Antenna apparatus and method for electronically pivoting a radar beam
AssigneeEADS Deutschland GmbH
InventorsVolker Ziegler, Benedikt Schulte
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An antenna apparatus for a radar sensor having a plurality of individual antenna devices that interact through interference to generate and/or receive a radar beam at a predetermined angle of transmission and/or reception. The individual antenna devices are provided with a radar signal and are arranged such that a first angle of transmission and/or reception of the radar beam is determined via an analog beam formation and a second angle of transmission and/or reception of the radar beam is determined via a digital beam formation. The antenna apparatus further includes a feed device configured to generate the radar signal. In addition, the radar beam can be electronically pivoted. Also, an aircraft can include the antenna apparatus.
Claims20
An antenna apparatus for a radar sensor, the antenna apparatus comprising:
- a feed device configured to generate a radar signal;
- and
- a plurality of individual antenna devices configured to interact through interference to generate and/or receive a radar beam at a predetermined angle of transmission and/or reception, the individual antenna devices being provided with Han the radar signal, the individual antenna devices being arranged in a plurality of antenna groups with each of the antenna groups including a respective plurality of the antenna devices arranged sequentially in a direction extending away from a feed input from the feed device such that a phase of the radar signal shifts from one antenna device to the next sequentially along the plurality of antenna devices in the group beginning with the antenna device in the group that is closest to the feed input, a first angle of transmission and/or reception of the radar beam in a first pivot plane that extends along the direction away from the feed input is determined via an analog beam formation, and a second angle of transmission and/or reception of the radar beam in a second pivot plane, different from the first pivot plane, is determined via a digital beam formation.
A method for generating a radar beam that is electronically pivotable, the method comprising:
- generating the radar beam through interference of radar waves that are emitted by a plurality of individual antenna devices that are supplied with a feed signal from a feed device by feed lines, the individual antenna devices being arranged in a plurality of antenna groups with each of the antenna groups including a respective plurality of the antenna devices arranged sequentially in a direction extending away from a feed input from a respective one of the feed lines such that a phase of the radar signal shifts from one antenna device to the next sequentially along the plurality of antenna devices in the group beginning with the antenna device in the group that is closest to the feed input;
- and
- using an analog beam formation to pivot the radar beam in a first pivot plane that extends along the direction away from the feed input.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.