KR102346201B1 - Radar module and automotive radar apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A radar module according to an embodiment includes a transmit antenna element for transmitting a transmit signal; a reception antenna element for receiving a reception signal according to the reflection of the transmission signal; and a communication element including a plurality of transmit channels connected to the transmit antenna element and a plurality of receive channels connected to the receive antenna element, and configured to process the transmit signal and the receive signal; including, the plurality of transmit antennas The array includes a first transmit antenna array connected to a first transmit channel, a second transmit antenna array connected to a second transmit channel, and a third transmit antenna array connected to a third transmit channel, wherein the communication element in a first mode of operation, supplies a signal only to the second transmit antenna array connected to the second transmit channel, and in a second mode of operation, the first and third transmit antenna arrays connected to the first and third transmit channels and a signal is supplied to at least one of the first to third transmission antenna arrays connected to the first to third transmission channels in a third operation mode.

Description

RADAR MODULE AND AUTOMOTIVE RADAR APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME

The present invention relates to a vehicle radar device, and more particularly, to a vehicle radar device including a short-range and long-range radar module.

Radar devices are being applied to various technical fields, and recently, they are mounted on a vehicle to improve the mobility of the vehicle. Such a radar device detects information on the surrounding environment of the vehicle by using electromagnetic waves. And, as the corresponding information is used for the movement of the vehicle, the efficiency of vehicle mobility may be improved. To this end, the radar device is provided with an antenna to transmit and receive electromagnetic waves.

On the other hand, vehicle radar may be classified into a long range radar device (LRR) and a short range radar device (SRR). For radar devices, the 24 GHz band is mainly used.

In order to secure FOV (Field Of View) and detection distance for vehicle radar, including both long-range and short-range radar devices, to simultaneously detect long-range and short-range objects, optimal spacing between antenna channels and It is necessary to secure antenna gain.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a radar module including a transmit antenna element and a receive antenna element commonly connected to one communication element, and a vehicle radar device including the same.

In addition, in an embodiment according to the present invention, a radar module capable of detecting an object within a long-range, medium-range, and short-range range using one transmit antenna element through a combination of transmit antennas respectively connected to different transmit channels of the communication element. And it provides a vehicle radar device including the same.

In addition, in an embodiment according to the present invention, by selectively changing the power and phase supplied to the transmit antennas respectively connected to different transmit channels of the communication element, an object within the long-distance, medium-range and short-range range using one transmit antenna element A radar module capable of sensing and a vehicle radar device including the same are provided.

The technical tasks to be achieved in the proposed embodiment are not limited to the technical tasks mentioned above, and other technical tasks not mentioned are clear to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the proposed embodiment belongs from the description below. can be understood clearly.

A radar module according to an embodiment includes a transmit antenna element for transmitting a transmit signal; a reception antenna element for receiving a reception signal according to the reflection of the transmission signal; and a communication element including a plurality of transmit channels connected to the transmit antenna element and a plurality of receive channels connected to the receive antenna element, and configured to process the transmit signal and the receive signal; including, the plurality of transmit antennas The array includes a first transmit antenna array connected to a first transmit channel, a second transmit antenna array connected to a second transmit channel, and a third transmit antenna array connected to a third transmit channel, wherein the communication element in a first mode of operation, supplies a signal only to the second transmit antenna array connected to the second transmit channel, and in a second mode of operation, the first and third transmit antenna arrays connected to the first and third transmit channels and a signal is supplied to at least one of the first to third transmission antenna arrays connected to the first to third transmission channels in a third operation mode.

In addition, the number of the second transmit antenna arrays is different from the number of each of the first and third transmit antenna arrays.

In addition, the first to third transmit antenna arrays are configured as horizontally polarized arrays.

In addition, the first to third transmit antenna arrays are configured as vertical polarization arrays.

Also, in the third operation mode, the communication element adjusts power supplied to the first and third transmission channels.

Further, the first and third transmit antenna arrays are transmit antenna arrays for short-distance, and the second transmit antenna arrays are transmit antenna arrays for medium-range.

In addition, the second transmit antenna array is disposed between the first and third transmit antenna arrays, and a distance between the first transmit antenna array and the second transmit antenna array is a distance between the second transmit antenna array and the second transmit antenna array. 3 equal to the spacing between the transmit antenna arrays.

In addition, the communication element converts the array of the first to third transmit antenna arrays into a virtual array antenna array, and forms a virtual receive channel by using an interval between the first to third transmit antenna arrays.

In addition, the first to third operation modes are determined based on at least one of speed information and location information of the vehicle.

In addition, the transmitting antenna element generates, in the first operation mode, a radiation pattern for detecting an object within a medium-range range, and generates a radiation pattern for detecting an object within a short-range range, in the second operation mode, In the third mode of operation, a radiation pattern is generated for detecting an object within a long range.

In addition, the communication element changes a radiation pattern transmitted through the first to third transmit antenna arrays by changing the phase and power respectively supplied to the first to third transmit antenna arrays.

On the other hand, a vehicle radar device according to an embodiment includes a case; and a printed circuit board accommodated in the case and on which a radar module is mounted, wherein the radar module comprises: a transmit antenna element for transmitting a transmit signal; a receive antenna element for receiving a receive signal according to reflection of the transmit signal; , a communication element including a plurality of transmit channels connected to the transmit antenna element and a plurality of receive channels connected to the receive antenna element, the communication element processing the transmit signal and the receive signal; including, the plurality of transmit antennas The array includes a first transmit antenna array connected to a first transmit channel, a second transmit antenna array connected to a second transmit channel, and a third transmit antenna array connected to a third transmit channel, wherein the first transmit antenna array is connected to the first transmit channel. and 3 transmit antenna arrays are transmit antenna arrays for short range, the second transmit antenna array is a transmit antenna array for medium range, and the communication element, in a first mode of operation, includes the second transmit antenna connected to the second transmit channel. supplying a signal only to a transmit antenna array, and in a second mode of operation, supplying a signal to the first and third transmit antenna arrays coupled to the first and third transmit channels, and in a third mode of operation, the first to third transmit All signals are supplied to the first to third transmission antenna arrays connected to the channel, and the first to third operation modes are determined based on at least one of vehicle speed information and location information.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the volume of the radar device can be minimized by integrating the communication element for transmission and the communication element for reception, which are previously separated into one communication element, thereby lowering the product price. .

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by implementing an optimized radar antenna beam pattern according to road driving conditions, it is possible to reduce the risk of a traffic accident due to improvement in blind spot improvement and target detection.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by implementing the radar module, which has been previously separated into a long-range antenna, a short-range antenna, and an intermediate-range antenna, into one integrated type, it is possible to achieve a reduction in the size of the radar module, Accordingly, there is an effect of freedom in vehicle design and cost reduction.

In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, by supplying power to the plurality of antennas through one channel, there is an effect of maintaining a gain and realizing a wide-angle characteristic by using one channel.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle radar device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a radar module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view illustrating a radome of a vehicle radar device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a printed circuit board on which the radar module is disposed.
4 is a diagram specifically illustrating a plurality of antenna arrays according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a plan view illustrating the transmit antenna element 410 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a gain graph of the vertically polarized antenna shown in FIG. 5 .
7 is a plan view illustrating a transmit antenna element according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a gain graph of the horizontally polarized antenna shown in FIG. 7 .
9 is a plan view illustrating a transmit antenna element according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a gain graph of the horizontally polarized antenna shown in FIG. 9 .
11 is a plan view illustrating a transmit antenna element according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
12 and 13 show the antenna gain of the transmit antenna element shown in FIG.
14 is a plan view illustrating a transmit antenna element according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
15 and 16 show the antenna gain of the transmit antenna element shown in FIG.
17 is a diagram illustrating a connection configuration of a radar module in a first operation mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.
18 is a diagram illustrating a connection configuration of a radar module in a second operation mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.
19 is a diagram illustrating a connection configuration of a radar module in a third operation mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.
20 is a cross-sectional view showing a radome and a printed circuit board of the vehicle radar device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
21 is a plan view of the radome of the vehicle radar device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
22 is a plan view of a radome of a vehicle radar device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
23 is a cross-sectional view showing a radome and a printed circuit board of a radar device for a vehicle according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
24 is a plan view of a radome of a vehicle radar device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
25 is a plan view illustrating a vehicle radar device according to an embodiment of the present invention mounted on the rear side of the vehicle.
26 is a flowchart for explaining step by step a method of controlling a vehicle radar apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
27 is a flowchart for explaining step by step a method of controlling a radar apparatus for a vehicle according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the same or similar components are assigned the same reference numbers regardless of reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "part" for components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of only the ease of writing the specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles by themselves. In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, if it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical idea disclosed herein is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention , should be understood to include equivalents or substitutes.

Terms including an ordinal number such as 1st, 2nd, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

When an element is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another element, it is understood that it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, but other elements may exist in between. it should be On the other hand, when it is said that a certain element is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that the other element does not exist in the middle.

The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present application, terms such as “comprises” or “have” are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification exists, but one or more other features It should be understood that this does not preclude the existence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

The vehicle described in this specification may be a concept including an automobile and a motorcycle. Hereinafter, the vehicle will be mainly described with respect to the vehicle.

The vehicle described herein may be a concept including all of an internal combustion engine vehicle having an engine as a power source, a hybrid vehicle having an engine and an electric motor as a power source, an electric vehicle having an electric motor as a power source, and the like.

In the following description, the left side of the vehicle means the left side in the driving direction of the vehicle, and the right side of the vehicle means the right side in the driving direction of the vehicle.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle radar device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the vehicle radar device 100 includes a case 110 , a connector 120 , an auxiliary printed circuit board (PCB, 130 ), a bracket ( 140 ), and a printed circuit board 150 . , a shielding unit 160, a radome 170 and a waterproof ring (waterproof ring; 180).

The case 110 may accommodate the connector 120 , the auxiliary printed circuit board 130 , the bracket 140 , the printed circuit board 150 , and the shielding unit 160 .

The connector 120 may transmit/receive a signal between the vehicle radar device 100 and an external device. For example, the connector 120 may be a CAN (controller area network; CAN) connector, but is not limited thereto.

The auxiliary printed circuit board 130 may be equipped with circuits for power and signal processing, but is not limited thereto.

The bracket 140 may block noise generated during the signal processing process of the auxiliary printed circuit board 130 .

