JP2017147487A - Vehicle including radar device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle including a radar device that can easily be mounted on the vehicle without deteriorating the appearance.SOLUTION: A vehicle 1 includes a radar device for detecting an object. The radar device includes an antenna 32, an RF circuit that transmits and receives electric waves with this antenna 32, and a controller that controls this RF circuit. The antenna 32 includes a flexible film substrate and a plurality of antenna elements provided to this flexible film substrate, and is structured as a planar antenna with flexibility. The antenna 32 is attached to bumper members 10 and 11 so as to extend along the shape of the inner surface or the outer surface of the bumper members.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle equipped with a radar device, and more particularly to a vehicle equipped with a radar device for detecting an object.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vehicle is provided with a plurality of detection devices in order to detect objects or obstacles (other vehicles, structures, pedestrians, etc.) outside the vehicle. For example, the vehicle described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a plurality of detection devices (a front camera, two rear radar devices, and a rear camera) corresponding to a plurality of measurement ranges in association with the lane change support device.

  When a radio wave radar device using millimeter waves or microwaves is used as the detection device, the antenna is disposed at a place where it cannot be seen from the outside so as not to impair the appearance of the vehicle. Specifically, for example, the front antenna of the front radar device for measuring the front of the vehicle can be arranged in a dedicated radome provided around the front grille of the vehicle, for measuring the rear side of the vehicle. The rear antenna of the rear radar apparatus can be disposed in the space between the rear bumper and the rear end panel on both the left and right sides of the vehicle.

  Currently, film antennas are used for vehicles for relatively simple systems that do not require measurement accuracy such as televisions and radios. This film-like antenna is attached to, for example, the inside or the glass surface of the windshield. Patent Document 2 proposes that a film-like antenna for a television or the like is formed on the surface of a plastic member of a vehicle and covered with a paint film to hide the presence of the antenna from the outside.

JP 2014-191632 A JP 2006-264418 A

  However, as described in Patent Document 1, when the number of detection devices is increased, there is a problem that it is difficult to dispose the antenna so that the detection performance is sufficiently exhibited at an appropriate position of the vehicle. In the future, in order to further increase the safety, it has been studied to widen the detection range, and securing a place for appropriately arranging an additional antenna for that purpose becomes a problem.

  For example, the rear antenna of the rear radar apparatus has a problem that the measurement performance is lowered when it is attached to a vehicle, although a sufficient measurement performance is exhibited by itself. In other words, when the rear antenna is placed in the space between the rear bumper and the rear end panel, the radio wave transmitted from the rear antenna is diffusely reflected on the inner side surface of the rear bumper and the outer side surface of the rear end panel. Will fall. In order to suppress such interference waves, it is necessary to take measures such as improving the accuracy of the mounting position or separately providing an interference suppression member around the rear antenna.

  However, since the space between the rear bumper and the rear end panel is narrow, it is difficult to ensure a sufficient space for mounting the rear antenna and the interference suppression member. In addition, the front antenna of the front radar device, which requires higher accuracy measurement than the rear antenna, is provided in the dedicated radome to suppress the similar irregular reflection of radio waves, but the dedicated radome also has a large installation space. In addition to the need, the dedicated radome was expensive and costly.

  Therefore, it is conceivable to reduce the size of the antenna itself so that it can be placed in a limited narrow space. However, since the antenna performance decreases as the antenna area becomes smaller, there is a possibility that sufficient measurement performance cannot be obtained if the antenna is downsized.

  Moreover, as described in Patent Document 2, if the antenna can be formed on the surface of a plastic member of a vehicle and covered with a paint film, the options for the antenna installation location will be expanded. However, Patent Document 2 is intended for TV, radio, GPS, keyless, and ETC automobile antennas, that is, for devices that are not directly related to driving safety and do not require high measurement accuracy. Intended for antennas. Even if the antenna for such a device can be configured as described in Patent Document 2, a device that requires high measurement accuracy in relation to the safety of traveling, such as a radar device (particularly for a forward radar device). In some cases, an automatic vehicle operation may be executed to avoid danger in response to the measurement result), and it is difficult to form the antenna on the surface of the plastic member of the vehicle and cover it with a paint film. It was thought to be.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle including a radar device that can be easily mounted on the vehicle without impairing the appearance.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle including a radar device that detects an object, the radar device including an antenna, a transmission / reception circuit that transmits and receives radio waves using the antenna, and the transmission / reception circuit. A control circuit for controlling the antenna, and the antenna includes a flexible film and a plurality of antenna elements provided on the flexible film, and is configured as a flexible planar antenna. The antenna is attached to the bumper member of the vehicle, and is affixed to the bumper member so as to follow the shape of the inner surface or the outer surface of the bumper member.

  According to the present invention configured as described above, since the antenna is configured as a flexible planar antenna, the antenna can be attached along the surface of the bumper member. The present inventor has confirmed that sufficient measurement accuracy can be obtained when the antenna of the radar apparatus is formed in a flexible film shape and placed on the surface of the bumper member to perform a measurement experiment. Therefore, conventionally, it was thought that the antenna of a radar device that required high measurement accuracy in relation to safety could not be attached to a replaceable resin molded part such as a bumper member. It was confirmed that this was feasible.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated radome as in the prior art, and it is not necessary to accurately place a hard antenna and an interference suppression member in a narrow space between the bumper member and the vehicle panel. Can be easily arranged without increasing the cost and without impairing the appearance. In the present invention, since the antenna is attached to the bumper member, the radio wave radiated from the antenna is not irregularly reflected on the surface of the bumper member or the surface of the vehicle panel. The radio wave interference related to the structure can be suppressed.

