression effect near the main lobe, and the sidelobe suppression effect near the main lobe in the transceiver channel is also improved.

[0118] Secondly, among the N transmitting antennas, H antennas are positioned differently in the second direction, where H is an integer and 4 ≤ H < N. For example, referring to Figure 3, the coordinates of Tx5, Tx6, Tx1 and the L transmitting antennas (Tx2, Tx3, and Tx4) in the same row are different in the y-direction. Thus, combined with the M receiving antennas arranged along the first direction, the angular resolution in the second direction can be greatly improved. Optionally, the positions of the H transmitting antennas in the first direction can be designed to be the same, different, or partially the same.

[0119] Finally, the transmitting antenna array 20 also includes at least one antenna in a special position. Referring to Figure 3, taking the design of a special antenna Tx1 as an example, the N array antennas include a first transmitting antenna Tx1, which does not belong to the L transmitting antennas located in the same row. However, the distance between the first transmitting antenna and the L transmitting antennas in the second direction is a first value (denoted as de), which falls within [0.5λ, 1λ]. Optionally, in the antenna array shown in Figure 3, TX1 is located on the fourth side (i.e., above) of the L transmitting antennas. In practical implementation, TX1 can also be placed on the other side, for example, below the L transmitting antennas. Alternatively, multiple transmitting antennas can be provided, each located at a distance of one first value from the L transmitting antennas in the second direction.

[0120] On one hand, the distance between the first transmitting antenna and the L transmitting antennas in the second direction is a first value. The range of this first value allows the distance between the grating lobe position and the main lobe position of the transmitting antenna array to be controllable, and it can even achieve a grating lobe-free range of nearly 180° (when the first value is 0.5λ), which helps to increase the field of view range of the antenna array in the second direction. For example, in the second direction, taking the peak point of the main lobe beam of the transmitting array as 0°, when da is λ / 2, the field of view range is -90° to 90°. Similarly, when da is 0.7λ, the field of view range is -45.8° to 45.8°. Similarly, when da is 1λ, the field of view range is -30° to 30°. Therefore, in the second direction, the minimum field of view range of the antenna array is -30° to 30°, and the maximum is -90° to 90°, which can meet the field of view range requirements of most application scenarios. Especially in vehicle scenarios, where the antenna array is located in the radar of the vehicle body, the second direction is usually perpendicular to the bottom of the vehicle. The aforementioned field of view range can meet the measurement needs of the vehicle in the second direction.

[0121] On the other hand, since the first transmitting antenna and the L transmitting antennas are relatively close in the second direction, the first transmitting antenna can also participate in the angle measurement in the first direction, thereby further improving the angular resolution of the antenna array in the first direction. In some schemes, the first direction is the azimuth dimension (e.g., horizontal) and the second direction is the elevation dimension (e.g., vertical). In this case, combining the first transmitting antenna for azimuth dimension angle measurement can particularly improve the angular resolution of objects near the 0° elevation angle in the azimuth dimension. In vehicle-mounted scenarios, the area around the 0° elevation angle is usually the region of interest (ROI), and the detection results of targets in the ROI are relatively valuable. Therefore, this application can improve the angle measurement capability of the ROI region, meeting the angle measurement capability requirements in vehicle-mounted scenarios.

[0122] In some implementations, the first value is designed to be 0.8λ, which is designed to meet the field of view requirements of the vehicle in the second direction, while enabling the first transmitting antenna to perform high-resolution angle measurements in the first direction in conjunction with L transmitting antennas.

[0123] For example, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. Some embodiments of this application are described using the first direction as a horizontal direction (or azimuth direction) and the second direction as a vertical direction (or pitch direction) as examples, but this application is also applicable to cases where the first direction is designed as a pitch direction and the second direction is designed as an azimuth direction.

[0124] The basic schemes and some possible designs of the embodiments of this application have been introduced above. Below, we will continue to introduce some other possible designs of the embodiments of this application. It should be understood that multiple possible designs can be combined without mutual exclusion, and some examples of such combinations will be given below.

[0125] In one possible design, the L transmitting antennas include a second transmitting antenna Tx2. The distance between the second transmitting antenna Tx2 and the first transmitting antenna Tx1 along a first direction is the maximum value of the distances between the N transmitting antennas. In other words, in the first direction, the first transmitting antenna Tx1 is the antenna farthest from the edge antennas of the L transmitting antennas. Here, the edge antenna refers to the antenna among the L transmitting antennas that is furthest from the first receiving antenna Tx1. Referring to Figure 3, it can be seen that along the x-direction, the distance between the second transmitting antenna Tx2 and the first transmitting antenna Tx1 is the maximum distance of the entire transmitting antenna array. In the first direction, the first transmitting antenna is located at the outermost edge of the N transmitting antennas.

[0126] Furthermore, referring to Figure 3, the first transmitting antenna Tx1 and the second transmitting antenna Tx2 are located at the two sides of the N transmitting antennas in the first direction, respectively. The second transmitting antenna Tx2 is the outermost transmitting antenna on the first side in the first direction, and the first transmitting antenna Tx1 is the outermost transmitting antenna on the second side in the first direction.

[0127] Since the first transmitting antenna can also participate in the angle measurement along the first direction using L transmitting antennas, and the first and second transmitting antennas have the maximum spacing along the first direction, the aperture of the antenna array in the first direction is significantly increased. The increased aperture allows the antenna array to radiate electromagnetic waves more effectively, improving antenna gain. Furthermore, according to the Rayleigh criterion, a larger aperture results in higher resolution, enabling more accurate determination of the target's position and orientation. Simultaneously, a larger aperture allows the transmitting antenna array 20 to have a narrower main lobe beamwidth, thereby enhancing its ability to suppress interference signals.

[0128] Furthermore, by designing the first transmitting antenna to be located far away from the L transmitting antennas, the L transmitting antennas are arranged relatively closely together. In this configuration, the L transmitting antennas have better angle measurement capabilities in the object detection space and exhibit better sidelobe suppression, thereby improving the anti-interference capability of the antenna array.