A plurality of antenna arrays and an integrated circuit (IC) chip connected to the plurality of antenna arrays may be mounted on the printed circuit board 150 . The plurality of antenna arrays may include a plurality of wide-angle antennas arranged in a line, but is not limited thereto. The IC chip may be a millimeter wave radio frequency IC (RFIC), but is not limited thereto.

The IC chip is commonly connected to the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna, and thus is an integrated communication device that processes both the transmit signal and the receive signal.

In addition, the plurality of antenna arrays may include a transmit antenna element and a receive antenna element. Here, the transmit antenna element may include a plurality of transmit antenna arrays configured with a single channel respectively connected to different transmit channels of the communication element. That is, the transmit antenna array includes a first antenna array connected to a first transmit channel of the communication element, a second antenna array connected to a second transmit channel of the communication element, and a third transmit channel connected to a third transmit channel of the communication element. It may include a three-antenna array. In addition, the reception antenna element may include a plurality of reception antenna arrays respectively connected to different reception channels of the communication element.

According to an embodiment, the auxiliary printed circuit board 130 may have the plurality of antenna arrays and IC chips connected to the plurality of antenna arrays mounted thereon. The auxiliary printed circuit board 130 and the printed circuit board 150 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other with the bracket 140 interposed therebetween.

The shielding unit 160 may shield the RF signal generated from the IC chip of the printed circuit board 150 . To this end, the shielding unit 160 may be formed in a region corresponding to the IC chip of the printed circuit board 150 .

The radome 170 may accommodate the printed circuit board 150 to protect the printed circuit board 150 , and the radome 170 may be coupled to the case 110 . The radome 170 may be made of a material having less attenuation of radio waves, and may be an electrical insulator.

The waterproof ring 180 is disposed between the radome 170 and the case 110 to prevent the vehicle radar device 100 from being submerged. For example, the waterproof ring 180 may be formed of an elastic material.

2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a radar module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a radome of a vehicle radar device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a printed circuit board on which the radar module is disposed. to be.

2 and 3 , the printed circuit board 150 may include a plurality of antenna arrays and a communication element 430 .

The plurality of antenna arrays may include a transmit antenna element 410 and a receive antenna element 420 on the printed circuit board 150 .

The transmit antenna element 410 may include a radiator (to be described later), and the radiator radiates a signal from the transmit antenna element 410 . That is, the radiator forms a radiation pattern of the transmit antenna element 410 . Here, the radiator is arranged along the feed line, and the radiator is made of a conductive material. The radiator may include at least one of silver (Ag), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), copper (Gu), gold (Au), and nickel (Ni).

The transmit antenna element 410 may include a plurality of transmit antenna arrays. In addition, the plurality of transmit antenna arrays are respectively connected to different transmit channels of the communication element 430 , and selectively form the radiation pattern according to a signal supplied through the communication element 430 .

The reception antenna element 420 may include a plurality of reception antenna arrays and may include a radiator. The radiator forms a radiation pattern of the receiving antenna element 420 . Here, the radiator is arranged along the feed line, and is made of a conductive material. In addition, the radiator may include at least one of silver (Ag), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), copper (Gu), gold (Au), and nickel (Ni).

The communication element 430 is connected to the plurality of antenna arrays. The communication element 430 may include, for example, a millimeter wave RFIC. The communication element 430 generates a transmission signal from the transmission data and outputs it to the transmission antenna element 410 , receives a signal from the reception antenna element 420 and generates data from the reception signal.

The controller 440 may drive the radar module 100 to detect a front object while the vehicle is driving. That is, the controller 440 controls the radar module 100 to detect an object existing in a surrounding area at the current location of the vehicle. In addition, the control unit 440 processes the transmitted data and the received data transmitted and received through the radar module 100 . The controller 440 may control the communication element 430 to generate a transmission signal from transmission data. The controller 440 may control the communication element 430 to generate received data from the received signal. The controller 440 may synchronize the transmitted data and the received data. The controller 440 may perform a CFAR operation, a tracking operation, a target selection operation, and the like with the received data to extract angle information, speed information, and distance information about the target.

The radome 170 may include a cover portion 171 disposed to face the printed circuit board 150 , and an edge portion 173 coupled to the case 110 . The printed circuit board 150 may be disposed in a space formed by a height difference between the cover portion 171 and the edge portion 173 of the radome 170 .

The radome 170 may define a direction in which the plurality of antenna arrays are sequentially disposed as a Y-axis direction, and a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the plurality of antenna arrays are sequentially disposed may be defined as a Y-axis direction, A direction perpendicular to the plurality of antenna arrays may be defined as a Z-axis direction.

4 is a diagram specifically illustrating a plurality of antenna arrays according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the communication element 430 is commonly connected to the transmit antenna element 410 and the receive antenna element 420 .

The communication element 430 has a plurality of transmit channels connected to the transmit antenna element 410 and a plurality of receive channels connected to the receive antenna element 420 .

Preferably, the communication device 430 may include a first transmission channel (CH1), a second transmission channel (CH2), and a third transmission channel (CH3). Also, the communication device 430 may include a first reception channel CH1 , a second reception channel CH2 , a third reception channel CH3 , and a fourth reception channel CH4 .

The transmit antenna element 410 includes a first transmit antenna array 411 connected to the first transmit channel CH1, a second transmit antenna array 412 connected to the second transmit channel CH2, and the third A third transmit antenna array 413 connected to the transmit channel CH3 may be included.

