JP2824005B2 - Automotive radar equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an on-vehicle radar apparatus having a plurality of radar modules, and more particularly, to an on-vehicle radar apparatus which compensates for a detection range even if an abnormality occurs in any of the radar modules. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 7, in a conventional radar module 50, a primary radiator 51 and a secondary radiator 52 are three-dimensionally arranged, and the secondary radiator 52 is supported by a support 54. A configuration is known in which the rotating unit 53 is rotated to focus the radio wave beam from the primary radiator 51 to set the radiation angle of the radio wave beam BM, and to adjust the three-dimensional direction.

Further, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-103, a main reflecting mirror and a sub-reflecting mirror are provided. Radar modules that are configured to move the reflector to the main reflector side to increase the width of the radio beam and to catch the radio beam whose radio propagation path escapes from the antenna due to the effects of fading, etc. are known. Have been.

[0004]

In a conventional vehicle radar system, when an abnormality occurs in an arbitrary radar module, there is no device capable of compensating for a target detection range covered by the radar module, thereby improving reliability. There is a need for a response.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an on-vehicle radar device in which even if an abnormality occurs in a radar module, the reliability is improved by compensating with another radar module. With the goal.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a vehicle-mounted radar apparatus according to the present invention has a diagnosis unit for detecting an abnormality of a radar module based on sensor signals from a plurality of radar modules, and the diagnosis unit. to identify the radar module with abnormality based in the detected diagnostic information
Device control means, and an individual provided by the device control means.
Detection range control means for controlling the movement of the remaining radar modules so as to compensate for the target detection range of the abnormal radar module based on the number information .

[0007]

In a vehicle radar apparatus according to the present invention, when an abnormality occurs in a radar module, the radar module is detected by diagnostic means, and the abnormal radar module is mounted.
The detection range control means controls the movement so as to extend the target detection range of another radar module by specifying the position control means.
Therefore, it is possible to compensate for the target detection range covered by the radar module in which the abnormality has occurred.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part of a vehicle-mounted radar device according to the present invention. 1, an on-vehicle radar device 1 includes a radar module 2A to 2N, a diagnosis unit 3A to 3N for detecting an abnormality of each of the radar modules 2A to 2N, a device control unit 4, and a detection range control unit 5.
And a moving unit driving unit 8 built in the radar modules 2A to 2N for driving a moving unit for moving the secondary radiator, and a display unit 9 for displaying a state of the on-vehicle radar device 1.

Each of the radar modules 2A to 2N includes a primary radiator, a secondary radiator, a high-frequency oscillator, a modulator, a beat signal detector, and the like, and targets (for example, a vehicle traveling ahead).
A radio wave beam is radiated, and a reflected beam is received to inform a driver of a distance to a target and a relative speed. Further, the radar modules 2A to 2N include sensors (for example, a voltage of a primary radiator,
Current, or receiver bias current, etc.)
The sensor signals 2a to 2n are provided to diagnostic means 3A to 3N, respectively. Each of the radar modules 2A to 2N is configured to share the detection range of the target, and to cover the entire range with 2A to 2N.

The diagnostic means 3A to 3N monitor the sensor signals 2a to 2n from the sensors of the radar modules 2A to 2N, and when an abnormality occurs in any of the radar modules 2A to 2N, the corresponding diagnostic means 3A 3N to 3N are provided to the device control means 4.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the diagnostic means. In FIG. 2, the diagnostic means 3A includes an A / D
A conversion unit 21, a comparison unit 22, and a data storage unit 23 are provided.
The A / D converter 21 converts an analog signal such as a bias current value of a receiver into a corresponding digital quantity or digital code based on the sensor signal 2a from the sensor of the radar module 2A, and converts the converted data 21a. It is sent to the comparison unit 22.