[0129] In another possible design, along the first direction, the first transmitting antenna is located in an array formed by L transmitting antennas. That is, along the first direction, some of the L transmitting antennas are located on one side of the first transmitting antenna, and the other part of the antennas are located on the other side of the first transmitting antenna.

[0130] For example, referring to Figure 4, compared to Figure 3, the positions of transmitting antennas Tx1 and Tx4 are interchanged. In this case, there are still L transmitting antennas in the same row, but Tx2 and Tx3 are located on one side of Tx1, while Tx4 is located on the other side. As another example, L is an even number, and in the first direction, half of the L transmitting antennas are located on one side of the first transmitting antenna, and the other half are located on the other side.

[0131] Optionally, at least one of the L transmitting antennas is located at the outermost edge of the N transmitting antennas in the first direction. Further, two of the L transmitting antennas are located at the outermost edges on both sides of the first direction. Referring to Figure 4, the second transmitting antenna Tx2 is the outermost transmitting antenna on the first side of the first direction, and the transmitting antenna Tx4 is the outermost transmitting antenna on the second side of the first direction.

[0132] In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the distance between two of the L transmitting antennas is the maximum value of the distance along the first direction of the entire transmitting antenna array 20, that is, Tx2 and Tx4 are the farthest apart along the first direction. In this case, the aperture of the transmitting antenna array 20 is still relatively large.

[0133] In another possible design, L satisfies the following equation:

[0134] That is, one-quarter to one-half of the N transmitting antennas are located in the same row, combined with at least 5 receiving antennas. This ratio ensures the angular resolution of the antenna array in the first direction, especially when the number of transmitting antennas is limited, maximizing the detection capability of the antenna system.

[0135] In another possible design, H satisfies the following equation:

[0136] Since the M transmitting antennas are arranged along the first direction, a larger number of transmitting antennas need to be arranged in different positions along the second direction to improve the antenna system's angle measurement capability in the second direction.

[0137] In another possible design, H = N - L + 1. In this case, besides L transmitting antennas located in the same row, there are no other transmitting antennas in the same row; that is, the positions of the remaining transmitting antennas in the second direction are all different. This design can guarantee the angular resolution of the antenna array in the second direction under various numbers of transmitting antennas, especially when the number of transmitting antennas is limited, thus maximizing the detection capability of the antenna array.

[0138] In another possible design, M is an integer multiple of 4, or an integer multiple of 3. Alternatively, N is an integer multiple of 4, or N is an integer multiple of 3. Since the number of signal processing paths in the signal processing module of the antenna array is usually an integer multiple of 4 (a few signal processing modules have an integer multiple of 3), designing the transmitting and receiving antennas to be integer multiples of the number of signal paths that the signal processing module can process can maximize the utilization of the signal processing module.

[0139] In one example, M = 8, N = 8. See Figures 5, 6, and 7, where the antenna array has 8 receiving antennas and 8 transmitting antennas. In the antenna array shown in Figure 5, L = 3, H = 6. In the antenna arrays shown in Figures 6 and 7, L = 4, H = 5.

[0140] Because antenna radiators are expensive, setting both the transmitting and receiving antennas to eight achieves optimal cost and signal processing module utilization while meeting the performance requirements of high resolution, high sidelobe suppression, and a large field of view.

[0141] The antenna array shown in Figure 5 is described below. The receiving antenna array 10 includes eight receiving antennas located in the same row. These eight receiving antennas are positioned identically along the y-axis, and at most two sets of adjacent antennas in the receiving antenna array 10 have the same spacing. Further, the transmitting antenna array includes three antennas located in the same row, namely Tx2, Tx3, and Tx4. These three antennas are positioned identically along the y-axis. Simultaneously, there are six antennas with different coordinate positions along the y-axis, such as Tx2 (which can be replaced by Tx3 or Tx4), Tx5, Tx1, Tx6, Tx7, and Tx8. These six antennas are all positioned differently along the y-axis.

[0142] In one possible implementation, the detection device can use three transmitting antennas (Tx2, Tx3, and Tx4) and eight receiving antennas to perform azimuth angle measurements (i.e., 3T8R). In other possible implementations, the detection device can use four transmitting antennas (Tx2, Tx3, Tx4, and Tx1) and eight receiving antennas to perform azimuth angle measurements (i.e., 4T8R).

[0143] Some experiments show that when using the 3T8R for measurement, the angular resolution of the azimuth dimension is 1.6°, which meets the angular resolution requirements of the azimuth dimension in vehicle-mounted scenarios. When using the 4T8R for measurement, the angular resolution of the azimuth dimension can be improved to 1.3°, further enhancing the angular resolution. Furthermore, referring to Figure 8(a), when using the 3T8R to measure azimuth, the resolution for two targets spaced 1.5 meters apart can reach 80m. Referring to Figure 8(b), when using the 4T8R to measure azimuth, the resolution for two targets spaced 1.5 meters apart can reach 90m.

[0144] In other possible implementations, the detection device uses a 3T8R measurement method when measuring close-range targets (e.g., at a distance less than or equal to a first value). When measuring distant targets, a 4T8R measurement method is used.

[0145] As mentioned above, combining the first transmitting antenna with azimuth angle measurement can significantly improve the angular resolution of objects near the 0° elevation angle in the azimuth dimension. Some experiments show that using the 4T8R antenna, the azimuth angle measurement error is less than 0.2° within a ±5° elevation angle range, less than 0.4° within a ±10° elevation angle range, and less than 0.6° within a ±15° elevation angle range. This meets the angle measurement capability requirements in vehicle-mounted scenarios, as shown in Figure 2.

[0146] Optionally, for H transmitting antennas, besides the antennas located in the L transmitting antennas and the first transmitting antenna, the positions of the other transmitting antennas can be designed in various ways. For example, along the first direction, Tx8, TX6, and TX7 (or replaced by Tx5) can be arranged in a cross configuration with the three antennas located in the same row. For instance, Tx8 can be located between Tx2 and Tx3, while Tx6 can be located between Tx3 and Tx4, and Tx7 can be located outside Tx4 away from Tx3. This cross configuration can reduce the crossing of circuit signal lines and increase the spacing, thereby reducing crosstalk.