In addition, the reception antenna element 420 includes a first reception antenna array 421 connected to the first reception channel CH1, a second reception antenna array 422 connected to the second reception channel CH2, It may include a third reception antenna array 423 connected to the third reception channel (CH3) and a fourth reception antenna array 424 connected to the fourth reception channel (CH4).

In this case, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the first to third transmit antenna arrays 411 , 412 , and 413 may be antennas composed of a single channel and a single array having different structures. In addition, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the first to third transmit antenna arrays 411 , 412 , and 413 may be antennas composed of a single channel and a single array having the same structure as each other.

Accordingly, the transmit antenna element 410 in the first embodiment of the present invention is a combination of the first to third transmit antenna arrays 411, 412, 413 connected to the respective transmit channels (CH1, CH2, CH3). through different radiation patterns.

In addition, the transmit antenna element 410 in the second embodiment of the present invention is a phase supplied to the first to third transmit antenna arrays 411, 412, 413 connected to the respective transmit channels (CH1, CH2, CH3). and selectively changing the power to form different radiation patterns.

The reception antenna element 420 includes the first to fourth reception antenna arrays 421 , 422 , 423 , 424 as described above, thereby receiving a reception signal for the transmission signal transmitted through the transmission antenna element 410 . can receive

Meanwhile, the communication device 430 may generate a transmission signal from the transmission data. To this end, the communication element 430 may output a transmission signal to the transmission antenna element 410 through each transmission channel. To this end, the communication element 430 may include an oscillator (not shown), for example, the oscillator may include a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and an oscillator (oscillator).

Also, the communication element 430 may receive a reception signal from the reception antenna element 420 . The communication device 430 may generate received data from the received signal. To this end, the communication device 430 may include a low noise amplifier (LNA; not shown) and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC; not shown). The low noise amplifier may amplify the received signal to low noise, and the analog-to-digital converter may generate the received data by converting the received signal from an analog signal to digital data.

That is, the transmit antenna element 410 may transmit a transmit signal to the air, and the receive antenna element 420 may receive a receive signal from the air. Here, the transmission signal represents a radio signal transmitted from the radar module 10 . The received signal represents a radio signal flowing into the radar module 100 as the transmitted signal is reflected by the target TARGET.

On the other hand, in an embodiment of the present invention, the first transmit antenna array 411 is a transmit antenna array for a short distance, the second transmit antenna array 412 is a transmit antenna array for a medium range, and the third transmit antenna array ( 413 , like the first transmit antenna array 411 , may be a short-distance transmit antenna array.

At this time, as shown in the drawing, the medium-range transmission antenna array constituting the first transmission antenna array 411 and the third transmission antenna array 413 includes the short-distance transmission antenna array constituting the second transmission antenna array 412 . It may be formed in a size smaller than that of the transmit antenna array for use.

In addition, the first transmit antenna array 411 , the second transmit antenna array 412 , and the third transmit antenna array 413 are configured as a single channel to be connected to different transmit channels of the communication element 430 , respectively. can be In addition, each of the first transmit antenna array 411 , the second transmit antenna array 412 , and the third transmit antenna array 413 may be configured as a single array. It may consist of an array.

On the other hand, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it was confirmed that the pattern of the main beam radiated from the antenna element is very wide, which brings the following effects.

That is, when an antenna element is used by one channel, it has ERIP (equivalent isotropically radiated power), which is the sum of the general antenna gain and the transmit power, but in the present invention, as the transmit power in each channel increases, it has a higher ERIP. do. For example, conventionally, it has an ERIP of 25 dBm, which is the sum of 15 dBi (Antenna Gain) and 10 dBm (Tx power). , the overall performance can be improved by about 4.7dB.

5 is a plan view illustrating the transmit antenna element 410 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the transmit antenna element 410A according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a first transmit antenna array 411 , a second transmit antenna array 412 , and a third transmit antenna array 413 , respectively. include

In addition, the first transmit antenna array 411 and the third transmit antenna array 413 are configured as a single array, and the second transmit antenna array 412 is configured as a two-array. That is, the second transmit antenna array 412 may be composed of at least two arrays as described above in order to detect an object existing at an intermediate distance. Accordingly, the second transmit antenna array 412 may include a 2-1 th transmit antenna array 4121 and a 2-2 th transmit antenna array 4122 .

Meanwhile, the transmit antenna element 410A is a vertical polarization antenna. That is, the first transmit antenna array 411 , the second transmit antenna array 412 , and the third transmit antenna array 413 are all vertically polarized antennas in which a radiator is disposed in a vertical direction with respect to the ground.

The first transmit antenna array 411 may include a first feeder 4111 , a first feed line 4112 , and a first radiator 4113 . Here, the first radiator 4113 may include a plurality of radiating units spaced apart from each other along the first feed line 4112 .

The first feed line 4112 may be disposed to extend from the first feed part 4111 to supply signals to the plurality of radiating parts constituting the first radiator 4113 . The first feed line 4112 may extend in one direction. The first feeder 4111 may be disposed at one end of the first feed line 4112 to supply a signal to the first feed line 4112 .

