# US 2021/0278519 A1 · Radar apparatus, and transmission and reception method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0278519 A1 - Document ID: US20210278519A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/016,967 - Filed: 2020-09-10 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-05 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Inventors: Hiroki MORI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210278519A1 ## CPC - G01S 13/42: Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S13/46) - G01S 13/48: using multiple beams at emission or reception - G01S 7/032: {Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems} - H01Q 21/061: {Two dimensional planar arrays} - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72) ## Abstract According to one embodiment, a radar apparatus includes first antennas, a second antenna, and a third antenna. If the first antennas are used as transmission antennas, the second and third antennas are used as reception antennas. If the second and third antennas are used as the transmission antennas, the first antennas are used as the reception antennas. The first antennas are arranged in a first direction at a first distance and in a second direction crossing the first direction at a second distance. A distance between the second antenna and the third antenna in the first direction is approximately equal to a product of the first distance and a number of first antennas arranged in the first direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A radar apparatus comprising: first antennas arranged in a first plane; a second antenna; and a third antenna, wherein if the first antennas are used as transmission antennas, the second antenna and the third antenna are used as reception antennas, if the second antenna and the third antenna are used as the transmission antennas, the first antennas are used as the reception antennas, the first antennas are arranged in a first direction at a first distance and in a second direction at a second distance, the second direction crossing the first direction, and a distance between the second antenna and the third antenna in the first direction is approximately equal to a product of the first distance and a number of first antennas arranged in the first direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The radar apparatus of claim 1, wherein a center of the first antennas is approximately same as a center of the second antenna, and the radar apparatus further comprises a processor configured to calculate first transmission signals or first reception signals of the first antennas, second transmission signals or second reception signals of the second antenna, and third transmission signals or third reception signals of the third antenna to obtain fourth reception signals of virtual antennas, wherein a center of the virtual antennas is approximately same as a center of the third antenna, and the virtual antennas are respectively at positions corresponding to the first antennas. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The radar apparatus of claim 1, wherein a center of the first antennas is approximately same as a center of the second antenna, and the third antenna comprises antenna elements, wherein at least two of the antenna elements are asymmetrical with respect to a center of the second antenna. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The radar apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a processor configured to calculate first transmission signals or first reception signals of the first antennas, second transmission signals or second reception signals of the second antenna, and third transmission signals or third reception signals of the third antenna to obtain fourth reception signals of first virtual antennas and fifth reception signals of second virtual antennas, wherein a center of the first virtual antennas is approximately same as a center of the third antenna, the first virtual antennas are respectively at positions corresponding to the first antennas, a center of the second virtual antennas is symmetrical to the third antenna with respect to the second antenna, and the second virtual antennas are respectively at positions corresponding to the first antennas. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The radar apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The radar apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first distance and the second distance are an approximately half-wavelength of a highest intensity wave contained in radio waves irradiated from the transmission antennas. ### Claim 7 A radar apparatus comprising: first antennas arranged in a first plane and configured to form a minimum redundancy array; and a second antenna, wherein if the first antennas are used as transmission antennas, the second antenna is used as a reception antenna, if the second antenna is used as a transmission antenna, the first antennas are used as reception antennas, the first antennas are arranged in a first direction and in a second direction crossing the first direction, distances between adjacent two of the first antennas arranged in the first direction are not the same, the distances including a third distance which is a minimum distance between adjacent two of the first antennas arranged in the first direction, and a positive integer multiple of the third distance, and distances between adjacent two of the first antennas arranged in the second direction are not the same, the distances including a fourth distance which is a minimum distance between adjacent two of the first antennas arranged in the second direction, and a positive integer multiple of the fourth distance. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The radar apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a processor configured to calculate first reception signals of the first antennas and second reception signals of the second antenna to obtain third reception signals of first virtual antennas arranged in the first direction at the third distance and in the second direction at the fourth distance. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The radar apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a third antenna, wherein if the first antennas are used as the transmission antennas, the second antenna and the third antenna are used as the reception antennas, if the second antenna and the third antenna are used as the transmission antennas, the first antennas are used as the reception antennas, and a distance between the second antenna and the third antenna in the first direction is approximately equal to an array size of the minimum redundancy array in the first direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The radar apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the first reception signals of the first antennas, the second reception signals of the second antenna, and third reception signals of the third antenna to obtain fourth reception signals of second vertical antennas and fifth reception signals of third virtual antennas, wherein the second vertical antennas are in a first quadrilateral region defined by the array size of the minimum redundancy array, a center of the first quadrilateral region is approximately same as a center of the third antenna, the third vertical antennas are in a second quadrilateral region defined by the array size of the minimum redundancy area, and a center of the second quadrilateral region is symmetrical to the center of the first quadrilateral region with respect to the second antenna, and the third virtual antennas are respectively at positions corresponding to the second vertical antennas. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The radar apparatus of claim 9, wherein the third antenna is arranged at one of two points which are symmetrical with respect to the second antenna. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The radar apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The radar apparatus of claim 7, wherein the third distance and the fourth distance are an approximately half-wavelength. ### Claim 14 A radar apparatus, comprising: first antennas arranged in a first plane; and second antennas arranged in a second plane, wherein if the first antennas are used as transmission antennas, the second antennas are used as reception antennas, if the second antennas are used as the transmission antennas, the first antennas are used as the reception antennas, the first plane and the second plane are included in a single plane or two planes parallel to each other, the first antennas are arranged in a first quadrilateral region defined by a first size in a first direction and a second size in a second direction, the second antennas are arranged in the first direction at a first distance and a second distance and in the second direction at a third distance and a fourth distance, the first distance is the first size, the second distance includes a distance of a positive integer multiple of the first distance, the third distance is the second size, and the fourth distance includes a distance of a positive integer multiple of the third distance. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The radar apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first antennas are arranged in the first direction at a fifth distance and in the second direction at a sixth distance. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The radar apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a processor configured to calculate reception signals of the first and second antennas to obtain reception signals of antennas number of which is approximately equal to a number of first antennas included in second quadrilateral areas each including the second antennas and defined by the first size and the second size. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The radar apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first antennas are arranged in the first direction at a seventh distance and an eighth distance and in the second direction at a ninth distance and a tenth distance, the eighth distance includes a positive integer multiple of the seventh distance, and the tenth distance includes a positive integer multiple of the ninth distance. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The radar apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The radar apparatus of claim 17, wherein the seventh distance and the ninth distance are an approximately half-wavelength. ### Claim 20 A transmission and reception method with a radar apparatus comprising: first antennas arranged in a first plane; a second antenna arranged in a second plane; and a third antenna arranged in a third plane, wherein the first plane, the second plane, and the third plane are included in a single plane or two planes which are parallel to each other, the first antennas are arranged within a first quadrilateral region defined by a first size in a first direction and a second size in a second direction, and arranged in the first direction at a first distance and in the second direction at a second distance, a distance between the second antenna and the third antenna in the first direction is approximately equal to the first size, the method comprising: transmitting radio waves by the first antennas and receiving radio waves by the second antenna and the third antenna; and transmitting radio waves by the second antenna and the third antenna and receiving radio waves by the first antennas.