[0147] The antenna array shown in Figure 6 is described below. The receiving antenna array 10 includes eight receiving antennas located in the same row. These eight receiving antennas are positioned identically along the y-axis, and at most two sets of adjacent antennas in the receiving antenna array 10 have the same spacing. Further, the transmitting antenna array includes four antennas located in the same row, namely Tx2, Tx3, Tx4, and Tx5, which are positioned identically along the y-axis. Simultaneously, the y-axis includes five antennas with different coordinate positions, such as Tx2 (which can be replaced by Tx3 or Tx4), Tx1, Tx6, Tx7, and Tx8, each with a different y-axis coordinate position.

[0148] In one possible implementation, the detection device can use four transmitting antennas (Tx2, Tx3, Tx4, and Tx5) and eight receiving antennas to perform azimuth angle measurements (i.e., 4T8R). In other possible implementations, the detection device can use five transmitting antennas (Tx2, Tx3, Tx4, Tx5, and Tx1) and eight receiving antennas to perform azimuth angle measurements (i.e., 5T8R). Some experiments have shown that when using 4T8R for measurement, the azimuth angle resolution is 1.7°, which meets the azimuth angle resolution requirements in vehicular scenarios. When using 5T8R for measurement, the azimuth angle resolution can be improved to 1.3°, further enhancing the azimuth resolution.

[0149] It should be understood that this application does not strictly limit the arrangement of the transmitting antennas other than the L antennas and the first transmitting antenna. Some special requirements can be found in the features described in other designs. In short, there are many possible designs for the arrangement of the other transmitting antennas.

[0150] Figure 7 illustrates another case where L=4 and H=5, with the specific positions of the transmitting and receiving antennas being merely illustrative. In this case, the L transmitting antennas (Tx2, Tx3, Tx4, and Tx5) and the first transmitting antenna (Tx1) are positioned on either side along the first direction, while the other transmitting antennas are positioned between the L transmitting antennas and the first transmitting antenna along the first direction.

[0151] In one possible implementation, the detection device can use four transmitting antennas (Tx2, Tx3, Tx4, and Tx5) and eight receiving antennas to perform azimuth angle measurements (i.e., 4T8R). In other possible implementations, the detection device can use five transmitting antennas (Tx2, Tx3, Tx4, Tx5, and Tx1) and eight receiving antennas to perform azimuth angle measurements (i.e., 5T8R). Some experiments have shown that when using 4T8R for measurement, the azimuth angle resolution is 2.2°, which meets the azimuth angle resolution requirements in vehicular scenarios. When using 5T8R for measurement, the azimuth angle resolution can be improved to 1.4°, further enhancing the azimuth resolution.

[0152] Furthermore, please refer to Figure 9(a), when using the 4T8R to measure the azimuth, the resolution for two targets spaced 1.5 meters apart can reach 45m. Please refer to Figure 9(b), when using the 5T8R to measure the azimuth, the resolution for two targets spaced 1.5 meters apart can reach 105m.

[0153] In other possible implementations, the detection device uses a 4T8R measurement method when measuring close-range targets (e.g., at a distance less than or equal to a first value). When measuring distant targets, a 5T8R measurement method is used.

[0154] As mentioned above, combining the first transmitting antenna with azimuth angle measurement can significantly improve the angular resolution of objects near the 0° elevation angle in the azimuth dimension. Some experiments show that using the 5T8R, the azimuth angle measurement error is less than 0.1° within a ±5° elevation angle range, less than 0.2° within a ±10° elevation angle range, and less than 0.3° within a ±15° elevation angle range. This meets the angle measurement capability requirements in vehicle-mounted scenarios, as shown in Figure 2.

[0155] In another possible design, M receiving antennas and N transmitting antennas form a virtual array comprising M×N virtual elements. In this virtual array, at least P virtual elements are positioned identically in the first direction, where P is an integer and greater than 2. By using a virtual array, ensuring that at least P virtual elements are positioned identically in the first direction, angle measurements in the second direction are not affected by differences in the antenna positions in the first direction. This significantly improves the antenna array's angle measurement capability in the second direction and enhances its angular resolution.

[0156] For example, P = H. That is, there are H virtual array elements with the same position in the first direction. This allows H array elements with different positions in the second direction to each have a corresponding virtual array element with a specific position in the first direction, thereby maximizing the angle measurement capability gain in the second direction and greatly improving the angular resolution of the antenna array.

[0157] Taking the antenna array arrangement shown in Figure 5 as an example, for the 64 virtual array elements formed by 8 transmitting antennas and 8 receiving antennas, one possible arrangement is shown in Figure 10. Virtual array elements TR81 to TR88 are 8 virtual antenna elements formed by TX8 and the 8 receiving antennas, while virtual array elements TR71 to TR78 are 8 virtual antenna elements formed by TX7 and the 8 receiving antennas, and so on. It can be seen that the following 6 virtual array elements have the same position in the first direction: TR88, TR72, TR66, TR37, TR11, and TR54. Therefore, using these 8 channels of virtual array elements for angle measurement in the second direction ensures that the angle measurement is not affected by the positional differences of the channels in the first direction, thus improving the accuracy of the angle measurement in the second direction.

[0158] Please refer to Figure 11. Figure 11 is an antenna gain diagram of the antenna array shown in Figure 5 in the second direction (such as the elevation direction) provided by an embodiment of this application. It can be seen that the above implementation makes the antenna array have a narrow beamwidth in the elevation direction, a high ability to suppress side lobes near the main lobe, and can achieve no grating lobes in a certain angle range, which can meet the angle measurement requirements in the elevation dimension in most scenarios.