  The bumper member extends in the vehicle width direction and has a large area. For this reason, in the present invention, it is possible to greatly increase the area of the antenna as compared with the conventional case, and the measurement accuracy can be greatly improved by increasing the area of the antenna.

  In the present invention, specifically, the bumper member is at least one or both of a front bumper and a rear bumper.

In the present invention, preferably, the antenna is attached over the entire width direction of the bumper member of the vehicle.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the antenna area can be greatly increased compared to the conventional art by attaching the antenna over the entire width direction of the bumper member. For this reason, in this invention, it becomes possible to improve antenna performance significantly compared with the past, and can improve the distance precision and angle precision of a target object detection capability markedly.

In the present invention, preferably, the antenna is attached to the side wall extending in the vertical direction of the bumper member and the bottom wall extending in the horizontal direction facing the vehicle lower side.
Conventionally, the measurement range of the radar apparatus extends in the horizontal direction from the vehicle and does not include the road surface in the vicinity of the vehicle as the measurement range. For this reason, a groove or a cliff (step) present in the vicinity of the vehicle cannot be detected. However, according to the present invention, not only can the object present in the horizontal direction of the vehicle be detected by the antenna portion attached to the side wall of the bumper member, but also the vehicle can be detected by the antenna portion attached to the bottom wall of the bumper member. The lower part of the vicinity (that is, the road surface) can be set as the measurement range. Thus, in the present invention, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of a vehicle trouble due to a groove or a cliff (step).

Preferably, in the present invention, when the antenna is attached to the outer surface of the bumper member, the transmission / reception circuit is attached to the outer surface of the bumper member, and the control circuit and the transmission / reception circuit are bumped from the control circuit to the transmission / reception circuit. Power is supplied through a member by a non-contact power feeding method, and signal transmission is performed between the transmission / reception circuit and the control circuit by a non-contact signal transmission method through a bumper member.
When the antenna and the transmission / reception circuit are located outside the bumper member and the control circuit is located inside the bumper member, the electric power supply and signal transmission are performed between the inside and outside of the bumper member. Since it is necessary to form a through hole in the member, it takes time to mount the antenna or the like. Thus, as in the present invention, the power supply can be performed by the non-contact power feeding method and the signal transmission can be performed by the non-contact signal transmission method, so that the installation work can be made extremely easy.

In the present invention, preferably, the antenna is further attached to a replaceable resin molded part or glass part of the vehicle.
According to the present invention thus configured, the measurement range can be expanded by attaching the antenna to the resin molded part or the glass part in addition to the bumper member. Thus, for example, by attaching an antenna to the side mirror cover, it is possible to monitor the side of the vehicle, and the measurement range can be set in the entire circumferential direction including front, rear, left and right of the vehicle.

  In the present invention, specifically, the resin molded part or the glass part includes at least one of a rear spoiler, a side sill garnish, a lamp lens, a side mirror cover, and a window glass.

In the present invention, preferably, the antenna is further attached to at least one of a vehicle interior part and a vehicle seat in the vehicle interior.
According to the present invention configured as described above, it is possible to detect the presence of the driver in the vehicle by arranging the antenna in the vehicle.

In the present invention, preferably, the antenna is further attached to the outside of the metal body of the vehicle.
According to the present invention thus configured, the measurement range can be further easily expanded by attaching the antenna not only to the bumper member but also to the vehicle body. For example, by arranging an antenna on the upper surface of the vehicle, the clearance between the vehicle and the ceiling can be detected.

In the present invention, preferably, the antenna is attached to the lower surface of the vehicle along the road surface.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the antenna can be attached not only to the bumper member but also to the lower surface of the vehicle, so that the measurement range can be extended to the lower side of the vehicle. This makes it possible to detect the presence of a foreign object under the vehicle when the vehicle starts.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the vehicle provided with the radar apparatus with easy mounting in a vehicle without impairing an external appearance can be provided.

It is explanatory drawing of the vehicle of embodiment of this invention. It is an electric block diagram of the radar apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing of the radar apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the attachment state of the film antenna part of the radar apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the various division | segmentation usage example of the antenna in the radar apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the beam pattern at the time of low speed driving | running | working in the radar apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the beam pattern at the time of high speed driving | running | working in the radar apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the beam pattern at the time of reverse in the radar apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the beam pattern in driving | running | working in the radar apparatus which concerns on the modification of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the high precision measurement mode in the radar apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the antenna arrangement | positioning in the radar apparatus which concerns on the modification of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of arrangement | positioning of the film antenna part in the radar apparatus which concerns on the modification of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the electric power transmission and signal transmission in the radar apparatus of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First, a schematic configuration of a vehicle including a radar apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a vehicle, FIG. 2 is an electrical block diagram of the radar device, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the radar device, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a mounting state of a film antenna unit of the radar device.
As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes bumper members 10 and 11 (a front bumper 10 and a rear bumper 11) that are resin molded parts having radio wave permeability, and the film of the radar device 30 is disposed inside each bumper member. An antenna unit 31 is attached.

