JP7122649B2 - radar equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to radar equipment.

2. Description of the Related Art There is known a radar device for a radar that detects the position of an object (hereinafter also referred to as a “target”) without contact using electromagnetic waves in the millimeter wave or microwave frequency band.

A radar device is mounted on a vehicle, for example, and used for multi-directional monitoring purposes such as forward monitoring, front side monitoring, or rear side monitoring.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-503904

In recent years, in this type of radar device, from the viewpoint of saving the mounting space of the radar device and securing the degree of freedom in the mounting position of the radar device, the circuit board on which the antenna is mounted is aligned with the transmission direction of the electromagnetic wave. A horizontal type radar device arranged in parallel is being studied.

For example, in Patent Document 1, it is described that a plurality of endfire antennas directed in different directions are radially arranged on a substrate to realize horizontal type and wide range object detection. .

However, in the radar device described in Patent Document 1, since the transmission direction of electromagnetic waves is limited to the pointing direction of each endfire antenna, there is a problem that the azimuth resolution is insufficient when detecting an object. . Moreover, in the radar device described in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that it is difficult to secure the antenna gain.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a radar device capable of achieving high antenna gain and high azimuth resolution while having a horizontal device configuration.

The main disclosure that solves the above-mentioned problems is
a housing having a window in the forward direction in which electromagnetic waves are transmitted;
a circuit board that is disposed in the housing and has a first board part with one board surface facing the front direction and a second board part with the board surface extending along the front direction;
A plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array along a direction intersecting the front direction in the substrate surface on the front side of the first substrate portion. an antenna unit that transmits the electromagnetic waves to the outside of the body and receives the reflected waves;
a semicylindrical or parabolic cylindrical dielectric lens convex forward, disposed in the window portion of the housing so as to extend along the array direction of the plurality of antenna elements;
It is a radar device comprising

According to the radar device according to the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve high antenna gain and high azimuth resolution while adopting a horizontal device configuration.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an arrangement state in a vehicle of the radar device U according to the first embodiment; Side cross-sectional view of the radar device according to the first embodiment 1 is a front view of a radar device according to a first embodiment; FIG. The figure which looked at the radar apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment from upper direction 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a signal processing IC of a radar device according to a first embodiment; FIG. Side cross-sectional view of a radar device according to a second embodiment Side cross-sectional view of a radar device according to a third embodiment Side cross-sectional view of a radar device according to a fourth embodiment Front view of a radar device according to a fourth embodiment Side cross-sectional view of a radar device according to a fifth embodiment The figure which shows an example of the mounting position of the radar apparatus which concerns on 6th Embodiment. Side cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a radar device according to a seventh embodiment Side cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a radar device according to a seventh embodiment

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, thereby omitting redundant description.

In each figure, in order to clarify the positional relationship of each configuration, a common orthogonal coordinate system (X , Y, Z). Hereinafter, the positive direction of the X-axis represents the forward direction in which the radar device transmits electromagnetic waves to the outside of the device (hereinafter abbreviated as "forward direction"), and the positive direction of the Y-axis represents the right side direction of the radar device, The plus direction of the Z-axis will be described as representing the upward direction of the radar device (hereinafter abbreviated as "upward direction").

(First embodiment)
An example of the configuration of the radar apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. In the following, a radar device mounted on a vehicle will be described as an example of a more suitable application target of the radar device of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an arrangement state of a radar device U according to this embodiment in a vehicle.

The radar device U according to the present embodiment is arranged, for example, in a cover member B (here, a bumper member B) of a vehicle C, and transmits and receives electromagnetic waves through the cover member B. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the radar device U according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view of the radar device U according to the present embodiment (a view of the substrate surface on the front side of the first substrate portion 1a viewed from the front). FIG. 4 is a top view of the radar device U according to this embodiment.

A solid-line arrow F in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 represents an electromagnetic wave transmitted by a transmitting antenna. A dotted arrow Fr represents a reflected wave from the target. 2, 3 and 4, illustration of a structure for supporting the radar device U in the vehicle C is omitted. 3, illustration of the housing 6 is omitted.

