US 6,184,819 B2Granted

Method of operating a multi-antenna pulsed radar system

AssigneeAutomotive Distance

InventorsRolf Adomat, Franz Waibel

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Abstract

A method for operating a radar system using at least two antennas provides an increased angular resolution for determining the angular position, radial velocity, and/or distance to a reflection object. A plurality of successive measuring phases are carried out in at least one measuring process. In each measuring phase, operation is repeatedly switched between a transmitting operation in which a transmitted signal pulse is emitted, and a receiving operation in which reflection signals are detected as received signals in the pulse pause interval between successive transmitted pulses. In at least one measuring phase, two different neighboring antennas of the radar system are used respectively as the transmitting antenna for emitting the transmitted signal and as the receiving antenna for detecting the reflected signal. In this manner, the respective receiving antenna monitors only the angular range of overlap between the emitted beam of the transmitting antenna and the field of view of the receiving antenna. The information provided by the detected signals in this overlapping angular range achieves an increased angular resolution. The method is particularly suitable for operating a separation distance warning system for a motor vehicle.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method of operating a radar system including at least two antennas respectively directed to monitor respective different angular ranges in an area to be monitored, for determining at least one of a distance, angular position and radial velocity of a reflection object located in said area to be monitored, said method comprising carrying out at least one measuring process including a plurality of measuring phases, wherein:

each said measuring phase comprises plural alternating transmitting operations and receiving operations;
each said transmitting operation comprises emitting, from a transmitting antenna selected among said at least two antennas, a respective transmitted signal pulse having a pulse duration (tON);
each said receiving operation comprises activating a receiving antenna selected among said at least two antennas to be able to receive at least one of any reflection signals that may be reflected from said reflection object and incident on said receiving antenna during a respective pulse pause interval having a pause duration (tOFF) between successive ones of said transmitted signal pulses;
in at least one of said measuring phases, the same selected one of said at least two antennas is used as said transmitting antenna in said transmitting operations and as said receiving antenna in said receiving operations;
and
in at least another of said measuring phases, two different selected ones of said at least two antennas are respectively used as said transmitting antenna in said transmitting operations and as said receiving antenna in said receiving operations.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/348,605Filed 6 Jul 1999
Priority: DE 198 29 7623 Jul 1998
Granted: 6 Feb 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G01S 13/87
Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose…:…
G01S 13/48
Indirect determination of position data: using multiple beams at emission or reception
G01S 13/931
For anti-collision purposes: of land vehicles
G01S 2013/9325
Of land vehicles: for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons