Radar module, transport apparatus, and object detection method

A radar module, comprising:

• a transmission antenna;
• a reception antenna;
• a signal source configured to generate a transmission signal;
• a transmission section configured to send the transmission signal to a target object through the transmission antenna;
• a reception section configured to receive a reflection signal generated by reflection of the transmission signal on the target object through the reception antenna;
• a signal processing section configured to perform signal processing based on a reception signal output from the reception section;
• and
• an external interface configured to output information obtained at the signal processing section,
• wherein the signal processing section:
• calculates an average value and a variance value of a reception power of the reception signal,
• detects the target object by use of the calculated average value and the calculated variance value,
• performs a comparison using the variance value and a square of the average value, and
• determines that the target object is a human when a determination index obtained by subtracting the variance value from the square of the average value is smaller than a second reference value which is set to 0 or a value approximately equivalent to 0.

A transport apparatus comprising:

• a radar module;
• and
• a safety driving support operation section configured to perform an operation for avoiding an unsafe situation or reducing a degree of the unsafe situation based on information output from the radar module,
• the radar module including:
• a transmission antenna;
• a reception antenna;
• a signal source configured to generate a transmission signal;
• a transmission section configured to send the transmission signal to a target object through the transmission antenna;
• a reception section configured to receive a reflection signal generated by reflection of the transmission signal on the target object through the reception antenna;
• a signal processing section configured to perform signal processing based on a reception signal output from the reception section;
• and
• an external interface configured to output information obtained at the signal processing section,
• wherein the signal processing section:
• calculates an average value and a variance value of a reception power of the reception signal,
• detects the target object by use of the calculated average value and the calculated variance value, and
• performs a comparison using the variance value and a square of the average value.

An object detection method of a radar apparatus which sends a predetermined transmission signal and receives a reflection signal generated by reflection of the transmission signal on a target object, the detection method comprising:

• acquiring a reception power based on the reflection signal;
• calculating an average value of the reception power;
• calculating a variance value of the reception power;
• detecting the target object by use of the average value, the variance value, and a square of the average value, and
• determining that the target object is a human when a determination index obtained by dividing the square of the average value by the variance value is 1.

An object detection method of a radar apparatus which sends a predetermined transmission signal and receives a reflection signal generated by reflection of the transmission signal on a target object, the detection method comprising:

• acquiring a reception power based on the reflection signal;
• calculating an average value of the reception power;
• calculating a variance value of the reception power;
• and
• detecting the target object by use of the average value, the variance value, and a square of the average value, and
• determining that the target object is a human when a determination index obtained by subtracting the variance value from the square of the average value is 0.