  The radar device 30 according to the present embodiment is a millimeter wave radar (for example, a frequency of 76 GHz to 77 GHz), transmits a radio wave (measurement wave) from the film antenna unit 31, and an object (for example, another vehicle, a fixed structure on the road, A radio wave (reflected wave) reflected by a pedestrian is received by the antenna 32, and the relative distance between the object and the vehicle 1 and the relative speed of the object are measured. The vehicle is not limited to a four-wheeled vehicle but includes a traveling body such as a two-wheeled vehicle or a bicycle. The radar device 30 is not limited to the millimeter wave radar, and may be a microwave radar.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the radar apparatus 30 includes a film antenna unit 31 and a controller (control circuit) 40, which are connected by electrical wiring. The film antenna unit 31 includes an antenna 32 and an RF circuit (transmission / reception circuit) 37. As shown in FIG. 3, the antenna 32 includes a film substrate 33, a large number of antenna elements 34 regularly formed at predetermined intervals on one surface (front surface) of the film substrate 33, and the other side of the film substrate 33. A ground portion 35 made of a metal foil formed on the surface (back surface) and an RF circuit 37 are provided. Note that only one antenna 32 may be disposed in each bumper member, or may be divided into a plurality of antennas.

  The antenna 32 is configured as a planar antenna (microstrip patch antenna) having a large number of antenna elements 34. The film substrate 33 is a dielectric substrate formed of a flexible resin material. Therefore, the antenna 32 has flexibility as a whole. For this reason, the antenna 32 can be attached in close contact with the inner side surface of the bumper member while being bent along the curved surfaces of the bumper members 10 and 11 (see FIG. 4). For example, the antenna 32 can be attached by a bonding means such as an adhesive.

  In the present embodiment, the antenna 32 is attached so as to extend over the entire bumper members 10 and 11 in the vehicle width direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the bumper members may be arranged separately in a central portion and two left and right side portions (a total of three locations) or a plurality of left and right side portions in the width direction.

  The antenna element 34 is made of a substantially rectangular conductive metal foil, and is formed on the film substrate 33 at equal intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions (see FIGS. 3 and 4). An electric signal line 36 extending from the RF circuit 37 and penetrating the film substrate 33 is connected to each antenna element 34 at a feeding point. Each antenna element 34 is in close contact with the surface of the bumper member via a joining means in a state where the film antenna portion 31 is attached to the bumper member.

  The antenna element 34 is provided separately for a transmission-dedicated element and a reception-dedicated element. The transmission antenna 32a is configured by a plurality of transmission-dedicated elements, and the reception antenna 32b is configured by a plurality of reception-dedicated elements. It is configured (see FIG. 2). For example, a row of antenna elements 34 for transmission and a row of antenna elements 34 for reception are alternately set on the film substrate 33 for each row. Therefore, the transmitting and receiving antenna elements 34 are mixedly set on the film substrate 33. A transmitting terminal of the RF circuit 37 is connected to the transmitting antenna element 34, and a receiving terminal of the RF circuit 37 is connected to the receiving antenna element 34. In the present embodiment, the antenna elements 34 are set to have functions differently for transmission and reception. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the RF circuit is configured so that each antenna element 34 is an antenna element for both transmission and reception. 37 may be changed.

  The RF circuit 37 is configured as a chip component 37a in which a voltage controlled oscillator, a coupler, a mixer, an amplifier, a filter circuit, and the like are arranged on an electronic substrate. The chip component 37a is disposed on the back surface of the film substrate 33, is electrically connected to the electric signal line 36, and is integrally formed with the film substrate 33 while being covered with a protective coating layer. The RF circuit 37 receives a transmission command from the controller 40 via the electric signal line 45, outputs a high-frequency measurement wave from the transmission antenna 32a based on the transmission command, and detects a detection wave received by the reception antenna 32b. The processing signal obtained by processing the measurement wave is output to the controller 40 via the electric signal line 45. Note that the RF circuit 37 may be configured separately from the antenna 32, and the RF circuit 37 may be attached to other components of the vehicle 1.

  One or a plurality of RF circuits 37 are provided in the bumper members 10 and 11, respectively. When one RF circuit 37 is provided in each bumper member, each RF circuit 37 processes transmission / reception of radio waves by all the antenna elements 34 of the film antenna unit 31 in each bumper member. In addition, when a plurality of RF circuits 37 are provided in each bumper member, each RF circuit 37 has a radio wave generated by the assigned antenna element 34 among the antenna elements 34 of the film antenna unit 31 in each bumper member. Handles sending and receiving.

  As shown in FIG. 3, each antenna element 34 is connected to an RF circuit 37 by an electric signal line 36, and the RF circuit 37 independently connects each antenna element 34 (or a set of a plurality of antenna elements 34). And can be driven. Further, the A / D conversion unit 42 in the controller 40 is also configured to function independently corresponding to each antenna element 34 (or a set of antenna elements 34).

  The controller 40 includes a processor unit (CPU) 41, an A / D conversion unit 42, a power supply circuit 43, and the like. The A / D converter 42 is configured to convert an analog signal into a digital signal and convert the digital signal into an analog signal. The processor unit 41 converts the transmission command into an analog signal by the A / D conversion unit 42, outputs the analog signal to the RF circuit 37, causes the RF circuit 37 to transmit the measurement wave, and converts the transmission signal into a digital signal by the A / D conversion unit 42. Based on the converted processing signal from the RF circuit 37, a relative distance and a relative speed with respect to the object are calculated.