A plurality of radiating units constituting the first radiator 4113 may emit a signal. The plurality of radiation parts may form a radiation pattern. The plurality of radiating units may be dispersedly disposed in the first feed line 4112 . The plurality of radiating units may be arranged along the first feed line 4112 . Through this, a signal may be supplied from the first feed line 4112 to the plurality of radiating units. The plurality of radiating parts may be made of a conductive material. Here, the plurality of radiating parts may include at least one of silver (Ag), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), copper (Gu), gold (Au), and nickel (Ni).

The shape and size of the radiator may be different as it extends from the first feeding part 4111 to the center of the first feeding line 4112 . For example, the horizontal width of the radiating parts constituting the first radiator 4113 may gradually increase toward the center of the first feed line 4112 .

The second transmit antenna array 412 may include a 2-1 th transmit antenna array 4121 and a 2-2 th transmit antenna array 4122 as described above.

In addition, each transmit antenna array may include a second feeder 4123 , a second feed line 4124 , and a second radiator 4125 . Here, the second radiator 4125 may include a plurality of radiating units spaced apart from each other along the second feed line 4124 .

The second feed line 4124 may extend from the second feed part 4123 to supply signals to the plurality of radiating parts constituting the second radiator 4125 . The second feed line 4124 may extend in one direction. The second feeding unit 4123 may be disposed at one end of the second feeding line 4124 to supply a signal to the second feeding line 4124 .

In this case, the second feed line 4124 includes a 2-1 th feed line constituting the 2-1 th transmit antenna array 4121 and a second-th feed line constituting the 2-2 th transmit antenna array 4122 . It may include two feed lines. In addition, the 2-1 feeding line and the 2-2 feeding line may be separated from the second feeding unit 4123 .

A plurality of radiating units constituting the second radiator 4125 may emit a signal. The plurality of radiation parts may form a radiation pattern. The plurality of radiating units may be dispersedly disposed on the second feed line 4124 . The plurality of radiating units may be arranged along the second feed line 4124 . Through this, a signal may be supplied from the second feed line 4124 to the plurality of radiating units. The plurality of radiating parts may be made of a conductive material. Here, the plurality of radiating parts may include at least one of silver (Ag), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), copper (Gu), gold (Au), and nickel (Ni).

The shape and size of the radiator may be different from the second feeding part 4123 to the center of the second feeding line 4124 . For example, the horizontal width of the radiating parts constituting the second radiator 4125 may gradually increase toward the center of the second feed line 4124 .

The third transmit antenna array 413 may include a third feed unit 4131 , a third feed line 4132 , and a third radiator 4133 . Here, the third radiator 4133 may include a plurality of radiating units spaced apart from each other along the third power supply line 4132 .

The third feed line 4132 may be disposed to extend from the third power feed unit 4131 to supply signals to the plurality of radiating units constituting the third radiator 4133 . The third feed line 4132 may extend in one direction. The third feeding unit 4131 may be disposed at one end of the third feeding line 4132 to supply a signal to the third feeding line 4132 .

A plurality of radiating units constituting the third radiator 4133 may emit signals. The plurality of radiation parts may form a radiation pattern. The plurality of radiating units may be dispersedly disposed on the third feed line 4132 . The plurality of radiating units may be arranged along the third feed line 4132 . Through this, a signal may be supplied from the third feed line 4132 to the plurality of radiating units. The plurality of radiating parts may be made of a conductive material. Here, the plurality of radiating parts may include at least one of silver (Ag), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), copper (Gu), gold (Au), and nickel (Ni).

The shape and size of the radiator may be different from the third feeding part 4131 to the center of the third feeding line 4132 . For example, the horizontal width of the radiating parts constituting the first radiator 4113 may gradually increase toward the center of the third feed line 4132 .

6 is a gain graph of the vertically polarized antenna shown in FIG. 5 .

Referring to FIG. 6 , the transmit antenna element 410A according to the first embodiment of the present invention may have different gains according to each mode. The mode may be largely divided into seven modes.

The first mode refers to a mode in which only the second transmit antenna array 412 is driven among the three transmit antenna arrays. And, the second mode refers to a mode in which only the first transmit antenna array 411 is driven among the three transmit antenna arrays. And the third mode means a mode in which only the third transmit antenna array 413 is driven among the three transmit antenna arrays. In addition, the fourth to seventh operation modes refer to a mode in which all of the first to third transmit antenna arrays are driven. However, the fourth operation mode is a taylor mode, the fifth operation mode is an equi-power mode, the sixth operation mode is a Null-Fill application mode, and the seventh operation mode is null -Fill application and power control mode.

Here, the Taylor mode is a mode to increase the detectable distance from the antenna element through gain amplification. In the equi-power mode, the same power is applied to each of the first transmit antenna array 411 , the second transmit antenna array 412 , and the third transmit antenna array 413 . In addition, the null-fill application mode is a mode for controlling a phase to fill a null region with respect to a region in which a gain rapidly decreases in a radiation pattern. And, in the Null-Fill application and power control mode, the transmission power is partially adjusted (eg, the size of the transmission power is reduced by 1/3) in a state in which the radiation pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, It is a mode that minimizes the noise that occurs on the left and right around the center of the pattern. Accordingly, in the present invention, when the first transmit antenna array 411, the second transmit antenna array 412, and the third transmit antenna array 413 are driven as described above, the amount of transmit power is adjusted. Accordingly, the null portion of the radiation pattern can be minimized.

