US 6,674,395 B2Granted

Radar system and method of adjusting characteristics thereof

AssigneeMurata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

InventorsMotoi Nakanishi, Toru Ishii, Tetsu Nishimura

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Abstract

A radar system includes a transmitting/receiving unit, having a voltage controlled oscillator, for repeatedly transmitting a triangular transmission signal including a frequency-gradually-rising up-modulation interval and a frequency-gradually-dropping down-modulation interval and for receiving a reception signal including a reflected signal from a target, a frequency analysis unit, a data storing unit for storing time-varying characteristics of input values to a D/A converter that monotonically change an oscillation frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator with time, in the form of data concerning an expression representing the time-varying characteristics, and a data processing unit for determining the input values to the D/A converter with reference to the data. At least one of the relative distance to the target and the relative speed of the target is detected based on a beat signal during the up-modulation interval and the beat signal during the down-modulation interval.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A radar system comprising:

a transmitting/receiving unit for repeatedly transmitting a triangular transmission signal including a frequency-gradually-rising up-modulation interval and a frequency-gradually-dropping down-modulation interval and for receiving a reception signal including a reflected signal from a target, the transmitting/receiving unit having a voltage controlled oscillator for determining a transmission frequency, a voltage signal for frequency modulation being supplied to the voltage controlled oscillator;
a frequency analysis unit for calculating data concerning a frequency spectrum of a beat signal that has a frequency that is substantially equal to a difference between a frequency of the transmission signal and a frequency of the reception signal;
a data storing unit for storing time-varying characteristics of input values to a D/A converter that monotonically change an oscillation frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator with time, in the form of data concerning an expression representing the time-varying characteristics;
and
a data processing unit for determining the input values to the D/A converter with reference to the data concerning an expression representing the time-varying characteristics;
wherein at least one of a relative distance to the target and a relative speed of the target is detected based on the beat signal during the up-modulation interval and the beat signal during the down-modulation interval.

3 more elements

A method of adjusting characteristics of a radar system including a transmitting/receiving unit for repeatedly transmitting a triangular transmission signal including a frequency-gradually-rising up-modulation interval and a frequency-gradually-dropping down-modulation interval and for receiving a reception signal including a reflected signal from a target, the transmitting/receiving unit having a voltage controlled oscillator for determining a transmission frequency, a voltage signal for frequency modulation being supplied to the voltage controlled oscillator, a frequency analysis unit for calculating data concerning a frequency spectrum of a beat signal that has a frequency that is substantially equal to a difference between a frequency of the transmission signal and a frequency of the reception signal, a data storing unit for storing time-varying characteristics of input values to a D/A converter that monotonically change an oscillation frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator with time, in the form of data concerning an expression representing the time-varying characteristics, and a data processing unit for determining the input values to the D/A converter with reference to the data concerning an expression representing the time-varying characteristics, wherein at least one of a relative distance to the target and a relative speed of the target is detected based on the beat signal during the up-modulation interval and the beat signal during the down-modulation interval, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring the frequency of the transmission signal while the input values to the D/A converter are being varied to determine a relationship between the input values to the D/A converter and the frequency of the transmission signal;
determining the data concerning the expression representing the time-varying characteristics of the input values to the D/A converter from the relationship;
and
storing the data in the data storing unit.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/345,962Filed 17 Jan 2003
Priority: JP 2002-0326568 Feb 2002
Published: US 2003/0151543 A114 Aug 2003
Granted: 6 Jan 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G01S 7/4008
Of parts of a radar system: of transmitters
G01S 13/345
Using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a…: using…
G01S 13/42
Systems determining position data of a target: simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates
G01S 13/584
Using transmission of continuous unmodulated waves, amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated waves and based upon the Doppler effect resulting…:…