A radar device U according to this embodiment includes a circuit board 1 , a transmitting antenna 2 , a receiving antenna 3 , a signal processing IC 4 , a connector 5 , a housing 6 and a dielectric lens 7 .

A circuit board 1 is a board on which a transmitting antenna 2, a receiving antenna 3, a signal processing IC 4, a connector 5, and the like are mounted. A transmitting antenna 2, a receiving antenna 3, a signal processing IC 4, a connector 5, and the like are mounted on the front side or the back side of the circuit board 1, and each mounted component (the transmitting antenna 2, the receiving antenna 3 , signal processing IC 4, connector 5, etc.) are patterned.

The circuit board 1 includes a first board portion 1a whose board surface extends in the vertical direction (substantially in the Z-axis direction) and is arranged so that one board surface faces forward, and a second substrate portion 1b arranged to extend in the X-axis direction). In other words, the first substrate portion 1a is arranged so that the substrate surface faces the cover member B. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, the second substrate portion 1b is arranged such that the extending direction of the substrate surface intersects (for example, is perpendicular to) the extending direction of the cover member B. As shown in FIG.

The first substrate portion 1a is a substrate portion for disposing the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 (here, signal processing ICs 4a and 4b for millimeter wave band are further disposed) (Fig. 3). On the other hand, the second substrate portion 1b includes circuit components other than the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 (here, other components such as a baseband signal processing IC 4c, a connector 5, and an electrolytic capacitor (not shown). )) is a substrate part for arranging. The second substrate portion 1b and the first substrate portion 1a are electrically connected to each other by a wiring portion (not shown).

That is, in the radar device U according to the present embodiment, by configuring the circuit board 1 with the first board portion 1a and the second board portion 1b, the occupied width of the radar device U in the Y-axis direction is The area is reduced to only the area necessary for disposing the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 (that is, the area of the substrate surface of the first substrate portion 1a). This realizes a horizontal radar device.

As for the positional relationship between the first substrate portion 1a and the second substrate portion 1b, it is more preferable that the first substrate portion 1a is closer to the intermediate position in the front-back direction than the substrate surface of the second substrate portion 1b. are also configured to be on the front side. Accordingly, when the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 transmit and receive electromagnetic waves, it is possible to prevent the electromagnetic waves from being shielded by the circuit components mounted on the second substrate portion 1b.

The material of the first substrate portion 1a and the second substrate portion 1b of the circuit board 1 may be any material as long as it is a rigid substrate material. For example, a flat PCB (Printed Circuit Board) substrate is used. be able to. As the first substrate portion 1a and the second substrate portion 1b, a multilayer substrate or a semiconductor substrate incorporating a signal processing IC 4 may be used. The second substrate portion 1b and the first substrate portion 1a may be formed integrally or separately as long as they are electrically connected to each other.

The transmitting antenna 2 is arranged in the substrate surface on the front side of the first substrate portion 1a, and transmits electromagnetic waves forward (plus X direction). Similarly, the receiving antenna 3 is arranged in the substrate surface on the front side of the first substrate portion 1a, and receives reflected waves from the front of the circuit substrate 1 (plus X direction). In other words, the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 have directivity characteristics for transmission and reception in the substantially normal direction of the substrate surface of the first substrate portion 1a.

Each of the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 is composed of a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array along the Y-axis direction within the substrate surface of the first substrate portion 1a (in FIG. 3, A transmission antenna 2 is composed of four antenna elements 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d arranged along the Y-axis direction, and four antenna elements 3a, 3b, 3c, arranged along the Y-axis direction. 3d constitutes the receiving antenna 3). That is, the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 are configured as phased array antennas that change the transmitting direction (and receiving direction) of electromagnetic waves by electronic scanning.