[0159] In another possible design, along the first direction, the spacing between any two adjacent receiving antennas among the M receiving antennas is an integer multiple of a second value (denoted as da), which falls within [0.5λ, 1λ], where λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave corresponding to the operating frequency of the antenna array. Combining this with the aforementioned description of the grating lobe angle, this design allows the antenna array to have a field of view range in the second direction ranging from a minimum of -30° to 30° and a maximum of -90° to 90°, satisfying the field of view range requirements of most application scenarios; that is, the range from -90° to 90° is an unambiguous angular measurement range. Further, the second value falls within [0.5λ, 0.8λ]. In this case, the narrowest range of the antenna array's field of view in the second direction is -45.8° to 45.8°. In some cases, the second value is 0.5λ, in which case the antenna array's field of view range in the second direction is -90° to 90°, suitable for automotive scenarios requiring a large field of view in the horizontal direction.

[0160] As shown in Figure 3, along the first direction, the spacing between any two adjacent receiving antennas among the five receiving antennas is: m r1 *da、m r2 *da、m r3 *da and m r4 *da, where m r1 m r2 m r3 and m r4 All values ​​are integers; if antenna stacking is not considered, the aforementioned multiples are all positive integers. As shown in Figure 5 or Figure 6, where m... r1 m r2 m r3 m r4 m r5 m r6 m r7 Both mr8 and mr8 are integers.

[0161] In another possible design, along the first direction, at most two sets of adjacent transmitting antennas among the N transmitting antennas have the same spacing. In this case, the first transmitting antennas are not uniformly arranged, which can achieve a higher sidelobe suppression effect, a narrower main lobe beamwidth, and a larger field of view. In some cases, along the first direction, the spacing between each set of adjacent transmitting antennas among the N transmitting antennas is different.

[0162] In another possible design, along the first direction, the spacing between any two adjacent transmitting antennas among the N transmitting antennas is an integer multiple of the second value da. As shown in Figure 3, along the first direction, the spacing between any two adjacent transmitting antennas among the 5 transmitting antennas are respectively: m ta *da、m tb *da、m tc *da、mtd *da and m tf *da, where m ta m tb m tc m td Both mtf and mtf are integers. If antenna stacking is not considered, the aforementioned multiples are all positive integers. As shown in Figure 5 or Figure 6, m t1 m t2 m t3 m t4 m t5 m t6 m t7 Both mt8 and mt8 are integers.

[0163] Along the second direction, the spacing between any two adjacent transmitting antennas among the N transmitting antennas is an integer multiple of the first value de. This embodiment can increase the angular spacing of the grating lobes and improve the field of view of the antenna array. As shown in Figure 3, along the second direction, the spacing between any two adjacent transmitting antennas among the 5 transmitting antennas is as follows: n ta *de、n tb *de and n tc *de, where n ta n tb Both and ntc are integers; if antenna stacking is not considered, the aforementioned multiples are all positive integers. Among antenna elements with the same coordinate position in the second direction, only one is selected for the spacing calculation. As shown in Figure 5, n t1 n t2 n t3 n t4 and n t5 All are integers.

[0164] The following describes one possible design for the spacing of antenna elements. Taking M=8 as an example, along the first direction, the spacing between two adjacent receiving antennas on the M receiving antennas are 6*da, 5*da, 3*da, 10*da, 7*da, 5*da, and 4*da, respectively.

[0165] For example, referring to Figure 12, taking da as 0.5λ, the spacing between two adjacent transmitting antennas on the M receiving antennas are 3λ, 2.5λ, 1.5λ, 5λ, 3.5λ, 2.5λ, and 2λ, respectively. Taking the position of the receiving antenna closest to the first side in the first direction as 0, the coordinate positions of the M receiving antennas in the first direction from the first side to the second side are 0, 3λ, 5.5λ, 7λ, 12λ, 15.5λ, 18λ, and 20λ, respectively. Along the second direction, the positions of the M receiving antennas are the same. Taking the coordinate position of the transmitting antenna closest to the third side in the second direction as 0, the coordinate position of the M receiving antennas in the second direction is all 16λ.

[0166] Taking N=8 as an example, along the first direction, the spacing between two adjacent transmitting antennas on the N transmitting antennas are 6*da, 4*da, 5*da, 8*da, 9*da, 8*da, and 6*da, respectively.

[0167] For example, taking da as 0.5λ, the spacing between any two adjacent transmitting antennas on the N transmitting antennas are 3λ, 2λ, 2.5λ, 4λ, 4.5λ, 4λ, and 3λ, respectively. Taking the position of the receiving antenna closest to the first side in the first direction as 0, the positions of the 8 antennas starting from the first side along the first direction are: 0, 3λ, 5λ, 7.5λ, 11.5λ, 16λ, 20λ, and 23λ, respectively.

[0168] Along the second direction, taking L=3 as an example, the spacing between two adjacent transmitting antennas on the N transmitting antennas are 3*de, 1*de, 2*de, 2*de, 3*de.

[0169] For example, with de = 0.8λ, the spacing between any two adjacent transmitting antennas on the N transmitting antennas are 2.4λ, 0.8λ, 1.6λ, 1.6λ, and 2.4λ, respectively. Taking the position of the transmitting antenna closest to the third side in the second direction as 0, the coordinate positions of the N transmitting antennas in the second direction from the third side to the fourth side are: 0, 2.4λ, 3.2λ, 4.8λ, 6.4λ, and 8.8λ, respectively. For example, the coordinate position of all L transmitting antennas in the second direction is 3.2λ. For example, the coordinate position of each antenna is represented as (x, y), where x is the coordinate position in the first direction and y is the coordinate position in the second direction. Then the coordinate positions of the 8 antennas are as follows: (0, 3.2λ), (5λ, 3.2λ), (11.5λ, 3.2λ), (16λ, 0), (3λ, 8.8λ), (7.5λ, 4.8λ), (20λ, 6.4λ), (23λ, 2.4λ), where da is 0.5λ and de is 0.8λ.