6, in the case of driving only the second transmit antenna array 412 among the first transmit antenna array 411, the second transmit antenna array 412, and the third transmit antenna array 413 It was confirmed that the gain of 16.1694dB, the maximum gain, was shown at 0 degrees, and the beam width was 52.8974.

And, in the case of driving only the first transmit antenna array 411 among the transmit antenna elements 410A, it was confirmed that the maximum gain of 14.4302 dB near 0 degree appeared, and the beam width was 77.9350.

And, in the case of driving only the third transmit antenna array 413 among the transmit antenna elements 410A, it was confirmed that the maximum gain of 14.4468 dB appears near 0 degrees, and the beam width is 77.5103.

In addition, when all of the first transmit antenna array 411 , the second transmit antenna array 412 , and the third transmit antenna array 413 constituting the transmit antenna element 410A are driven, the three It was confirmed that the gain was increased compared to the case of driving only one of the transmit antenna arrays.

Therefore, in the normal driving mode of the vehicle, it is preferable that only the second transmit antenna array 412 is driven. In addition, in the low-speed driving mode of the vehicle, it is preferable that only one of the first and third transmit antenna arrays be selectively driven, or both the first and third transmit antenna arrays may be driven. In addition, it is preferable that all of the first to third transmit antenna arrays are driven in the high-speed driving mode of the vehicle.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, it was confirmed that a blind spot (null) occurred in the vicinity of ±27 degrees in Equi-Power mode, and it was seen that the blind spot was improved through Null-Fill application. .

In addition, even when the Null-Fill is applied, if the power supplied to the first transmit antenna array 411 and the third transmit antenna array 413 is adjusted, a change in gain ( noise) can be minimized.

7 is a plan view illustrating a transmit antenna element according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the transmit antenna element 410B includes a first transmit antenna array 511 , a second transmit antenna array 512 , and a third transmit antenna array 513 . In addition, each of the first transmit antenna array 511 and the third transmit antenna array 513 may be configured as a single array, and the second transmit antenna array 512 may be configured as a multi-array.

At this time, in the transmit antenna element 410A in the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 5, the antenna arrays are vertically polarized antennas, respectively, but in the second embodiment, the transmit antenna element 410B is the antenna arrays. Each is a horizontally polarized antenna.

The first transmit antenna array 511 includes a feed line 5111 , a first radiator 5112 , and a second radiator 5113 .

The feed line 5111 may be disposed to extend from the power feed unit (not shown) to supply signals to the plurality of radiators. The feed line 5111 may extend in one direction. The feeding unit may be disposed at one end of the feeding line 5111 to supply a signal to the feeding line 5111 .

The plurality of radiators may emit signals. The plurality of radiators may form a radiation pattern. The plurality of radiators may be dispersedly disposed on the feed line 5111 . The plurality of radiators may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval along the left and right sides of the feed line 5111 . Through this, a signal may be supplied from the feed line 5111 to the plurality of radiators. The plurality of radiators may be made of a conductive material. Here, the plurality of radiators may include at least one of silver (Ag), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), copper (Gu), gold (Au), and nickel (Ni).

That is, the first radiator 5112 may be disposed to extend in a left horizontal direction from the feed line 5111 . In addition, the second radiator 5113 may be disposed to extend in a right horizontal direction from the feed line 5111 . The first radiator 5112 and the second radiator 5113 may be alternately disposed on the feed line 5111 .

The shape and size of the radiator may be different as it extends from the feeding part to the other end of the feeding line 5111 . For example, the vertical width of the radiator may gradually increase from the lower portion of the feed line 5111 to the center thereof.

The total number of radiators including the first radiator 5112 and the second radiator 5113 included in the first transmission antenna array 511 may be 13.

On the other hand, since the third transmit antenna array 513 and each of the arrays constituting the second transmit antenna array 512 have substantially the same structure as the first transmit antenna array 511, A detailed description will be omitted.

FIG. 8 is a gain graph of the horizontally polarized antenna shown in FIG. 7 .

Referring to FIG. 8 , when only the second transmit antenna array 512 is driven, when only the first transmit antenna array 511 is driven, and when only the third transmit antenna array 513 is driven, the horizontally polarized antenna , And, antenna gain and beam width appearing when all of the first to third transmit antenna arrays are driven according to the Equi-power mode, the Null-Fill application mode (equi-power application), and the power control mode (Null-Fill application) appear differently.

Accordingly, in the general driving mode of the vehicle, it is preferable that only the second transmit antenna array 512 is driven. In addition, in the low-speed driving mode of the vehicle, it is preferable that only one of the first and third transmit antenna arrays be selectively driven, or both the first and third transmit antenna arrays may be driven. In addition, it is preferable that all of the first to third transmit antenna arrays are driven in the high-speed driving mode of the vehicle.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, it was confirmed that a blind spot (null) occurred in the vicinity of ±25 degrees in the Equi-Power mode, and it could be seen that the blind spot was improved through Null-Fill application. .

In addition, even when the Null-Fill is applied, when the power supplied to the first transmit antenna array 511 and the third transmit antenna array 513 is adjusted, a change in gain ( noise) can be minimized.

9 is a plan view illustrating a transmit antenna element according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9 , the transmit antenna element 410C includes a first transmit antenna array 611 , a second transmit antenna array 612 , and a third transmit antenna array 613 . In addition, each of the first transmit antenna array 611 and the third transmit antenna array 613 may be configured as a single array, and the second transmit antenna array 612 may be configured as a multi-array.

