Vehicle radar system with blind spot detection
View Patent ↗A vehicle radar system for monitoring a blind spot of a vehicle includes a radar transmitter mounted on the vehicle and a transmitting antenna coupled to the radar transmitter. The transmitting antenna transmits radiation in a pattern into a region adjacent to the vehicle, the pattern comprising a first radiation lobe and a second radiation lobe. A null region of the pattern between the first lobe and the second lobe is directed into the region approximately perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the longitudinal axis running between a rear end of the vehicle and a front end of the vehicle and running along a line of travel of the vehicle.
1. A vehicle radar system for monitoring a blind spot of a vehicle, comprising:
a radar transmitter mounted on the vehicle, the vehicle having a longitudinal axis running between a rear end of the vehicle and a front end of the vehicle and running along a line of travel of the vehicle; and
a transmitting antenna array coupled to the radar transmitter, the radar transmitter and transmitting antenna array transmitting radiation in a pattern into a region adjacent to the vehicle, the pattern comprising a first radiation lobe, a second radiation lobe, and a null region between the first and second radiation lobes, the null region pointing in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
2. The vehicle radar system of claim 1 , wherein a bore sight of the antenna is directed away from the vehicle at an angle of 20 degrees from the null region toward the rear end of the vehicle.
3. The vehicle radar system of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting antenna array comprises at least one planar antenna cell.
4. The vehicle radar system of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting antenna array comprises:
a first antenna cell and a second antenna cell for transmitting the radiation into the region; and
a phase shifter between the first and second antenna cells, the phase shifter adjusting phase of at least one of the first and second antenna cells to steer the radiation.
5. The vehicle radar system of claim 4 , wherein the phase shifter introduces 120 degrees of phase difference between the first and second antenna cells.
6. The vehicle radar system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one receiving antenna array for receiving radiation return signals from objects in the region adjacent to the vehicle.
7. The vehicle radar system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one receiving antenna array comprises first and second receiving antennas.
8. The vehicle radar system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one receiving antenna array comprises at least one planar antenna cell.
9. The vehicle radar system of claim 6 , further comprising a processor for processing the radiation return signals to determine at least one of speed and range of the objects in the region adjacent to the vehicle.
10. The vehicle radar system of claim 9 , wherein the region adjacent to the vehicle in which the objects are detected includes a blind spot of the vehicle.
11. The vehicle radar system of claim 1 , wherein the radar system is a pulsed Doppler radar system.
12. The vehicle radar system of claim 1 , wherein the radar system operates at a radar frequency of 24 GHz.