  Further, the processor unit 41 can receive a sensor signal from the outside and appropriately control a transmission command. The sensor signal is a signal related to the traveling state of the vehicle 1. For example, the vehicle speed signal received from the vehicle speed sensor of the vehicle 1, the gear position signal received from the gear position sensor, the steering angle signal received from the steering wheel position sensor, and the winker lever position A winker lever position signal received from the sensor, a brake operation signal received from the brake device, an accelerator opening signal received from the accelerator opening sensor, and the like.

The power supply circuit 43 supplies DC power to the constituent circuits (the processor unit 41, the A / D conversion unit 42, etc.) in the controller 40, and supplies DC power to the RF circuit 37 via the power supply line 47. It is configured as follows.
Note that the RF circuit 37 and the controller 40 may each be composed of parts of a single package, but the antenna 32 is divided into a plurality of areas, and sub-circuit parts (sub-RF circuit and sub-controller are divided for each area. ) And a plurality of sub circuit components (and main circuit components for controlling them).

  In the present embodiment, the controller 40 is configured to perform measurement by selectively using all or a part of the multiple antenna elements 34 constituting the antenna 32. Thereby, the radar apparatus 30 of this embodiment can perform measurement by various radio wave beam patterns (radiation patterns) or antenna directivities.

  In addition, the controller 40 is configured to perform digital beam formation by performing digital signal processing on a processing signal received from each antenna element 34 via the RF circuit 37 using digital beam forming technology. That is, the controller 40 can variously change and control the beam pattern or the antenna directivity by weighting and synthesizing the digitized processing signals. In this embodiment, the beam pattern is formed using the digital beam forming technique, but the present invention is not limited to this, and an active phased array method may be adopted.

  Further, the controller 40 outputs the calculated object information (distance, speed, etc.) to the obstacle detection device 50. The obstacle detection device 50 constituting the driving support system is connected to an alarm device, a brake device, a seat belt device, a throttle device, and the like. The alarm device notifies the driver of abnormality or warning by lighting the lamp, sound from the speaker, display on the display, or the like.

  The obstacle detection device 50 operates an alarm device, a brake device, a seat belt device, a throttle device, and the like as necessary based on the received information on the object. For example, when the obstacle detection device 50 determines that there is a risk that the vehicle will collide with the target object (another vehicle or the like) based on the information on the target object, the alarm device notifies that effect and the braking force of the brake device. Application, operation of an attached motor for increasing the tension of the seat belt of the seat belt device, change of the throttle opening of the throttle device, and the like are performed.

  As described above, the flexible antenna 32 can be attached in close contact with the curved shape of the back surfaces (inner side surfaces) of the bumper members 10 and 11 as shown in FIG. At that time, the antenna 32 is attached not only to the back surface of the side wall 12a extending in the vertical direction of the bumper member but also to the back surfaces of the top wall 12b and the bottom wall 12c extending in the horizontal direction from the upper and lower ends of the side wall 12a. Yes. Moreover, the antenna 32 is attached so that it may extend from the back surface of the site | part which faces the front or back of the vehicle 1 to the back surface of the site | part which faces the left-right side via the corner | angular part 12d among the side walls 12a.

  Next, an outline of the operation of the radar apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of various divided use examples of the antenna. In FIG. 5, only a very small part of the antenna 32 is shown for easy understanding, but the present invention can be similarly applied to the entire antenna 32. FIG. 5 assumes a state of facing the vehicle 1 (that is, the horizontal direction of the paper corresponds to the horizontal direction of the vehicle 1 and the vertical direction of the paper corresponds to the vertical direction of the vehicle 1). In FIG. 5, only one of the transmitting and receiving antenna elements 34 is shown, but the other is assumed to be disposed close to each antenna element 34. FIG. 5 shows a limited use case, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various uses are possible by selecting a particular antenna element 34 and beamforming.

  First, FIG. 5A shows an example in which all antenna elements 34 in a large area of the antenna 32 are used. As shown in FIG. 5A, the controller 40 outputs all the antenna elements 34 as one antenna by outputting a transmission command to the RF circuit 37 so that the measurement waves are radiated from all the antenna elements 34. Can be operated. At this time, a beam such as a pencil beam that has a narrow beam width and extends sharply to a long distance by radiating measurement waves having a phase that is aligned in a predetermined direction from an antenna having an overall large antenna area including all antenna elements 34. A pattern can be formed. With this beam pattern, beam directivity with high angular accuracy and distance accuracy can be achieved. For example, conventionally, a radar apparatus that measures the front of a vehicle has an antenna area limited to a small area, and thus has only the ability to detect an object located within a range up to about 200 m ahead of the vehicle. In the embodiment, it is possible to secure a much larger antenna area than in the past, and therefore it is possible to detect even an object located 500 m or more ahead of the vehicle.

  FIG. 5B shows an example in which a large area of the antenna 32 is divided into upper and lower parts. As shown in FIG. 5B, the antenna 32 can be divided into an upper area b1 and a lower area b2, and each area can be used as one antenna. In this case, since the upper area b1 and the lower area b2 each extend as an elongated area in the horizontal direction, a flat beam pattern that is narrow in the horizontal direction and wide in the vertical direction is formed by each area. Further, a flat beam pattern can be obtained by controlling an area having a narrow vertical width such as the upper area b1 and the lower area b2 to move in the vertical direction and / or the horizontal direction by sequentially switching the position in the antenna 32. Can be scanned vertically and / or horizontally. Furthermore, a thin beam pattern can be formed from each area in a different angle direction in the vertical direction by the digital beam forming technique, and the thin beam can be scanned in the vertical direction.