The comparing section 22 converts the converted data 21a
Standard data 23a such as a bias current value of a receiver set in advance in a data storage unit 23 constituted by a memory such as M
Is compared with the standard value data 23a
If the deviation is outside the range, the radar module 2A is diagnosed as having an abnormality, and the diagnostic information 3a is provided to the device control means 4. The diagnostic means 3B to 3N are also configured in the same manner,
When there is an abnormality in the radar module, corresponding diagnostic information 3b to 3n is provided to the device control means 4.

The device control means 4 is composed of a microprocessor and controls the operation of the entire vehicle-mounted radar device 1 and controls each functional block. The device control means 4
Diagnostic information 3a to 3n output from diagnostic means 3A to 3N
Of the radar modules 2A to 2N is specified based on the information, and display information 4c indicating the specified radar module is transmitted to the display means 9. Further, the apparatus control means 4 stores the number information 4 of the abnormal radar module.
a to the detection range control means 5. The display means 9
Performs a visual display using a liquid crystal (LCD) or an audible display by voice synthesis or the like, a radar module having an abnormality in the driver (for example, the left or right of the vehicle when two radar modules are mounted), and It provides necessary information such as the maximum detection distance and target detection range.

The apparatus control means 4 transmits drive control information 4b corresponding to the abnormal radar module to the moving means drive section 8.
The driving information 8a to 8n output from the moving means driving unit 8 is controlled so as to prohibit the driving of only the moving means of the abnormal radar module. Also, the device control means 4
Is the drive control information 4 corresponding to the normal radar module.
b can be sent to the moving means driving unit 8 so that only the normal moving means of the radar module can be controlled to be driven.

The detection range control means 5 includes a control unit 6 and a storage unit 7, and the number information 4a provided by the device control means 4
The control information 6a is provided to the moving means driving unit 8 based on the The storage unit 7 is configured by a memory such as a ROM, and sets a control value of the moving unit driving unit 8 corresponding to the abnormal number of radar modules in advance. The control value is, for example, when one radar module has an abnormality, the remaining (N-1) moving means are moved by the distance do1, and when there are two abnormalities, the (N-2) The moving means is set to move the distance do2. The control unit 6 sends the number information 4a from the device control unit 4 to the storage unit 7, takes in the control value information 7a corresponding to the number information 4a, and stores the control information 6a corresponding to the control value information 7a in the moving unit driving unit 8. To send to.

The moving means driving unit 8 includes a detection range control means 5
Based on the control information 6a from the control information and the drive control information 4b from the device control means 4, the drive information selected from the drive information 8a to 8n is sent only to the normal radar module,
The moving means of the radar module is moved by a predetermined distance.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a main part of the radar module. In FIG. 3, the radar module 2A includes a primary radiator 11, a secondary radiator 12, a transmission / reception circuit unit 13 including a high-frequency oscillator, a mixer circuit, and a beat detection circuit, and a moving unit 15 for moving the secondary radiator 12. Etc. are provided. The primary radiator 11 converts a high-frequency signal output from the high-frequency oscillation unit of the transmission / reception circuit unit 13 into a radio wave beam, and
2 radiate to the parabolic reflective surface. Further, the primary radiator 11 and the secondary radiator 12 are arranged on the same plane, and the moving means 15 linearly moves between the primary radiator 11 and the secondary radiator 12 to radiate from the radar module 2A. Is configured to change the beam width of the radio wave beam.

The distance d between the secondary radiator 12 and the primary radiator 11
When o coincides with the focal length of the radio beam, the radio beam BMo emitted from the secondary radiator 12 is
The reflection surface of the secondary radiator 12 is configured to radiate a radio wave beam from the radiator at a radiation angle of 90 degrees. In the case of the focal length do, the beam width of the radio wave beam BMo radiated from the secondary radiator 12 is narrowed to a minimum. If the transmission power from the power supply unit 13 is constant, it reaches the farthest and the maximum detection distance Lo , The target object detection range Wo.

Next, when the secondary radiator 12 is moved linearly in the direction of the primary radiator 11 by a distance d1 to defocus, the beam width of the radio wave BM1 is widened, and the maximum detection distance L1 is L.
However, the target detection range W1 can be wider than Wo.

