RADAR APPARATUS AND ANTENNA APPARATUS
The present invention relates to radar and antenna technologies. More particularly, the present invention relates to an antenna apparatus and radar apparatus that have an antenna structure that enables a high antenna gain and a balanced beam pattern by preventing a distortion of a beam pattern caused by a coupling phenomenon between antenna arrays.
1 . A radar apparatus comprising:
a long-distance transmission antenna unit comprising a plurality of long-distance transmission array antennas;
a short-distance transmission antenna unit comprising one or more short-distance transmission array antennas;
a reception antenna unit comprising a plurality of reception array antennas;
a signal transmission/reception unit configured to transmit a signal through the long-distance transmission antenna unit and/or the short-distance transmission antenna unit, and to receive the transmitted signal through the reception antenna unit when the transmitted signal is reflected from the surroundings; and
a dummy array antenna arranged in each of the opposite sides of the plurality of long-distance transmission array antennas, each of the opposite sides of the one or more short-distance transmission array antennas, and/or each of the opposite sides of the plurality of reception array antennas, wherein the dummy array antenna is not connected with the signal transmission/reception unit.
2 . The radar apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the long-distance transmission antenna unit, the short-distance transmission antenna unit, the reception antenna unit, and the signal transmission/reception unit are mounted on one side of a printed circuit board.
3 . The radar apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the length of a first region where the long-distance transmission antenna unit is mounted is longer than a second region where the short-distance transmission antenna unit is mounted, a third region where the reception antenna unit is mounted, and a fourth region where the signal transmission/reception unit is mounted.
4 . The radar apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a protective member configured to cover the signal transmission/reception unit mounted on the printed circuit board to protect the signal transmission/reception unit, wherein the protective member is coupled to the one side of the printed circuit board.
5 . The radar apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the protective member has a size that covers only the fourth region where the signal transmission/reception unit is mounted on the printed circuit board.
6 . An antenna apparatus comprising:
a plurality of array antennas; and
a fake array antenna arranged in each side of the plurality of the plurality of array antennas without being connected with a signal transmission/reception unit in order to prevent beam pattern distortion by a signal coupling between neighboring array antennas among the plurality of array antennas.