  FIG. 5C shows an example in which a large area of the antenna 32 is divided into left and right parts. As shown in FIG. 5C, the antenna 32 can be divided into a left area c1 and a right area c2, and each area can be used as one antenna. In this case, since the left area c1 and the right area c2 extend as vertically elongated areas, a flat beam pattern that is narrow in the vertical direction and wide in the horizontal direction is formed by each area. In addition, by controlling the positions of the areas having a narrow horizontal width such as the left area c1 and the right area c2 in the antenna 32 in order and moving them in the horizontal direction and / or the vertical direction, the flatness is reduced. The beam pattern can be scanned horizontally and / or vertically. Furthermore, a thin beam pattern can be formed from each area toward a different angular direction in the horizontal direction by the digital beam forming technique, and the thin beam can be scanned in the horizontal direction.

  FIG. 5D shows an example in which a small area within a large area of the antenna 32 is partially used. As shown in FIG. 5D, only the upper area d1 and the lower area d2 narrow in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the antenna 32 can be used, and each area can be used as one antenna. In this case, in the upper area d1 and the lower area d2, a beam pattern having a wider beam width in the horizontal direction and a shorter measurement distance is formed than in the case of FIG. For example, it is possible to sequentially measure the vicinity of a desired position of the vehicle 1 by controlling such a limited narrow area so that the position is sequentially switched and moved in the antenna 32.

  FIG. 5E shows an example in which a large area of the antenna 32 is divided into a plurality of areas having an area difference. As shown in FIG. 5E, each of the areas can be used as one antenna by using a wide upper area e1 and a narrow lower area e2 of the antenna 32. In this case, the upper area e1 can form a beam pattern having a narrower beam width in the vertical direction and a longer measurement distance than the lower area e2. For example, the upper area e1 can be used to measure a long distance ahead (or rear) of the vehicle 1, and the lower area e2 can be used to measure a short distance near the vehicle 1 near the road surface.

  In this embodiment, each antenna element 34 can be driven independently, and each antenna element 34 can be set as one antenna area. In addition, all the antenna elements 34 of the film antenna unit 31 are divided into a plurality of antenna areas, and each antenna area is set in advance so as to be composed of a set of a predetermined number (not necessarily the same) of antenna elements 34. May be. In addition, a plurality of modes may be set, and a plurality of antenna areas may be set in each mode. At this time, the same antenna element 34 may overlap in different modes.

  Next, the operation of the radar apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a beam pattern during low-speed traveling, FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a beam pattern during high-speed traveling, FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a beam pattern during reverse traveling, and FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the beam pattern in driving | running | working which concerns on a modification, and FIG. 10 is explanatory drawing of high precision measurement mode.

  As described in the outline of the operation of the radar apparatus 30 according to the present embodiment with reference to FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, the antenna 32 arranged on the bumper members 10 and 11 of the vehicle 1 is integrated or provided in various antenna areas. Can be divided and used. Hereinafter, the operation of the radar device 30 that operates according to the traveling state of the vehicle 1 will be described on the premise of the outline of the above operation.

  First, FIG.6 and FIG.7 has shown the change of the measurement mode according to a vehicle speed. As shown in FIG. 6A, when the controller 40 determines that the vehicle 1 is traveling below a predetermined speed threshold based on the vehicle speed signal received from the vehicle speed sensor, the measurement mode is set to the low speed traveling mode. Then, the film antenna unit 31 is controlled. That is, the controller 40 selects an antenna area for low-speed traveling, and the antenna area is discretely distributed over the entire horizontal direction of the bumper member 10 among the antenna elements 34 of the antenna 32 attached to the bumper member 10. A certain proportion of the antenna elements 34 are allocated so as to be distributed. Further, in this antenna area, among the antenna elements 34 of the antenna 32 attached to the bumper member 11, a predetermined number of antenna elements 34 located at the center in the horizontal direction of the bumper member and the left and right corners A small number of antenna elements 34 within a small area range are allocated (see, for example, FIG. 5C).

  In the low-speed running mode, a measurement range (beam pattern) P1 having a large beam width is formed so that a relatively short distance range can be measured in a wide angle range toward the front and side of the vehicle 1. In addition, three measurement ranges P2, P3, and P4 are provided so that a relatively short range can be measured toward the rear of the vehicle 1 and from the left and right corners of the vehicle rear side. Is formed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, the main beam P5 having a narrow beam width may be scanned in the horizontal direction within the measurement range formed by the selected antenna 32 of the bumper member 10. . In this case, the controller 40 may perform control so that the selected antenna area having a small area is sequentially moved in time in the horizontal direction in the antenna 32, or the beam width as in FIG. A beam pattern with a large wide angle range may be formed, and the main beam direction may be scanned by signal processing using a digital beam forming technique.

  Note that the measurements shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B may be used in combination. For example, when any object is detected in front of the vehicle in the measurement shown in FIG. 6A, the beam scanning shown in FIG. 6B is switched in order to specify the object by finer detection. Can be configured. The measurement ranges P2, P3, and P4 may also be configured to perform beam scanning.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, when the controller 40 determines that the vehicle 1 is traveling at a speed exceeding a predetermined speed threshold based on the vehicle speed signal received from the vehicle speed sensor, the controller 40 selects the high-speed traveling mode. Then, the film antenna unit 31 is controlled. That is, the controller 40 selects an antenna area for high-speed traveling, and in this antenna area, among the antenna elements 34 of the antenna 32 attached to the bumper members 10 and 11, the central portion in the horizontal direction of each bumper member. A large number of antenna elements 34 within a large area range (or all antenna elements 34 of each bumper member) and a small number of antenna elements 34 within a relatively small area range near both corners are assigned (for example, FIG. 5 (A) and (C)).

