Frequency-Selective Automotive Radar Antenna for More Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Radar devices for automotive applications face limitations in performance due to the limited number of individually addressable antennas, which restricts the number of available propagation channels, leading to constraints in field of view, angular resolution, and detection range.
Innovation Solution
A radar device configuration that shares a common signal port among multiple antenna elements, allowing for increased individually addressable antennas and propagation channels by varying the operating frequency band of dedicated antenna elements, thereby enhancing resolution and adaptability to different automotive scenarios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the number of individually addressable antennas is increased to improve propagation channels, then the performance parameters (field of view, angular resolution, detection range) are improved, but the constructive complexity and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple antenna elements (first antenna element and second antenna element) are merged to share a common signal port of the radar circuit. This allows the system to achieve multiple propagation channels without proportionally increasing the number of signal ports, thereby reducing constructive complexity while maintaining angular resolution performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna elements are designed with different frequency response characteristics - the first antenna element is optimized for a first frequency band while the second antenna element is optimized for a second frequency band. By varying the operating frequency band, the system can selectively activate different antenna elements, effectively increasing the number of addressable antennas without adding hardware complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of individually addressable antennas is increased to improve propagation channels, then the field of view and detection range are improved, but the production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The common signal port is designed to serve multiple antenna elements across different frequency bands. This multi-functional design allows a single signal port to support multiple propagation channels by switching between different antenna elements based on the operating frequency, thereby reducing the total number of components needed and lowering production costs while expanding field of view.
Solution Approach 2:
The radar system dynamically switches between different antenna elements based on the operating frequency band. The first antenna element is activated for the first frequency band and the second antenna element is activated for the second frequency band. This dynamic allocation allows the system to achieve adaptability for different automotive scenarios (short-range and long-range monitoring) without permanently increasing hardware complexity.
3Device complexity
If multiple antenna elements share a common signal port, then the constructive complexity is reduced, but the number of available propagation channels is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system adds the frequency dimension to differentiate between multiple propagation channels sharing the same spatial resource (common signal port). By operating in different frequency bands (first frequency band and second frequency band), the system can simultaneously support multiple propagation channels through frequency division multiplexing, effectively increasing the number of channels without increasing the number of physical signal ports.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration minimizes additional hardware costs while increasing the number of addressable antennas and propagation channels, improving the radar device's resolution and adaptability for various automotive scenarios, such as short-range and long-range monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
an antenna device for transducing the radar signals
Data Source
AI summary
A radar device for automotive applications comprises a radar circuit configured to process a radar signal that has a first signal portion and a second signal portion, wherein the first signal portion occupies a first frequency band and the second signal portion occupies a second frequency band that is separate from the first frequency band. An antenna device of the radar device comprises a first and second antenna element that are both coupled to a common signal port of the radar circuit and the radar device is configured to route both the first signal portion and the second signal portion via the common signal port between the radar circuit and the antenna device. The antenna device is a frequency selective antenna device that transduces the first signal portion via the first antenna element and not via the second antenna element and that transduces the second signal portion at least via the second antenna element.