Tilted End-Fire Antenna Elements for Lateral Directivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Radar apparatuses face challenges in manufacturing and achieving high lateral directivity due to the complexity of multilayer substrates and the need for precise adjustments in antenna configurations, which limits their detection range and manufacturability.
Innovation Solution
A radar apparatus design featuring an end-fire array antenna with antenna elements disposed on a standard circuit board, where at least one antenna element is tilted to enhance lateral directivity, reducing manufacturing complexity and increasing detection range without requiring specialized substrate processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If patch antennas are disposed in an inclined region on a multilayer board to increase lateral directivity, then lateral directivity is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to substrate polishing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive multilayer substrates requiring polishing with inexpensive standard circuit boards. The tilted directivity is achieved through simple antenna element orientation rather than complex substrate shaping, eliminating costly manufacturing processes while maintaining the desired lateral directivity enhancement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential function of achieving tilted directivity from the complex multilayer substrate structure and implements it through simple antenna element orientation on a standard circuit board. This separates the directivity function from the substrate complexity, allowing independent optimization of each component.
2Length of moving object
If the shape of the lens is adjusted to match the shape of the multilayer substrate to achieve high lateral directivity, then lateral directivity is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for custom-shaped lenses by using standard circuit boards with conventionally shaped lenses. The lateral directivity is achieved through antenna element orientation rather than lens shape matching, significantly simplifying manufacturing while maintaining performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the lens universal by using a standard shape that can be applied to any circuit board without customization. The tilted directivity function is achieved through the antenna array configuration rather than the lens, allowing the same lens design to be used across different radar apparatus configurations.
3Length of moving object
If array antennas are used to increase directivity, then directivity is improved, but the detection range is limited by the directivity of individual antenna elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the orientation parameter of the antenna elements to achieve tilted directivity in the lateral direction. By tilting the antenna elements relative to the circuit board surface, the radiation pattern is redirected to enhance lateral coverage while maintaining adequate detection range through the end-fire array configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension to the antenna element orientation, tilting them at an angle relative to the circuit board surface. This adds a third-dimensional component to the traditionally planar array configuration, enabling enhanced lateral directivity while preserving detection range through the combined effect of array geometry and element tilt.
Data Source
AI summary
A radar apparatus includes an antenna composed of an end-fire array antenna and including a plurality of antenna elements; and a circuit board in which the plurality of antenna elements is disposed side by side in a first direction. At least one of the plurality of antenna elements is parallel to a substrate surface of the circuit board. A directivity of at least one of the plurality of antenna elements is set to a third direction tilted with respect to the first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.