METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OBJECT DETECTION INCORPORATING METAMATERIAL ANTENNA SIDE LOBE FEATURES
The present inventions provide methods and apparatuses for a metamaterial antenna structure, wherein a half-power illumination area of a side lobe of an electromagnetic transmission detect objects.
1 . A method for object detection, comprising:
initiating a scan from a radar antenna unit:
transmitting an electromagnetic beamform having a main lobe and side lobes, wherein the main lobe and side lobes each have a corresponding half-power illumination area;
detecting an object in at least one of the half-power illumination areas; and
adjusting the antenna such that the object is located within a side lobe half-power illumination area of the antenna.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the antenna comprises adjusting the gain of the antenna.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the antenna comprises adjusting the angle of the antenna with respect to a reference direction.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the antenna comprises a metamaterial array of elements and adjusting the angle of the antenna comprises changing a reactance of at least one of the elements of the metamaterial array.
5 . An antenna system, comprising:
an antenna comprising a metamaterial array of elements; and
an antenna controller coupled to the antenna and configured to:
determine the location of an object;
determine a target radiation pattern to track the object, wherein the radiation pattern includes a main lobe and at least one side lobe; and
adjust parameters of the antenna so as to change a location of a half-power illumination area of a side lobe of the target radiation pattern.
6 . The antenna system as in claim 5 , further comprising a power controller coupled to the antenna and configured to change the gain of the antenna.
7 . A radar system, comprising:
a receive antenna having a plurality of radiating elements and at least one guard element, wherein the plurality of radiating elements are meta-structure elements;
a radio controller providing separate feeds to the plurality of radiating elements and the at least one guard element;
a phase control module adapted to control phase control units coupled to the plurality of radiating elements and the at least one guard element; and
a controller to determine a direction of a radiation beam from the plurality of radiating elements.
8 . The radar system as in claim 7 , wherein the radio controller has a main lobe feed structure and at least one guard lobe feed structure.
9 . The radar system as in claim 8 , wherein control of the phase controllers changes the direction of the radiation beam.
10 . The radar system as in claim 9 , wherein the main lobe feed structure provides a signal to the plurality of radiating elements at a first set of parameters and wherein the at least one guard lobe feed structure provides a second signal to the at least one guard element at a second set of parameters different from the first set of parameters.
11 . The radar system as in claim 10 , wherein the controller is adapted to generate the radiation beam separate from a guard radiation beam from the guard elements, wherein the guard radiation beam overlaps side lobe portions of the radiation beam.
12 . The radar system as in claim 11 , further comprising an angle of arrival calculation unit.
13 . The radar system as in claim 12 , further comprising a perception engine for classification of detected objects.
14 . The radar system as in claim 10 , wherein the controller is adapted to generate the radiation beam separate from a guard radiation beam from the guard elements, wherein the guard radiation beam overlaps a portion of side lobe portions of the radiation beam.
15 . The radar system as in claim 14 , wherein the system changes a direction of the radiation beam in response to detection of an object in a side lobe beam.
16 . The radar system as in claim 1 , wherein each radiation beam generated by the receive antenna and the at least one guard element are defined by a half power illumination area.
17 . A method for object detection, comprising:
detecting an object within a side lobe of an antenna; and
adjusting the antenna directivity to position the side lobe of the antenna.
18 . The method as in claim 17 , further comprising:
determining an angle of arrival of a reflection from the object.
19 . The method as in claim 18 , wherein the angle of arrival identifies location of the object in the side lobe.
20 . The method as in claim 19 , further comprising adjusting a direction and a gain of the antenna in response to detecting the object.