As the antenna elements 2a to 2d and 3a to 3d constituting the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3, for example, patch antennas having directivity in the direction normal to the substrate surface of the first substrate portion 1a are applied. An antenna having directivity in the direction normal to the substrate surface, such as a patch antenna, can be configured with a large number of antenna elements within the substrate surface, so that a high gain can be secured (this embodiment For convenience of explanation, only the antenna elements 2a to 2d and 3a to 3d are shown in the form).

However, the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 may be formed by conductor patterns formed on the circuit board 1, and a slot antenna or the like may be applied.

Hereinafter, the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 are also collectively referred to as "antenna section". Incidentally, the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 may be configured by antennas shared for transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves.

The electromagnetic wave transmitted by the transmitting antenna 2 is converted into a plane wave by the dielectric lens 7, and is transmitted forward (here, substantially horizontally) outside the radar device U. As shown in FIG. A reflected wave of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the transmitting antenna 2 that is reflected by a target outside the apparatus is condensed by the dielectric lens 7 and sent to the receiving antenna 3 . The transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 are arranged in the wall area of the housing 6 behind the window 6a through which electromagnetic waves can pass.

The signal processing IC 4 (corresponding to the signal processing section of the present invention) exchanges electrical signals between the transmitting antenna section 2 and the receiving antenna section 3, transmits electromagnetic waves from the transmitting antenna section 2, and transmits an electromagnetic wave from the receiving antenna section 3. receive and process the reflected wave received by

The signal processing IC 4 is composed mainly of a well-known microcomputer composed of, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc., and includes an oscillator, a signal processing circuit for performing transmission/reception processing, and the like. However, it goes without saying that part of the signal processing IC 4 can be realized only by a dedicated hardware circuit that does not have a CPU or the like. Also, part of the processing of the signal processing IC 4 may be executed by an external device such as a vehicle ECU.

2, 3 and 4, as an example of the signal processing IC 4, the signal processing IC 4a for the transmitting antenna 2 that performs signal processing related to the millimeter wave band, the signal processing IC 4a for the receiving antenna 3 that performs signal processing related to the millimeter wave band and a signal processing IC 4c for performing signal processing related to the baseband band are shown as separate chips.

The positions of the signal processing ICs 4a and 4b that perform signal processing related to the millimeter wave band are more preferably , 2, 3 and 4, are set in the substrate surface on the rear surface side of the first substrate portion 1a. On the other hand, the arrangement position of the signal processing IC 4c that performs signal processing in the baseband frequency band is arbitrary, and in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the signal processing IC 4 of the radar device U according to this embodiment.

The signal processing IC 4 according to the present embodiment constitutes, for example, a frequency modulated continuous wave (FM-CW) type radar device U. However, a pulse radar system radar device U may be configured.

The signal processing IC 4 includes, for example, a control unit 41, transmission signal generation units 42a to 42d individually connected to the antenna elements 2a to 2d of the transmitting antenna 2, and individually connected to the antenna elements 3a to 3d of the receiving antenna 3. Received signal processing units 43a to 43d, and a target position estimating unit 44 for acquiring received signals related to reflected waves from targets subjected to reception processing from the respective received signal generation units 43a to 43d.

The control unit 41, for example, controls the operations of the transmission signal generation units 42a to 42d, and controls the direction of electromagnetic waves transmitted from the radar device U to the outside of the device by electronic scanning. The transmission signal generation units 42a to 42d use, for example, a reference signal obtained from an oscillator to perform frequency modulation processing such that the frequency gradually increases and decreases over time, and transmits a high frequency (for example, a millimeter wave frequency band). Generate a signal continuously. Then, the transmission signal generators 42a to 42d transmit the transmission signals to the antenna elements 2a to 2d connected thereto based on the transmission signals, and transmit the transmission signals from the antenna elements 2a to 2d connected to the self. Transmits modulated electromagnetic waves. The transmission signal generators 42a to 42d adjust the phases of the electromagnetic waves transmitted from the antenna elements 2a to 2d, respectively, so that the electromagnetic waves transmitted from the radar apparatus U to the outside of the apparatus (that is, from the antenna elements 2a to 2d respectively). change the direction of the composite wave of the electromagnetic waves to be transmitted).