  For this reason, a measurement range P11 in which a beam width is narrow and a long distance can be measured with high angular accuracy and distance accuracy is formed from a large antenna area set at the central portion of the bumper member 10, and the left and right corner portions are also formed. Measurement ranges P12 and P13 having a large beam width capable of measuring a relatively short range in a wide angle range are formed from the set small antenna area. Similarly, a measurement range P14 for long distance measurement and measurement ranges P15 and P16 for short distance measurement are also formed from the bumper member 11. Even in the high-speed driving mode, the measurement ranges P11 to P16 may be configured to perform beam scanning.

  FIG. 8 shows a measurement mode according to the gear position. As shown in FIG. 8, when the controller 40 determines that the vehicle 1 is in the reverse direction based on the gear position signal received from the gear position sensor, the controller 40 sets the measurement mode to the reverse mode and sets the film antenna unit 31 to the reverse mode. Control. That is, the controller 40 selects two antenna areas for backward movement (see, for example, FIGS. 5B and 5E). Of these, the first antenna area is attached to the bumper member 11. Among the antenna elements 34 of the antenna 32, a part of the antenna element 34 disposed on the back surface of the side wall 12a of the bumper member is allocated over the entire horizontal direction, and the bumper member is extended over the entire horizontal direction in the second antenna area. The antenna element 34 arranged on the back surface of the bottom wall 12c is assigned.

  For this reason, in the reverse mode, the measurement range P21 is formed by the first antenna area so that a relatively short range can be measured toward the rear of the vehicle 1. Further, the second antenna area forms a measurement range P22 so that a relatively short range can be measured downward from the bumper member 11 of the vehicle 1 toward the road surface. For this reason, in the present embodiment, an obstacle located behind the vehicle 1 can be detected when reversing, and a step or groove 9 on the road surface behind the vehicle 1 that could not be detected conventionally is also included. Can be detected.

  Further, in order to direct the beam direction downward as described above, instead of providing the second antenna area on the bumper member 11, the antenna 32 is arranged in the rear spoiler 2 which is a replaceable radio wave-transmitting resin molded part, A measurement range P23 facing downward as shown in FIG. 8 may be formed.

  FIG. 9 shows a modification of the measurement mode according to the vehicle speed and the gear position. As shown in FIG. 9, when the vehicle speed is low and the gear position is the drive position, the antenna area in the bumper member 10 is set to at least two antenna areas in the vertical direction (for example, FIG. B) and (E)), a measurement range P31 capable of measuring the front of the vehicle and a measurement range P32 capable of measuring the vicinity of the road surface within a relatively short distance range ahead of the vehicle may be formed. . When the vehicle speed is low and the gear position is the reverse position, the antenna area in the bumper member 11 is set to at least two antenna areas in the vertical direction (for example, FIGS. 5B and 5E). )), A measurement range P33 in which the rear of the vehicle can be measured, and a measurement range P34 in which the vicinity of the road surface within a relatively short distance range behind the vehicle can be measured may be formed.

  FIG. 10 shows the high accuracy measurement mode. In the present embodiment, when the object (obstacle) O is detected in the measurement mode shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 while the vehicle 1 is traveling, the mode is switched to the high-accuracy measurement mode. In the high accuracy measurement mode, among the antenna elements 34 of the antenna 32 attached to the bumper member 10, the antenna elements 34 within a relatively large area on both the left and right sides of the bumper member 10 are set as the left antenna area and the right antenna area. (For example, see FIG. 5C). Measurement ranges P41 and P42 are formed by the respective antenna areas. The controller 40 can measure the azimuth and distance of the object O independently from each of the measurement ranges P41 and P42. In addition to the measured distance, since the substantial separation distance r between the two antenna areas is known, the object can be determined using the principle of triangulation based on the orientation and distance r obtained by the measurement. The distance to O can be measured with high accuracy. Thereby, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the measurement distance to the object O.

  According to the present embodiment, since the antenna 32 is configured as a flexible planar antenna, the antenna 32 can be attached along the surfaces of the bumper members 10 and 11. Therefore, in the present embodiment, unlike the conventional case, there is no need to provide a dedicated radome, and it is not necessary to accurately place the hard antenna and the interference suppression member in a narrow space between the bumper member and the vehicle panel. The antenna 32 can be easily disposed without increasing the cost and without damaging the appearance. Further, in the present embodiment, since the antenna 32 is attached to the bumper members 10 and 11, the radio wave radiated from the antenna 32 is not irregularly reflected on the surface of the bumper members 10 and 11 or the surface of the vehicle panel. In addition, radio wave interference related to the internal structure can be suppressed without providing an interference suppression member.

  The bumper members 10 and 11 extend in the vehicle width direction and have a wide area. For this reason, in this embodiment, it becomes possible to greatly increase the area of the antenna 32 as compared with the conventional case, and the measurement accuracy can be greatly improved by increasing the area of the antenna 32.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the antenna area can be greatly increased compared with the conventional case by attaching the antenna 32 over the entire width direction of the bumper members 10 and 11. For this reason, in this embodiment, it becomes possible to improve antenna performance significantly compared with the past, and the distance accuracy and angle accuracy of target object detection capability can be improved significantly.