[0170] Furthermore, Figure 12 shows the positions of virtual array elements formed using Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology under the aforementioned antenna spacing design. Under this design, L×M array elements have the same coordinate position in the second direction along the first direction. Referring to the example in Figure 12, 24 virtual array elements have the same coordinate position in the second direction, significantly increasing the angle measurement capability in the first direction. Simultaneously, 8 virtual array elements have a smaller spacing in the second direction than the aforementioned 24 virtual array elements, and can also participate in angle measurement in the first direction, significantly increasing the angular resolution in the first direction. In some schemes, combining azimuth dimension angle measurement with the first transmitting antenna can particularly improve the angular resolution in the azimuth dimension for objects near the 0° elevation angle.

[0171] Meanwhile, the existence of H virtual array elements in the same position in the first direction significantly increases the angular resolution in the second direction.

[0172] It should be understood that the arrangement shown in Figure 12 is only an example. In some cases, the antenna array can also use other arrangements (as shown in Figure 6 and Figure 7) to achieve the same effect of increasing angular resolution, eliminating grating lobes within the field of view, and achieving high side lobe suppression near the main lobe.

[0173] Optionally, in the antenna array, along the second direction, the maximum distance between any two adjacent transmitting antennas among the H transmitting antennas does not exceed 5 times de, for example, the maximum multiple is ≤ 5. Referring to Figure 5, n t1 n t2 n t3 n t4 and n t5 The maximum value in the range is less than or equal to 3, thus enabling the antenna array to form a dense array in the second direction, thereby improving the angular measurement capability of the antenna array in the second direction. Furthermore, the maximum spacing between the H transmitting antennas does not exceed 12 times de, for example, a maximum spacing of 8de or 10de, etc.

[0174] Optionally, in the antenna array, along the first direction, the maximum distance between any two adjacent transmitting antennas in the L transmitting antennas does not exceed 10 times da, for example, the maximum multiple is ≤10. Referring to Figure 5, m t1 m t2 m t3 m t4 m t5 m t6 m t7The maximum value of mt8 is less than or equal to 9, thus enabling the antenna array to form a dense array in the first direction, thereby improving the angular measurement capability of the antenna array in the second direction. Furthermore, the maximum spacing between the H transmitting antennas does not exceed 30 times de, for example, a maximum spacing of 23de or 25de, etc.

[0175] In another possible design, the gain plots along the first direction corresponding to the L transmitting antennas include at least one first minimum point, and the gain plots along the first direction corresponding to the M receiving antennas include at least one second minimum point. The angle values ​​corresponding to at least one first minimum point and at least one second minimum point are different, and the angle values ​​corresponding to at least one first minimum point and at least one second minimum point are within the first angle range of the main lobe center point.

[0176] Please refer to Figures 13 and 14. Figures 13 and 14 are antenna gain diagrams provided in this application embodiment for 3 transmitting antennas (these 3 transmitting antennas are located in the same row), 8 receiving antennas, and MIMO. Figure 13 is the antenna gain diagram within a range of ±90 degrees from 0 azimuth, while Figure 14 is a partial schematic diagram within a range of ±15° in the gain diagram of Figure 13. It can be seen that in the gain diagram of the 3 transmitting antennas, the center point of the main lobe beam is 0°. Within a range of ±10° from azimuth, the 3 transmitting antennas form the first minimum points Tmin1 to Tmin4, while the M receiving antennas form the second minimum points Rmin1 to Rmin4. The angle values ​​corresponding to the first minimum points Tmin1 to Tmin4 and the second minimum points Rmin1 to Rmin4 are different from each other. In some cases, the angle values ​​corresponding to the minimum points are also called null angles. Therefore, the above phenomenon can also be described as the null angles not coinciding in the antenna gain diagrams formed by L transmitting antennas and M receiving antennas.

[0177] In some cases, L transmitting antennas and M receiving antennas can form a virtual array for angle measurement in a first direction. The gain of this virtual array in the first direction is positively correlated with the product of the gains of the L transmitting antennas and the M receiving antennas in the first direction. Therefore, in the above embodiment, at least the first minimum point and at least one second minimum point correspond to different angle values ​​within the first angular range of the main lobe beam. This causes the maxima of the gains of the L transmitting antennas in the first direction to be staggered with the maxima of the gains of the M receiving antennas, avoiding the multiplication of maxima. Consequently, the gain of the virtual array corresponding to the M transmitting antennas and the L receiving antennas has a very strong sidelobe suppression effect within the first angular range of the main lobe beam, thereby improving the detection capability of the antenna array within a certain angular range in the direction of the main lobe beam. Referring to Figures 13 and 14, in the gain diagram of the virtual channel formed by the three transmit antennas and eight receive antennas using MIMO technology, the gain angle of the sidelobe beams within the first angular range near the main lobe beam, as shown in Figure 14, exhibits a gain difference of up to 20 dB compared to the main lobe beam. This is significantly lower than the gain of the sidelobe beams outside the first angle, resulting in a substantial increase in sidelobe suppression near the main lobe beam and enhancing the antenna array's anti-interference capability within the angular range near the main lobe. Furthermore, this design significantly reduces the main lobe beamwidth, for example, to within 4°, thereby significantly increasing the angular resolution of the antenna array in the first direction.

[0178] Especially in vehicle-mounted scenarios, the value of detection results varies significantly depending on the location within the field of view. Typically, strong detection accuracy (e.g., ranging, velocity measurement, and angular resolution) is required within a specific angular range, such as the region of interest (ROI), while requirements can be relaxed for other ranges. This necessitates that the antenna array possess strong sidelobe suppression near the main lobe beam, increasing anti-interference capabilities within the angular range near the main lobe, significantly enhancing the angular resolution of the detection device, and improving the ability to detect small and weakly reflective targets. Some experiments show that, with the above design, a 1T1R antenna array can detect weakly reflective and small targets with a gain difference of approximately 10 dB, while a 3T8R array can detect weakly reflective and small targets with an object difference of approximately 15 dB.

[0179] Alternatively, the L transmitting antennas in the above design can be replaced with L+1 transmitting antennas formed by the L transmitting antennas and the first transmitting antenna. Even when an antenna with a value of one first value is set on both the upper and lower sides of the L transmitting antennas (i.e., both sides in the second direction), the aforementioned L transmitting antennas can be replaced with L+2 transmitting antennas, where 2 refers to the addition of two antennas with a distance of one first value from the L transmitting antennas.