The received signal processing units 43a to 43d, for example, use local signals generated by the transmission signal generating units 42a to 42d to receive signals related to reflected waves acquired from the antenna elements 3a to 3d connected thereto, Quadrature detection processing, frequency analysis processing, etc. are performed.

The target position estimating unit 44 acquires the reception signals related to the reflected waves from the targets that have undergone reception processing from the reception signal generation units 43a to 43d, and calculates the phase differences of the reflected waves received by the antenna elements 3a to 3d. to estimate the azimuth of the target. At this time, the target position estimator 44 may detect the distance to the target, the relative speed, and the like.

By estimating the azimuth of object detection by electronic scanning in this way, the resolution of azimuth estimation can be improved compared to object detection using an antenna with a fixed pointing direction as in the prior art of Patent Document 1. is possible.

Since the processing performed by the signal processing IC 4 is the same as that of a known configuration, detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

The connector 5 communicably connects the signal processing IC 4 and an external device (for example, a vehicle ECU mounted on the vehicle C).

The housing 6 accommodates the circuit board 1 and supports the dielectric lens 7 in front of the circuit board 1 . The housing 6 typically accommodates the circuit board 1 in a substantially sealed state.

From the viewpoint of miniaturization, the housing 6 has, for example, a shape (for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape) along the contour of the circuit board 1, and the length of the housing 6 in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) is the second The length of the housing 6 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) is the length of the first substrate portion 1a in the vertical direction. The length is set to the sum of the specified margin width. That is, the length of the housing 6 in the vertical direction is shorter than the length in the front-rear direction.

As for the material of the housing 6, for example, from the viewpoint of preventing the reflection wave from the cover member B from entering the housing 6, from the viewpoint of improving the heat dissipation characteristics from the circuit board 1, and from the viewpoint of improving the EMC performance. For this reason, a metal member (for example, an aluminum material) is used. However, as the material of the housing 6, resin may be used when emphasis is placed on cost and weight reduction, and the housing 6 and the dielectric lens 7 are integrally formed of the same resin material. may However, it is preferable that the housing 6 be made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the dielectric lens 7 .

A window portion 6a for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves from the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 is formed on the front surface of the housing 6, and a dielectric lens 7 is attached to the window portion 6a. The diameter of the window portion 6a is set to, for example, an aperture length (that is, a beam width when transmitting an electromagnetic wave from the transmitting antenna 2) with which a predetermined gain is obtained when transmitting/receiving an electromagnetic wave.

The dielectric lens 7 is supported in front of the circuit board 1, narrows the beam of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the transmitting antenna 2, and emits it to the front area outside the apparatus. Then, the dielectric lens 7 converges the reflected waves of the transmitted electromagnetic waves returned from the target onto the receiving antenna 3 . In other words, the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 are arranged at the focal point of the dielectric lens 7, respectively. More preferably, the dielectric lens 7 narrows the beam of the electromagnetic wave to the extent that the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the transmitting antenna 2 is converted into a plane wave.

The dielectric lens 7 improves the gain when the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 transmit and receive electromagnetic waves, and also functions as a radome that protects the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 . Also, the dielectric lens 7 suppresses the reflected wave from the cover member B from entering the receiving antenna 3 .

The dielectric lens 7 according to this embodiment has a semicylindrical or parabolic shape that is convex in the plus X direction and extends along the Y axis direction (that is, the array direction of the antenna elements 2a to 2d and 3a to 3d). A cylindrical lens is used.

The semi-cylindrical or parabolic cylindrical dielectric lens 7 has a side cross-sectional shape that is substantially the same at any position in the Y-axis direction (also referred to as a semicylindrical shape). Therefore, the electromagnetic waves transmitted from each of the plurality of antenna elements 2a to 2d of the transmitting antenna 2 arranged along the Y-axis direction are reflected by the target, and when they arrive at the receiving antenna 3, they are oriented in different directions. can be suppressed (see FIG. 4). As a result, it is possible to suppress deterioration in the accuracy of object detection due to mutual interference of reflected waves or a change in phase difference.