In this case, in the transmit antenna element 410C according to the third embodiment of the present invention, each of the antenna arrays is a horizontally polarized antenna.

Meanwhile, the structure of the transmit antenna element illustrated in FIG. 9 is substantially the same as that of the transmit antenna element illustrated in FIG. 7 , except that the total number of radiators included in each antenna array is different. That is, in FIG. 7 , the total number of radiators included in each antenna array was 13, but in FIG. 9 , the total number of radiators included in each antenna array is 16. FIG.

FIG. 10 is a gain graph of the horizontally polarized antenna shown in FIG. 9 .

As shown in FIG. 10 , it was confirmed that the gain of the horizontally polarized antenna in the third embodiment of the present invention is similar to that of FIG. 8 .

However, the number of radiators constituting the horizontally polarized antenna in FIG. 10 is greater than the number of radiators constituting the horizontal antenna in FIG. It was confirmed that it appeared larger in the antenna element of 10.

11 is a plan view illustrating a transmit antenna element according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11 , the transmit antenna element includes a first transmit antenna array 711 , a second transmit antenna array 712 , and a third transmit antenna array 713 .

In addition, each structure of the transmit antenna array has a horizontally polarized structure as shown in FIG. 7 . However, the second transmit antenna array in FIG. 7 includes a 2-1 th transmit antenna array and a 2-2 th transmit antenna array.

On the other hand, in FIG. 11 and the second transmit antenna array 712 , the 2-1 th transmit antenna array 7121 , the 2-2 th transmit antenna array 7122 , the 2-3 th transmit antenna array 7123 , and the second transmit antenna array 712 . It has a 6-array structure including a 2-4 transmit antenna array 7124 , a 2-5th transmit antenna array 7125 , and a 2-6th transmit antenna array 7126 .

The transmit antenna element in the fourth embodiment of the present invention applies null-fill to the second transmit antenna array 712 to enable short-range and medium-range detection, and the second transmit antenna in high-speed mode or long-distance detection. By driving the first and second transmit antenna arrays together with the array, it is possible to detect a longer distance.

12 and 13 show the antenna gain of the transmit antenna element shown in FIG.

12 is an antenna gain shown when only the second transmit antenna array 712 is driven in the transmit antenna element shown in FIG. 11, and FIG. 13 shows the first to third transmit antenna arrays 711, 712, and 713. This is the antenna gain that appears when all are driven.

12 and 13 , when all of the first to third transmit antenna arrays were driven, it was confirmed that the antenna gain was greater.

At this time, the graph of the portion indicated by 90 degrees in FIG. 13 is an elevation radiation pattern, and the graph of the portion indicated by 0 degrees is the azimuth radiation pattern.

14 is a plan view illustrating a transmit antenna element according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 14 , the transmit antenna element includes a first transmit antenna array 811 , a second transmit antenna array 812 , and a third transmit antenna array 813 .

In addition, each structure of the transmit antenna array has a horizontally polarized structure as shown in FIG. 7 . However, the first and third transmit antenna arrays in FIG. 7 have a single array structure, and the second transmit antenna array includes a 2-1 transmit antenna array and a 2-2 transmit antenna array.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14 , the first transmit antenna array 811 has a two-array structure including a 1-1 transmit antenna array 8111 and a 1-2 transmit antenna array 8112 . In addition, the third transmit antenna array 813 has a 2-array structure including a 3-1 th transmit antenna array 8131 and a 3-2 th transmit antenna array 8132 .

In addition, the second transmit antenna array 812 includes a 2-1 th transmit antenna array 8121 , a 2-2 th transmit antenna array 8122 , a 2-3 th transmit antenna array 8123 , and a 2-4 th transmit antenna array It has a 4-array structure including an antenna array 8124 .

The transmit antenna element in the eighth embodiment of the present invention applies Null-Fill to the second transmit antenna array 812 to enable short-range and medium-range detection, and the second transmit antenna during high-speed mode or long-distance detection By driving the first and second transmit antenna arrays together with the array, it is possible to detect a longer distance.

15 and 16 show the antenna gain of the transmit antenna element shown in FIG.

15 is an antenna gain shown when only the second transmit antenna array 812 is driven in the transmit antenna element shown in FIG. 14, and FIG. 16 shows the first to third transmit antenna arrays 811, 812, and 813. This is the antenna gain that appears when all are driven.

15 and 16 , when all of the first to third transmit antenna arrays were driven, it was confirmed that the antenna gain was greater.

17 is a diagram illustrating a connection configuration of a radar module in a first operation mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 17 , the first operation mode is a normal driving mode, and the transmit antenna element 410 in this case operates as a medium-range radar.

To this end, the communication element 430 supplies a signal only to the second transmission channel CH2 connected to the second transmission antenna array 412 among the three transmission channels, and the other two transmission channels, the first transmission channel CH1. ) and the third transmission channel (CH3) are not supplied with a signal. Accordingly, in the above case, the first transmit antenna array 411 and the third transmit antenna array 413 do not emit signals for object detection, and only the second transmit antenna array 412 detects the object. emit a signal for

Accordingly, only the second transmit antenna array 412 operates according to the transmit channel setting as described above, and accordingly, the transmit antenna element 410 operates as a medium-range antenna. In this case, the transmit antenna element 410 may detect a part of the left and right objects in the short distance and the front object existing in the vicinity of 100 m.