[0180] In another possible design, along the first direction, the angle of the peak of the main lobe of the L transmitting antennas is the midpoint of a first angle range, and the width of the first angle range is at least 15°, such as 20°, 25°, 30°, etc. For example, if the center point of the main lobe beam of the L transmitting antennas is 0°, then the first angle range is within ±10°.

[0181] In another possible design, the gain plots along the first direction corresponding to the L transmitting antennas include two first minima adjacent to the main lobe, with different angle values ​​corresponding to the two first minima. The gain plots along the first direction corresponding to the M transmitting antennas include two second minima adjacent to the main lobe, with different directional values ​​corresponding to the two second minima. The angle values ​​corresponding to the two first minima and the two second minima are also different. In the above embodiment, the two adjacent first minima and two adjacent second minima next to the main lobe beam are staggered, which allows the sidelobes closest to the main lobe to be suppressed, thereby improving the detection capability of the antenna array within a certain angular range along the main lobe beam direction.

[0182] The foregoing design section describes the antenna gain diagram in the first direction. In some possible solutions, the design in the second direction can be similar to that in the first direction.

[0183] For example, the gain plots along the second direction corresponding to the H transmitting antennas include at least one third minimum point, and the gain plots along the second direction corresponding to the M receiving antennas include at least one fourth minimum point. The angle values ​​corresponding to the at least one third minimum point and the at least one fourth minimum point are different, and the angle values ​​corresponding to the at least one third minimum point and the at least one fourth minimum point are within a second angle range of the main lobe center point. The second angle range is, for example, within ±10° or ±8° of the center point of the main lobe beam in the second configuration.

[0184] For another example, the gain plot along the second direction corresponding to H transmit antennas includes two third minima adjacent to the main lobe, and the angle values ​​corresponding to the two third minima are different. The gain plot along the second direction corresponding to M transmit antennas includes two fourth minima adjacent to the main lobe, and the directional values ​​corresponding to the two fourth minima are different. The angle values ​​corresponding to the two third minima are different from the angle values ​​corresponding to the two fourth minima.

[0185] This application also provides a transceiver device, which includes the aforementioned antenna array and circuit. The circuit generates electromagnetic wave signals and transmits these signals into space using the transmitting antenna in the antenna array, and processes the electromagnetic wave signals received by the receiving antenna in the antenna array to obtain digital signals.

[0186] Referring to Figure 15, the transceiver includes the aforementioned antenna array and circuit 30. Circuit 30 includes at least one signal processing chip for generating and processing received electromagnetic wave signals. Exemplarily, circuit 30 includes two monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs). The MMICs generate specific electromagnetic wave signals and transmit them into space using a transmitting antenna. A receiving antenna receives the electromagnetic signals in space and processes them into digital signals using the MMICs. Optionally, one MMIC can correspond to four transmitting antennas and four receiving antennas, thus generating four transmitted electromagnetic waves and processing four received electromagnetic waves.

[0187] For example, the transceiver includes a printed circuit board (PCB), in which the antenna array and circuitry 30 are integrated.

[0188] Optionally, the signal processed by circuit 30 can be provided to a signal processing device. Further, the signal processing device can process the digital signal to extract data that characterizes the target, such as one or more of the following: range information (e.g., 1D Fast Fourier Transform data), velocity information (or Doppler information, 2D Fast Fourier Transform data), constant false alarm rate (CFAR) data, angle information, channel data, velocity-range spectrum data (i.e., RV spectrum data), point cloud data, and target information. In some cases, the above information can be obtained through processing by different modules.

[0189] Optionally, the signal processing device may be located in the transceiver or in the detection device.

[0190] In conjunction with the foregoing embodiments and Figure 16, this application also provides an antenna array, which includes a receiving antenna array 10 and a transmitting antenna array 20. The receiving antenna array 10 includes eight receiving antennas located in the same row, and the eight receiving antennas are positioned identically in the y-axis direction. Further, at most two sets of adjacent receiving antennas in the receiving antenna array 10 have the same spacing.

[0191] The transmitting antenna array 20 includes eight transmitting antennas. Three of these antennas, Tx2, Tx3, and Tx4, are located in the same row and have the same y-axis coordinate position. Additionally, the transmitting antenna array 20 includes six antennas with different y-axis coordinate positions, such as Tx2 (which can be replaced by Tx3 or Tx4), Tx5, Tx1, Tx6, Tx7, and Tx8.

[0192] Optionally, the transmitting antenna array 20 and the receiving antenna array 10 are arranged along the y-axis. In this way, circuitry can be easily placed in the gap between the transmitting antenna array 20 and the receiving antenna array 10, and the circuitry can also be easily connected to the transmitting antenna array 20 and the receiving antenna array 10, thereby reducing the overall size of the antenna array.

[0193] Optionally, the transmitting antenna array 20 is divided into two groups, with each group located on opposite sides of the array along the x-axis. Each group includes four antennas, with three antennas in the same row belonging to the same group. As shown in Figure 16, Tx2, Tx3, Tx4, and Tx8 are located on the left side of the x-axis, while Tx1, Tx7, Tx6, and Tx5 are located on the right side of the x-axis. This allows antennas in the same row to be connected to the same circuit more conveniently, improving the consistency of the transmitting antennas.

[0194] As a possible example, referring to Figure 16, the spacing between any two adjacent transmit antennas along the x-direction are: 6*da, 4*da, 13*da, 9*da, 0*da, 9*da, and 5*da. In other words, m t1 m t2 m t2 m t4 m t5 m t6 m t7 and m t8 The values ​​are: 6, 4, 13, 9, 0, 9, 5. Furthermore, m t1 to m t8 In this context, there can be at most one set of data that are the same. It should be understood that a set includes two values. For example, among the four values ​​A, B, and C, A = B and C = D are considered to be two sets of data that are the same. Similarly, A = B and C are also considered to be two sets of data that are the same.