Any material can be used to form the dielectric lens 7. For example, acrylic resin, tetrafluoroethylene resin, polystyrene resin, polycarbonate resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, polyphenylene resin, polypropylene resin, syndiotactic polystyrene resin, Alternatively, ABS resin or the like is used.

[effect]
As described above, the radar devices U according to the present embodiment are arranged in an array along the direction intersecting the forward direction within the substrate surface on the forward side of the first board portion 1a of the circuit board 1. Antenna units 2 and 3 (typically, a plurality of A phased array antenna configured by a patch antenna) and a plurality of antenna elements 2a to 2d, 3a to 3d in the window part 6a of the housing 6. and a semi-cylindrical or parabolic dielectric lens 7 convex in a direction.

Therefore, according to the radar apparatus U according to the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the antenna gain and the resolution of azimuth estimation while adopting a horizontal device configuration. Further, since the semi-cylindrical dielectric lens 7 is applied, the reflected waves of the electromagnetic waves transmitted from the plurality of antenna elements 2a to 2d are prevented from interfering with each other and degrading the radar performance.

Further, according to the radar device U according to the present embodiment, the dielectric lens 7 can be made to function as a radome, so that the antenna sections 2 and 3 can be waterproofed and protected from flying objects without providing a separate radome. It is possible to In addition, it is also possible to reduce the antenna aperture compared to the case where a separate radome is provided.

Further, according to the radar apparatus U according to the present embodiment, even when electromagnetic waves transmitted from the antennas 2 and 3 are reflected by the cover member B, the reflected waves are separated from the antennas 2 and 3 by the dielectric lens 7. Can be reflected in any direction. In addition, by adopting the horizontal type, it is possible to limit the area itself in which the reflected wave from the cover member B may enter the housing 6 . Therefore, it is possible to suppress deterioration in the accuracy of object detection caused by the reflected wave from the cover member B.

Further, according to the radar device U according to this embodiment, the signal processing ICs 4a and 4b electrically connected to the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 are mounted on the rear surface side of the first substrate portion 1a. This makes it possible to reduce the distance of the wiring between the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 and the signal processing ICs 4a and 4b. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the distortion of the waveform of the analog signal in the wiring portion, which contributes to the improvement of the S/N ratio. Also, power loss in the wiring portion can be reduced.

(Second embodiment)
Next, an example of the configuration of the radar device U according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the radar device U according to the second embodiment.

The radar device U according to this embodiment differs from the radar device U according to the first embodiment in that it has a bracket 8 for fixing the housing 6 and the like to the cover member B. As shown in FIG. The description of the configuration common to the first embodiment is omitted (the same applies to other embodiments below).

The bracket 8 fixes the housing 6 to the cover member B and defines the direction in which the radar device U transmits and receives electromagnetic waves.

The bracket 8 has, for example, an accommodation portion 8a that accommodates the radar device U and a fixing portion 8b that is fixed to the cover member B. As shown in FIG.

The housing portion 8a has, for example, a cylindrical shape that allows the housing 6 to be inserted from the front surface (that is, the surface on which the dielectric lens 7 is mounted), and forms a housing space along the outer shape of the housing 6. The accommodating portion 8a has an opening for the radar device U to transmit and receive electromagnetic waves in the area where the dielectric lens 7 is arranged on the front surface of the radar device U. As shown in FIG.

The fixed portion 8b is a portion fixed to the cover member B with double-sided tape, bolts, or the like. Any method may be used to fix the fixing portion 8b to the cover member B, and ultrasonic welding or the like may also be used.

In such a configuration, the bracket 8 fixes the housing 6 to the cover member B so that, for example, the electromagnetic wave transmission/reception direction of the radar device U is parallel to the ground. As a result, it is possible to detect a target existing around the vehicle C. FIG.

