Vehicle Radar Antenna Layout for High Angular Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Radar apparatuses for vehicles face challenges in achieving high resolution while maintaining a small size due to limitations in antenna size and the number of channels, particularly when using a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC).
Innovation Solution
A radar apparatus is designed with a signal processor controlling transmission and reception through channels, featuring a transmitter with sequentially arranged transmitting antennas and a receiver with sequentially arranged receiving antennas, where the total arrangement distances for both are equal, and the spacing factors are set to achieve uniform linear arrays (ULA) using virtual channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a plurality of physically separate receiving antennas are arrayed to achieve high angular resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional planar antenna array to a three-dimensional tetrahedral configuration. By arranging four receiving antennas at the vertices of a tetrahedron with edge lengths of 19.5mm, the system achieves high angular resolution in three-dimensional space without requiring a large number of antennas in a single plane, thus reducing overall device complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates multiple receiving antennas into a compact tetrahedral structure that can be nested within the radar housing. The four receiving antennas are positioned at the vertices of a tetrahedron that fits within the available space, allowing the antenna array to be nested efficiently without increasing the overall device footprint, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining angular resolution.
2Measurement precision
If more transmitting and receiving channels are added to improve resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines four receiving antennas into a unified tetrahedral receiving array that processes signals through a coordinated channel structure. By merging the spatial information from four antennas into a integrated receiving system with controlled channel spacing, the achievement high resolution through spatial diversity while managing the number of processing channels efficiently, thus reducing device complexity.
3Measurement precision
If antenna spacing is increased to improve resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes three-dimensional spatial arrangement by positioning antennas at the vertices of a tetrahedron with 19.5mm edge length. This 3D configuration provides sufficient angular resolution through volumetric spatial diversity while keeping the physical dimensions compact, as the antennas are distributed in three dimensions rather than spread out in a large two-dimensional plane, thus improving resolution without significantly increasing device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The tetrahedral antenna array is designed to be nested within the radar housing with a compact footprint. The 19.5mm edge length tetrahedron fits efficiently within the available internal space, allowing the antenna elements to be nested closely together in three dimensions, achieving good angular resolution while maintaining a small overall device volume suitable for vehicle integration.
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna arrangement of a radar apparatus. A signal processor controls transmission and reception of radar signals through transmitting channels and receiving channels, and processes the radar signals. A transmitter includes a plurality of transmitting antennas connected to the transmitting channels, respectively, and spaced apart from each other according to a predetermined transmitting antenna spacing factor and a unit separation distance. A receiver includes a plurality of receiving antennas connected to the receiving channels, respectively, and spaced apart from each other according to a predetermined receiving antenna spacing factor and the unit separation distance. The transmitter includes first to fourth transmitting antennas arranged sequentially. The receiver includes first to fourth receiving antennas arranged sequentially. A total arrangement distance for the first to fourth transmitting antennas and a total arrangement distance for the first to fourth receiving antennas are equal.