[0195] For example, taking da as 0.5λ, the spacing between any two adjacent transmitting antennas on the N transmitting antennas are 3λ, 2λ, 6.5λ, 4.5λ, 0λ, 4.5λ, and 2.5λ, respectively. Taking the position of the receiving antenna closest to the first side in the first direction as 0 as an example, the positions of the 8 antennas starting from the first side along the first direction are: 0, 3λ, 5λ, 11.5λ, 16λ, 16λ, 20.5λ, and 23λ, respectively.

[0196] As a possible example, referring to Figure 16, along the y-th direction, taking L=3 as an example, the spacing between two adjacent transmitting antennas on the N transmitting antennas are 3*de, 1*de, 2*de, 2*de, 1*de. For example, taking de as 0.8λ, the spacing between two adjacent transmitting antennas on the N transmitting antennas are 2.4λ, 0.8λ, 1.6λ, 1.6λ, 0.8λ.

[0197] For another example, if the coordinate position of each antenna is represented as (x, y), where x is the coordinate position in the first direction and y is the coordinate position in the second direction, then the coordinate positions of the 8 antennas are as follows: (0, 3.2λ), (5λ, 3.2λ), (11.5λ, 3.2λ), (16λ, 4.8λ), (3λ, 8.8λ), (16λ, 0λ), (20.5λ, 6.4λ), (23λ, 2.4λ), where da is 0.5λ and de is 0.8λ.

[0198] Referring to Figure 17, which illustrates another transceiver device provided in an embodiment of this application, the transceiver device includes the aforementioned antenna array and circuitry. The circuitry 30 includes two signal processing chips, which are conveniently referred to as the first signal processing chip and the second signal processing chip. For example, the signal processing chip can be an MMIC (Multi-Instrument Microcontroller), and the following description uses an MMIC as an example.

[0199] In some cases, the positions of the first MMIC 301 and the second MMIC 302 along the first direction are different. For example, referring to Figure 17, they are arranged along the first direction but are in the same position in the second direction. Alternatively, the area occupied by the first MMIC 301 in the first direction may not overlap completely with the area occupied by the second MMIC 302 in the first direction, or their areas in the first direction may overlap but not completely.

[0200] Referring to Figure 17, in some possible implementations, the first MMIC 301 includes eight chip pins, of which four pins are connected to four transmitting antennas via connecting lines, and the other four pins are connected to four receiving antennas via connecting lines. Similarly, the second MMIC 302 includes eight chip pins, of which four pins are connected to four transmitting antennas via connecting lines, and the other four pins are connected to four receiving antennas via connecting lines.

[0201] It is particularly noteworthy that the transmitting antenna array 20 includes three antennas located in the same row, namely Tx2, Tx3, and Tx4. These three antennas are connected to the same MMIC, for example, all connected to the first MMIC 301. In this way, the electromagnetic waves emitted by the antennas located in the same row can be processed by the same MMIC, which can improve the signal consistency of the three transmitting antennas and improve the detection accuracy.

[0202] In some possible implementations, the lengths of the connecting lines between the three transmitting antennas located in the same row and the MMIC are designed to be the same, or the difference is designed to be relatively small. Considering process accuracy and manufacturing tolerances, the difference between the three transmitting antennas located in the same row and the first MMIC 301 should be at most half the distance resolution of the transceiver device to ensure measurement accuracy. For example, if the distance resolution of the transceiver device is 2mm, then the difference in the length of the connecting lines should be less than or equal to 1mm, such as 0.5mm.

[0203] Furthermore, the lengths of the connecting cables to all the receiving antennas of the MMIC are designed to be the same or have small differences.

[0204] Similarly, the lengths of the connecting cables to the receiving antenna of the MMIC are also designed to be the same or have small differences.

[0205] In some possible implementations, the layout of the transmitting antenna can be adjusted to take into account the position of the MMIC so that it does not interfere with the layout area of ​​the MMIC. For example, in the transmitting antenna array 20, the antennas close to the receiving antenna array 10 overlap with the layout of the MMIC in the y-direction (i.e., the vertical direction shown in the figure), but are offset in the x-direction (i.e., the horizontal direction), thus reducing the overall size of the transceiver. For example, Tx8 is located to the left of the first MMIC 301, and Tx7 is located to the right of the second MMIC 302.

[0206] This application also provides a radar, which includes the aforementioned antenna array or the aforementioned transceiver device. Optional signal processing devices may be disposed within the radar, or outside the radar, or some modules may be disposed within the radar and others outside the radar.

[0207] This application also provides a terminal, which includes the aforementioned antenna array, or the aforementioned transceiver device, or the aforementioned radar. The terminal can be a vehicle, drone, robot, or other intelligent terminal or means of transportation.

[0208] Taking radar as an example, a detection device can sense the vehicle's surrounding environment and obtain relevant information about targets in that environment. This target information can be used to control the vehicle or assist the driver. In practice, radar can be installed at the front of the vehicle, the side of the vehicle, or the rear of the vehicle.

[0209] In addition, a few additional points need to be made regarding this application:

[0210] I. The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the protection scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

[0211] 2. Unless otherwise stated, “multiple” means two or more.

[0212] 3. Unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions in different embodiments of this application are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0213] IV. The various numerical designations used in this application are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. The magnitude of the serial numbers used in this application does not imply a sequential order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic. For example, the terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," and other various terminology (if present) in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. Such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in a sequence other than that illustrated or described herein.

[0214] Furthermore, any embodiment or design described in this application as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner for ease of understanding.

[0215] V. The terms “comprising” and “having” and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or modules is not necessarily limited to those steps or modules that are expressly listed, but may include other steps or modules that are not expressly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product or device.

[0216] VI. Unless otherwise stated, the names of devices, systems, modules and other information in the embodiments of this application are merely examples, and devices, systems and modules are used to represent possible entities that implement a certain function, and the meanings of the three can be used interchangeably.