The bracket 8 may be configured to have an adjustment mechanism (for example, using a pin joint and a fixed pin) for varying the angle of the transmission/reception direction of electromagnetic waves. By using such an adjustment mechanism, it is possible to finely adjust the transmission/reception direction of electromagnetic waves.

As described above, according to the radar device U according to the present embodiment, it is possible to transmit and receive electromagnetic waves in a desired direction (for example, a horizontal direction with respect to the ground) while ensuring mechanical stability.

(Third embodiment)
Next, an example of the configuration of the radar device U according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of the radar device U according to the third embodiment.

The radar device U according to the present embodiment is similar to the radar device according to the first embodiment in that the housing 6 has a connecting portion 6b that thermally couples with the circuit board 1 or circuit components mounted on the circuit board 1. Differs from U.

In FIG. 7, the connection portion 6b shows a state in which the wall portion of the housing 6 and the circuit board 1 are thermally coupled. A hollow arrow T in the drawing represents a heat flow from the circuit board 1. As shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, as the material forming the housing 6, for example, a metal member having high heat dissipation properties is used. The connecting portion 6 b thermally couples the wall portion of the housing 6 and the circuit board 1 or the circuit component mounted on the circuit board 1 .

The structure of the connection part 6b is arbitrary, and may be formed integrally with the wall of the housing 6, or may be formed of an adhesive such as silicon grease or epoxy resin. The connecting portion 6a may also be a putty-like, rubber-like, gel-like, or compound-like member.

Since the radar apparatus U according to the present disclosure can use the entire area of the housing 6 other than the front surface as the wall area capable of dissipating heat, a large wall area of the housing 6 capable of dissipating heat can be secured. Therefore, the configuration for radiating heat from the housing 6 using the connecting portion 6b is particularly effective in the radar device U according to the present disclosure in terms of improving the heat radiation characteristic from the circuit board 1. FIG.

As described above, according to the radar device U according to the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the heat dissipation characteristics of the circuit board 1 and the like.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, an example of the configuration of the radar device U according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG.

FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of the radar device U according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 9 is a front view of the radar device U according to the fourth embodiment (a view of the substrate surface on the front side of the first substrate portion 1a viewed from the front).

The radar apparatus U according to the present embodiment is similar to the radar apparatus according to the first embodiment in that the reflector 9 is arranged on the back side (that is, the rear side) of the transmission antenna 2 in the first substrate 1a. It differs from device U.

The reflector 9 reflects the back lobe of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the transmitting antenna 2 on the back side of the transmitting antenna 2 . As a result, the traveling direction of the back lobe of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the transmitting antenna 2 is changed to the forward side, and combined with the main lobe F of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the transmitting antenna 2 (see the two-dot chain line arrow Ft in FIG. 8). ).

The reflecting portion 9 may be configured by attaching a metal plate to the substrate surface on the rear surface side of the first substrate portion 1a, or when a multi-layer circuit board is used as the first substrate portion 1a. Alternatively, it may be configured as an intermediate conductive layer or a conductive layer on the back side of a multilayer circuit board.

More preferably, the reflecting portion 9 is arranged at a position where it covers the entire rear surface area of the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 of the first substrate portion 1a (see FIG. 9). The reflector 9 provided on the back side of the receiving antenna 3 has the effect of increasing the reception efficiency.

Further, the position of the reflector 9 is more preferably arranged such that the phase of the back lobe Ft reflected by the reflector 9 and traveling forward is substantially the same as the phase of the main lobe F. from the position to about λg/4 (where λg represents the effective wavelength of the electromagnetic wave when passing through the circuit board 1; λg represents the free space wavelength of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the transmitting antenna 2; λg=λ0/sqrt(er), where er is the rate.

As described above, according to the radar device U according to the present embodiment, it is possible to further improve the gain.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, an example of the configuration of the radar device U according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 10 is a side sectional view of the radar device U according to the fifth embodiment.

In the radar device U according to the present embodiment, the first substrate portion 1a and the second substrate portion 1b are arranged separately and electrically connected via the flexible wiring substrate 1c. It differs from the radar device U according to the first embodiment.