  In the present embodiment, the antenna 32 is attached to the side wall 12a extending in the vertical direction of the bumper members 10 and 11 and the bottom wall 12c extending in the horizontal direction toward the vehicle lower side. Therefore, in the present embodiment, not only the object existing in the horizontal direction of the vehicle can be detected by the antenna portion attached to the side wall 12a of the bumper members 10, 11, but also the bottom wall 12c of the bumper members 10, 11 is detected. The antenna portion attached to the vehicle can make the measurement range below the vehicle (that is, the road surface). Thereby, in this embodiment, since a groove | channel and a cliff (step) can be detected, it becomes possible to avoid the trouble that the vehicle 1 falls into a groove | channel etc.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the measurement range can be expanded by further attaching the antenna 32 to a replaceable resin molded part of the vehicle. Accordingly, for example, by attaching the antenna 32 to the side mirror cover 4, it is possible to monitor the side of the vehicle, and the measurement range can be set in the entire circumferential direction including the front, rear, left and right of the vehicle.

A modification of the present embodiment will be described below.
In the above embodiment, the antenna 32 is disposed on the bumper members 10 and 11 on the front and rear sides of the vehicle. However, as shown in FIG. 11, the antenna 32 is connected to the headlamp lens 3, the side mirror cover 4, and the side sill garnish of the vehicle 1. 5. It may be attached to the brake lamp lens 6. These are all replaceable and radio wave-permeable resin molded parts. A beam pattern in the measurement range P51 is formed from the head lamp lens 3, a beam pattern in the measurement range P52 is formed from the side mirror cover 4, and a beam pattern in the measurement range P53 is formed from the side sill garnish 5, and the brake lamp lens 6 forms a beam pattern in the measurement range P54.

  When the controller 40 receives the steering angle signal (or the winker lever position signal from the winker lever position sensor) from the steering wheel position sensor, the vehicle 1 determines the turning direction and detects an obstacle within the measurement range in the turning direction. . For example, when the driver rotates the steering wheel to the right by a predetermined angle or more, or when the winker lever is operated to instruct a right turn, the controller 40 starts measurement in the measurement ranges P51, P52, P53, and P54. can do.

  Thus, since the antenna 32 of this embodiment is a flexible film shape, it can be easily disposed on the inner or outer surface of various resin molded parts. Thereby, in this embodiment, in addition to the antenna 32 arrange | positioned at the bumper members 10 and 11, by arrange | positioning the antenna 32 to other resin molded parts, the front-rear and right-and-left whole circumference directions of the vehicle 1 are made into a measurement range. can do.

  In addition, as described above, in the present embodiment, the antenna 32 cannot be visually recognized from the outside by disposing the antenna 32 inside the radio wave permeable resin molded part, so that the appearance of the vehicle 1 may be impaired. Absent. However, since the film antenna portion 31 of the present embodiment is a flexible film, it can be made invisible from the outside by being attached to the outer surface of the vehicle 1 and painting the surface. . In this case, the film antenna unit 31 is not limited to the resin molded part, and can be attached to the metal body surface. Further, it can be arranged on the window glass of the vehicle 1. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the antenna 32 can be disposed in the entire area in the horizontal circumferential direction of the vehicle 1 in the front-rear and left-right directions, and further in the entire circumferential direction including the upper and lower surfaces of the vehicle 1. Accordingly, the measurement range can be set in all directions including the vertical direction of the vehicle 1. For example, by arranging the antenna 32 on the upper surface of the body of the vehicle 1, it is possible to detect the clearance between the vehicle 1 and the ceiling in a place where there is a height restriction such as a three-dimensional parking lot. Further, by attaching the antenna 32 to the lower side surface of the vehicle, the measurement range can be extended to the lower side of the vehicle 1, so that it is possible to detect the presence of foreign matter under the vehicle 1 when the vehicle starts.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although comprised so that the exterior of the vehicle 1 might be measured by the radar apparatus 30, you may comprise so that the vehicle interior of the vehicle 1 may further be measured not only in this. For this reason, the film antenna part 31 can be attached to a vehicle interior part or a vehicle seat in the vehicle interior. This makes it possible to detect the presence or absence of a driver in the passenger compartment.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the film antenna part 31 was arrange | positioned on the inner surface of the bumper members 10 and 11, it is not restricted to this, and the film antenna part 31 may be arrange | positioned on the outer surface of the bumper members 10 and 11. Good. In this case, since the RF circuit 37 is disposed outside the bumper member and the controller 40 is disposed inside the bumper member, an electric signal line 45 and a power supply line 47 for performing signal transmission and power supply therebetween. Can be disposed through the bumper member. However, in this case, it is necessary to form a through hole in the bumper member, which takes time for installation.

  Therefore, in order to more easily arrange the film antenna portion 31 on the outer surface of the bumper member or the resin molded part, it can be configured as shown in FIGS. FIG. 12 is an enlarged sectional view of the attached state, and FIG. 13 is a partial electric block diagram of the RF circuit and the controller.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the film antenna unit 131 including the RF circuit 137 is attached to the outer surfaces of the bumper members 10 and 11. In FIG. 12, the RF circuit 137 is disposed on the inner surface of the antenna 132 (between the bumper members 10 and 11), but the RF circuit 137 may be disposed on the outer surface of the antenna 132. The bumper member and film antenna unit 131 has a coating coating layer 60 formed by painting the outer surface thereof. On the other hand, the controller 140 is attached to the inner surface of the bumper members 10 and 11.