[0217] VII. Unless otherwise stated, the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," "outer," "left," and "side," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. It should be understood that the z-direction, y-direction, etc., mentioned in some embodiments of this application are referenced to the XYZ rectangular coordinate system to facilitate the description of the features in this solution, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

Claims

1. An antenna array, characterized by The antenna array comprises M receiving antennas and N transmitting antennas, where M and N are integers, M ≥ 5, N ≥ 6, and: The M receiving antennas are arranged along a first direction, and along the first direction, at least two sets of adjacent receiving antennas have different spacing. Of the N transmitting antennas, L transmitting antennas are arranged along the first direction, and the L transmitting antennas are in the same position in the second direction, where L is an integer and 3≤L<N; Among the N transmitting antennas, H transmitting antennas are in different positions in the second direction, where H is an integer and 4 ≤ H < N; Wherein, the N transmitting antennas include a first transmitting antenna, and the first transmitting antenna does not belong to the L transmitting antennas; The distance between the first transmitting antenna and the L transmitting antennas in the second direction is a first value, which falls within [0.5λ, 1λ], where λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave corresponding to the operating frequency of the antenna array.

2. The antenna array of claim 1, wherein The L transmitting antennas include a second transmitting antenna, and the distance between the second transmitting antenna and the first transmitting antenna along the first direction is the maximum value of the distance between the N transmitting antennas.

3. The antenna array of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The M receiving antennas and the N transmitting antennas form a virtual array comprising M×N virtual array elements. In the virtual array, there are at least P virtual array elements that are in the same position in the first direction, where P is an integer and 2≤P≤H.

4. The antenna array of claim 3, wherein, P = H.

5. The antenna array of any one of claims 1-4, wherein, Along the first direction, the spacing between each group of adjacent transmitting antennas in the N transmitting antennas is different.

6. The antenna array of any one of claims 1-5, wherein, At most two sets of adjacent receiving antennas among the M receiving antennas have the same spacing.

7. The antenna array according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, L satisfies the following equation: H satisfies the following equation:

8. The launching device of any one of claims 1-7, wherein, M=8, N=8, Where L = 4, H = 5, Alternatively, L = 3, H = 6.

9. The launching device of any one of claims 1-7, wherein, N = 8, L = 3; Of the eight transmitting antennas, three transmitting antennas in the same row and the third transmitting antenna are located on one side along the first direction, and the third transmitting antenna is connected to the same signal processing chip as the three transmitting antennas in the same row. The remaining four transmitting antennas are located on the other side along the first direction, and the remaining four transmitting antennas are connected to the same signal processing chip.

10. The antenna array of any one of claims 1-9, wherein, The M receiving antennas are in the same position in the second direction, and the spacing between any two adjacent receiving antennas is an integer multiple of the second value, which falls within [0.5λ, 1λ]. Along the first direction, the spacing between any two adjacent transmitting antennas among the N transmitting antennas is an integer multiple of the second value; Along the second direction, the spacing between any two adjacent transmitting antennas among the N transmitting antennas is an integer multiple of the first value.

11. The antenna array of claim 10, wherein, The second value is 0.5λ.

12. The antenna array of any one of claims 1-11, wherein, The gain graphs of the L transmitting antennas along the first direction include at least one first minimum point, and the gain graphs of the M receiving antennas along the first direction include at least one second minimum point. The angle values ​​corresponding to the at least one first minimum point and the at least one second minimum point are different. The angle values ​​corresponding to the at least one first minimum point and the at least one second minimum point are within the first angle range of the main lobe center point.

13. The antenna array of claim 12, wherein, Along the first direction, the angle of the peak of the main lobe of the L transmitting antennas is the midpoint of the first angle range, and the width of the first angle range is 20°.

14. The antenna array of any one of claims 1-13, wherein, The gain diagram along the first direction corresponding to the L transmitting antennas includes two first minimum points adjacent to the main lobe, and the angle values ​​corresponding to the two first minimum points are different. The gain diagram along the first direction corresponding to the M transmitting antennas includes two second minimum points adjacent to the main lobe, and the two second minimum points correspond to different directional values. The angle values ​​corresponding to the two first minimum points are different from the angle values ​​corresponding to the two second minimum points.

15. The antenna array of claim 14, wherein, At least one of the two first minimum points has an angular interval of less than 4° between it and the peak of the main lobe. And / or, At least one of the two second minimum points has an angular interval of less than 4° between it and the peak of the main lobe.

16. A transceiver apparatus, characterized by The transceiver includes the antenna array and circuitry as described in any one of claims 1-14. The circuit is used to generate electromagnetic wave signals and transmit the electromagnetic wave signals into space using the transmitting antenna in the antenna array, and to process the electromagnetic wave signals received by the receiving antenna in the antenna array to obtain digital signals.

17. The transceiving device of claim 16, wherein, The circuit includes a first signal processing chip and a second signal processing chip, and the first signal processing chip and the second signal processing chip are positioned differently along a first direction; The antenna array includes 8 transmitting antennas and 8 receiving antennas. Of the eight receiving antennas, the four receiving antennas located on the first side along the first direction are connected to the first signal processing chip, and the four receiving antennas located on the second side along the first direction are connected to the second signal processing chip. Of the eight transmitting antennas, four transmitting antennas located on the first side along the first direction are connected to the first signal processing chip, and four transmitting antennas located on the second side along the first direction are connected to the second signal processing chip. The four transmitting antennas located on the first side along the first direction include three transmitting antennas that are in the same position and located in the same row in the second direction.

18. The transceiving device of claim 17, wherein, The three transmitting antennas that are in the same position in the second direction and are located in the same row have the same length of the connection line to the first signal processing chip, or the difference between them is less than the first difference threshold. Wherein, the first difference threshold is half of the distance resolution of the transceiver device.

19. A radar, characterized by The radar includes the antenna array according to any one of claims 1-15, or includes the transceiver device according to any one of claims 16-18.

20. A terminal, characterized by The terminal includes at least one antenna array as described in any one of claims 1-15, or at least one detection device as described in any one of claims 16-18, or at least one radar as described in claim 19.

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