The flexible wiring board 1c is a flexible board having wiring portions formed in a pattern, and electrically connects the wiring portions of the first substrate portion 1a and the wiring portions of the second substrate portion 1b.

In other words, the signal processing ICs 4a and 4b arranged on the back side of the first substrate portion 1a exchange electrical signals with the signal processing IC 4c via the flexible wiring substrate 1c.

As described above, in the radar device U according to the present embodiment, by using the flexible wiring board 1c, the arrangement positions of the first board portion 1a and the second board portion 1b can be adjusted more flexibly.

(Sixth embodiment)
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the mounting position of the radar device U according to the fifth embodiment.

The radar device U according to the present embodiment differs from the radar device U according to the first embodiment in that it is mounted on the vehicle body top panel of the vehicle C, the vehicle body bottom of the vehicle C, or the side mirrors of the vehicle C. differ. 11, four radar devices U are mounted.

In this regard, since the radar device U according to the present disclosure is of a horizontal type, it may occupy a small area in the vertical direction and is not conspicuous from the outside. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the radar device U is mounted at a position such as the vehicle body top plate portion of the vehicle C or the vehicle body bottom portion of the vehicle C, which has not been considered as a mounting position in the past.

The radar device U mounted on the vehicle body top plate of the vehicle C can transmit electromagnetic waves to a long distance without being obstructed by an object M1 (for example, a hedge) placed on the road. That is, this allows detection of targets (eg, people or vehicles) beyond objects (eg, hedges). Also, the same effect can be expected for the radar device U mounted on the side mirror of the vehicle C.

Also, the radar device U mounted on the bottom of the vehicle body of the vehicle C transmits electromagnetic waves so as to pass through the space between the vehicle body of the other vehicle M2 and the road, thereby avoiding interference by the other vehicle M2. It is possible to transmit electromagnetic waves over long distances without That is, this makes it possible to detect targets (for example, people or vehicles) beyond other vehicles M2.

As described above, according to the radar device U according to the present embodiment, it is possible to transmit electromagnetic waves without being obstructed by other objects. Target detection is possible up to

(Seventh embodiment)
12 and 13 are side sectional views showing an example of the configuration of the radar device U according to the sixth embodiment.

In the radar device U according to this embodiment, the direction of electromagnetic waves transmitted from the antenna section (the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3) is set to It is different from the radar device U according to the first embodiment in that it is tilted.

12, the antenna section (transmitting antenna 2 and receiving antenna 3) is disposed at a position deviated upward from the optical axis of the dielectric lens 7 in the housing 6, and the extension direction of the circuit board 1 is arranged. 4 shows a mode in which electromagnetic waves are transmitted by tilting downward with respect to . 13, the antenna section (the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3) is arranged in the housing 6 at a position deviated downward from the optical axis of the dielectric lens 7, and the extension of the circuit board 1 is arranged. A mode in which an electromagnetic wave is transmitted while being tilted upward with respect to the existing direction is shown.

That is, by adopting such a mode, the transmission direction of the electromagnetic wave is tilted upward or downward with respect to the extending direction of the housing 6 .

The radar device U according to this embodiment is particularly suitable for the aspects described in the sixth embodiment (FIG. 11). That is, when the radar device U is mounted on the vehicle body top panel of the vehicle C, as shown in FIG. You can create a perspective like When the radar device U is mounted on the bottom of the vehicle C, the transmission direction of the electromagnetic wave is directed upward as shown in FIG. can be done.

As the dielectric lens 7 according to the present embodiment, the direction of the optical axis is tilted with respect to the extending direction of the circuit board 1, or the refractive index is different between above and below the optical axis. may be used.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are conceivable.