  The RF circuit 137 and the controller 140 supply power by a non-contact charging method and transmit an electric signal by a non-contact signal transmission method. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 13, the RF circuit 137 is provided with a charging circuit 138 and a signal transmission circuit 139, and the controller 140 is provided with a power feeding circuit 144 and a signal transmission circuit 145. The power feeding circuit 144 generates a magnetic field by supplying an alternating current to the primary coil 144a. On the other hand, the charging circuit 138 receives the magnetic field generated by the primary coil 144a by the secondary coil 138a. At this time, in the charging circuit 138, a current is generated in the secondary coil 138a by electromagnetic induction, and this current is rectified and charged to an internal battery (not shown). Thereby, the controller 140 can charge the RF circuit 137.

  The signal transmission circuits 145 and 139 include electrodes 145a and 139a, respectively, and electric field coupling between these electrodes is used. That is, a capacitor is formed by the electrodes 145a and 139a, and when a high frequency signal is supplied to one of the electrodes, a current corresponding to the high frequency signal is generated at the other electrode. Thereby, analog signal transmission can be performed between the RF circuit 137 and the controller 140. As described above, it is preferable to dispose the film antenna portion 131 on the outer surface of the bumper members 10 and 11 because no radio wave is reflected by the bumper member.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the antenna 132 and the RF circuit 137 are located outside the bumper members 10 and 11 and the controller 140 is located inside the bumper members 10 and 11, When the power supply and the signal transmission are performed between the inside and outside of the power supply 11 by electric wiring, it is necessary to form a through hole in the bumper member, and thus it takes time to mount the antenna or the like. Thus, as in the present embodiment, the power supply can be performed by a non-contact power feeding method, and the signal transmission can be performed by a non-contact signal transmission method, so that the installation work can be made extremely easy.

  Further, as a signal for determining the traveling state of the vehicle 1, a brake operation signal and an accelerator opening signal may be used. For example, the controller 40 determines that a brake operation has been performed by inputting a brake operation signal. In this case, there is a high possibility that the object is present in the front near range of the vehicle 1. Therefore, the controller 40 can switch to the measurement range (FIG. 6) in the low-speed traveling mode so as to accurately measure the range of a relatively short distance of the vehicle 1 even during high-speed traveling. Further, the controller 40 determines that the speed is increased by inputting an accelerator opening signal. In this case, when the rate of change of the accelerator opening to the positive side is greater than a predetermined value, the measurement range from the low-speed driving mode to the high-speed driving mode is early (even if the vehicle speed to switch to the high-speed driving mode has not been reached) 7).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 2 Rear spoiler 3 Head lamp lens 4 Side mirror cover 5 Side sill garnish 6 Brake lamp lens 9 Step, groove 10, 11 Bumper member (front bumper 10, rear bumper 11)
12a Side wall 12b Top wall 12c Bottom wall 12d Corner 30 Radar device 31, 131 Film antenna unit 32, 132 Antenna 32a Transmission antenna 32b Reception antenna 33 Film substrate 34 Antenna element 35 Ground unit 36 Electric signal line 37, 137 RF circuit 37a Case 40,140 Controller 41 Processor unit 42 A / D conversion unit 43 Power supply circuit 45 Electrical signal line 47 Power supply line 50 Obstacle detection device 60 Paint coating layer 138 Charging circuit 138a Secondary coil 139 Signal transmission circuit 139a Electrode 144 Power supply circuit 144a Primary coil 145 Signal transmission circuit 145a Electrode

Claims (10)

A vehicle equipped with a radar device for detecting an object,
The radar apparatus includes an antenna, a transmission / reception circuit that transmits and receives radio waves using the antenna, and a control circuit that controls the transmission / reception circuit.
The antenna has a flexible film and a plurality of antenna elements provided on the flexible film, and is configured as a flexible planar antenna.
The antenna is attached to a bumper member of the vehicle, and is attached to the bumper member so as to follow the shape of the inner side surface or the outer side surface of the bumper member. .   The vehicle having a radar device according to claim 1, wherein the bumper member is at least one of or both of a front bumper and a rear bumper.   The vehicle equipped with the radar device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is attached over the entire width direction of a bumper member of the vehicle.   The radar according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the antenna is attached to a side wall extending in a vertical direction of the bumper member and a bottom wall extending in a horizontal direction toward the vehicle lower side. A vehicle equipped with a device. When the antenna is attached to the outer surface of the bumper member, the transmission / reception circuit is attached to the outer surface of the bumper member;
The control circuit and the transmission / reception circuit supply power from the control circuit to the transmission / reception circuit via the bumper member by a non-contact power feeding method, and the non-transmission between the transmission / reception circuit and the control circuit via the bumper member. The vehicle comprising the radar device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vehicle is configured to transmit a signal by a contact signal transmission method.   The vehicle having a radar device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the antenna is further attached to a replaceable resin molded part or glass part of the vehicle.   The vehicle with a radar device according to claim 6, wherein the resin molded part or the glass part includes at least one of a rear spoiler, a side sill garnish, a lamp lens, a side mirror cover, and a window glass.   The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is further attached to at least one of a vehicle interior part and a vehicle seat in a vehicle interior. vehicle.   The vehicle having the radar device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the antenna is further attached to an outside of a metal body of the vehicle.   The vehicle having a radar device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the antenna is attached to a lower surface of the vehicle along a road surface.

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