As described above, by moving the secondary radiator 12 to shift the focus, the maximum detection distance of the radio wave beam is shortened, but the target object detection range Wo can be widened.

The moving means 12 comprises a motor (not shown) and a power converting means such as a rack and pinion for converting the rotational movement of the motor into a linear movement, and corresponds to the driving information 8a from the moving means driving section 8 in FIG. And the secondary radiator 12
Is moved in the direction of arrow D by a predetermined distance. The moving means 12 fixes the secondary radiator 12 of the radar module 2A at the position of the focal length do when there is no abnormality in the other radar modules shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration in which the on-vehicle radar device according to the present invention is mounted on a vehicle. In the figure, an example is shown in which two radar modules 30A and 30B are mounted on the front of an automobile. (A) shows a case where the radar modules 30A and 30B are normal. Each radar module has a maximum detection distance Lo and a target detection range Wo, and the maximum detection distance Lo and a target detection range 2Wo for an automobile. Can be covered.

FIG. 2B shows a case where there is an abnormality in the radar module 30A. When the radar module 30A cannot detect a target on the left front side, the radar module 30A has a problem.
B moves the secondary radiator 12 shown in FIG. 3 and shifts the focus of the radio beam from the primary radiator 11, so that the maximum detection distance of the radio beam radiated from the secondary radiator 12 is changed from Lo to L1. Although shortened, the target detection range Wo of the radar module 30A can be compensated by extending the target detection range from Wo to W1 = 2Wo.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of another embodiment in which the on-vehicle radar device according to the present invention is mounted on a vehicle. FIG. 5 shows a configuration in which the radar modules 30A and 30B are arranged on the left and right side surfaces of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 3, since the radio wave beam of the secondary radiator can be radiated at a radiation angle of 90 degrees with respect to the radio wave beam from the primary radiator, it can be arranged on the side of the vehicle.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an embodiment in which the on-vehicle radar device according to the present invention is arranged around a vehicle. By arranging the radar modules 30A, 30B,..., 30N around the vehicle, it is possible to constitute a vehicle surroundings warning radar, and the detection signals from each of the radar modules 30A to 30N are time-divided into one signal processor To be processed and alert the driver of the surrounding situation.

[0026]

As described above, the on-vehicle radar device according to the present invention is provided with the diagnosis means, the device control means and the detection range control means, so that an abnormal radar module is detected and the remaining radar modules are detected. By expanding the detection range, it is possible to cover the range where the abnormal radar module cannot be detected.

Therefore, a vehicle-mounted radar device having excellent reliability can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part of an on-vehicle radar device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a diagnosis unit.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a main part of a radar module.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram in which the on-vehicle radar device according to the present invention is mounted on a vehicle.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of another embodiment in which the on-vehicle radar device according to the present invention is mounted on a vehicle.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment in which the on-vehicle radar device according to the present invention is arranged around a vehicle.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of main parts of a conventional radar module

[Explanation of symbols]

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle-mounted radar device 2A to 2N, 30A, 30B to 30N radar module 3A to 3N diagnostic means 4 device control means 5 detection range control means 6 control unit 7 storage unit 8 moving unit drive unit 9 display unit 11 primary radiator 12 2 Next radiator 13 Transmission / reception circuit 15 Moving means 21 A / D converter 22 Comparison unit 23 Data storage unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G01S 13/60 G01S 7/40

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plurality of radars of different channels configured to radiate an electromagnetic wave toward a target and receive a reflected wave from the target to detect a distance or a relative speed to the target. In a vehicle-mounted radar device equipped with a module , based on sensor signals from the plurality of radar modules
Diagnosing means for detecting an abnormality in a radar module by using the diagnostic means, device control means for specifying an abnormal radar module based on diagnostic information detected by the diagnosing means,
The abnormal laser based on the quantity information provided by the means.
Vehicle radar apparatus is characterized in that a detection range control means for controlling the movement of the rest of the radar module to compensate for target detection range of da modules.