In the above-described embodiment, as an example of the configuration of the circuit board 1, the board surface of the first board portion 1a extends in the vertical direction, and the board surface of the second board portion 1b extends in the front-rear direction. rice field. However, in the present invention, the substrate surface of the first substrate portion 1a may extend in a direction inclined toward the plus X direction side or the minus X direction side from the vertical direction. Similarly, the substrate surface of the second substrate portion 1b may extend in a direction inclined toward the plus Z direction side or the minus Z direction side from the front-rear direction.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, a vehicle is shown as an example of a target to which the radar device U is applied. However, the application target of the radar device U according to the present invention is arbitrary, and can be applied to a rotary wing aircraft (for example, a helicopter), a robot, or the like.

Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples illustrated above.

According to the radar device according to the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve high antenna gain and high azimuth resolution while adopting a horizontal device configuration.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 circuit board 1a first board section 1b second board section 1c flexible wiring board 2 transmitting antenna 3 receiving antenna 4 signal processing IC
5 Connector 6 Case 6a Window 6b Connection Part 7 Dielectric Lens 8 Bracket 9 Reflector U Radar Device
B cover member C vehicle

Claims (16)

a housing having a window in the forward direction in which electromagnetic waves are transmitted;
a circuit board that is disposed in the housing and has a first board part with one board surface facing the front direction and a second board part with the board surface extending along the front direction;
In the substrate surface on the front side of the first substrate portion, a plurality of antenna elements are arranged in an array along a direction intersecting the front direction, and the housing is provided through the window portion. an antenna unit that transmits the electromagnetic waves to the outside of the body and receives the reflected waves;
a semicylindrical or parabolic cylindrical dielectric lens convex forward, disposed in the window portion of the housing so as to extend along the array direction of the plurality of antenna elements;
a reflecting portion disposed at a position approximately λg/4 away from the plurality of antenna elements on the back side of the antenna portion in the first substrate portion and reflecting back lobes of the electromagnetic waves transmitted by the antenna portion; ,
with
The λg is the effective wavelength of the electromagnetic wave when passing through the circuit board,
radar equipment. each of the plurality of antenna elements is configured by a conductor pattern formed within the circuit board;
The radar device according to claim 1. each of the plurality of antenna elements is a patch antenna,
The radar device according to claim 2. Further comprising a signal processing unit that changes the transmission direction of the electromagnetic wave transmitted to the outside of the housing by controlling the phase of the electromagnetic wave transmitted from each of the plurality of antenna elements,
The radar device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The signal processing unit is mounted on the rear surface side of the first substrate unit and electrically connected to the antenna unit,
The radar device according to claim 4. When the first substrate portion is a multilayer circuit board, the reflecting portion is composed of an intermediate conductive layer or a conductive layer on the back side of the multilayer circuit board.
The radar device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The first substrate portion is arranged on the front side of a middle position in the front-rear direction of the substrate surface of the second substrate portion,
The radar device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Based on the front-rear direction corresponding to the transmission direction of the electromagnetic wave and the vertical direction corresponding to the normal direction of the board surface of the circuit board,
The length of the housing in the front-rear direction is longer than the length of the housing in the vertical direction,
The radar device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The housing has a connecting portion that thermally couples with the circuit board or a circuit component mounted on the circuit board,
The radar device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. transmitting the electromagnetic wave through a cover member arranged to cover the front region of the housing;
Radar apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9. supported so that the forward direction, which is the transmission direction of the electromagnetic wave, is horizontal to the ground;
Radar apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10. Based on the upward direction and the downward direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the circuit board,
The antenna section is disposed in the housing at a position deviated upward from the optical axis of the dielectric lens, and is inclined downward with respect to the extending direction of the circuit board. transmit electromagnetic waves,
Radar apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11. Based on the upward direction and the downward direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the circuit board,
The antenna section is disposed in the housing at a position deviated downward from the optical axis of the dielectric lens, and is inclined upward with respect to the extending direction of the circuit board. transmit electromagnetic waves,
Radar apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12. mounted on the vehicle
14. A radar system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13. mounted on the vehicle body top plate of the vehicle,
15. A radar system according to claim 14. mounted on the bottom of the vehicle body,
16. A radar system according to claim 15.

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