18 is a diagram illustrating a connection configuration of a radar module in a second operation mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 18 , the second operation mode refers to a low-speed driving mode of the vehicle, which may be performed when the vehicle is driving at an intersection, a congested road, or a sharp turn section. In this case, the transmit antenna element 410 operates as a short-range radar.

To this end, the communication element 430 includes a first transmission channel CH1 connected to the first transmission antenna array 411 and a third transmission channel CH3 connected to the third transmission antenna array 413 among the three transmission channels. ) only, and no signal is supplied to the second transmission channel CH2, which is the remaining one transmission channel. In addition, different from this, any one of a first transmission channel CH1 connected to the first transmission antenna array 411 and a third transmission channel CH3 connected to the third transmission antenna array 413 among the three transmission channels It is also possible to supply a signal only to the transmit channel.

In the above operation mode, the second transmit antenna array 412 does not radiate a signal for object detection, and at least one or more of the first transmit antenna array 411 and the second transmit antenna array 412 emits a signal for detecting the object.

Accordingly, in the second operation mode according to the transmission channel setting as described above, at least one of the first transmission antenna array 411 and the third transmission antenna array 413 is operated, and accordingly, the transmission antenna element ( 410) operates as a short-range antenna. In this case, the transmit antenna element 410 is a wide-angle antenna is applied, it is possible to detect an object in a wide left and right range.

19 is a diagram illustrating a connection configuration of a radar module in a third operation mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 19 , the third operation mode refers to a high-speed driving mode of the vehicle, which may be performed when the vehicle is traveling on a highway or an exclusive road for automobiles. The transmit antenna element 410 in this case operates as a long-range radar.

To this end, the communication element 430 supplies signals to all of the first transmit antenna array 411 , the second transmit antenna array 412 , and the third transmit antenna array 413 respectively connected to the three transmit channels. Accordingly, in the above case, all of the first to third transmit antenna arrays 411 , 412 , and 413 emit signals for detecting the object.

Accordingly, in the third operation mode according to the transmission channel setting as described above, the first transmission antenna array 411 , the second transmission antenna array 412 , and the third transmission antenna array 413 all operate, and accordingly The transmit antenna element 410 operates as a long-distance antenna. In this case, the transmit antenna element 410 is a wide-angle antenna is applied, it is possible to detect an object in a wide upper and lower range. Accordingly, it is possible to detect objects that exist at a distance of 160 m or more.

20 is a cross-sectional view showing a radome and a printed circuit board of the vehicle radar device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 20 , the radome 170 has a cover portion 171 disposed to face the printed circuit board 150 , an edge portion 173 for fastening with the case 110 , and an inner surface of the cover portion 171 . It may include a concave-convex portion 175 disposed at (177).

In addition, the communication element 430 is mounted on the printed circuit board 150 .

Preferably, the upper surface of the printed circuit board 150 is divided into a first area in which the communication element 430 is mounted, and a second area in which the transmit antenna element 410 and the receive antenna element 420 are mounted.

In addition, an electromagnetic wave shielding member 450 for shielding electromagnetic waves generated by the communication device 430 is disposed on an inner surface of the cover part 171 that vertically overlaps with the first area. Here, the electromagnetic wave shielding member 450 may be a shield can.

In addition, a concave-convex portion 175 is disposed on an inner surface of the cover portion 171 that vertically overlaps with the second area.

The cover part 171 may accommodate the printed circuit board 150 to protect the printed circuit board 150 , and the transmit antenna element 410 and the receive antenna element 420 mounted on the printed circuit board 150 . It is possible to pass the radio waves emitted from the radio wave and the radio waves received from the outside.

In the radome 170 , the printed circuit board 150 may be disposed in a space formed by a height difference between the cover part 171 and the edge part 173 . The transmit antenna element 410 and the receive antenna element 420 may be mounted on the printed circuit board 150 .

Referring to the enlarged view of the radome 170 and the printed circuit board 150, the height d1 of the cover portion 171 of the radome 170 and the height d2 of the edge portion 173 may be the same, but this is not limited to For example, the height d1 of the cover part 171 may be 1 mm or more and 2 mm or less, and the height d2 of the edge part 173 may be 1 mm or more and 2 mm or less, but is not limited thereto.

The concavo-convex portion 175 may include a plurality of concavities and convexities, and the concavo-convex shape may have a rectangular shape, but is not limited thereto. The period d3 between the plurality of irregularities may be 0.5 mm, but is not limited thereto.

The distance d4 between the inner surface 177 of the cover part 171 and the printed circuit board 150 may be 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less, and preferably, the distance d4 may be 2 mm.

The height d5 of the plurality of irregularities may be 0.5 mm or more and 0.75 mm or less, but is not limited thereto. However, the height d5 of the plurality of concavities and convexities greatly affects the implementation of a wide angle, and accordingly, when the height d5 is formed to be 0.5 mm or more and 0.75 mm or less, an optimal wide angle implementation is possible.

That is, the radome 170 of the vehicle radar device according to the embodiment of the present invention forms the concave-convex portion 175 on the inner surface 177 to suppress the propagation of radio waves in the surface direction due to diffuse reflection and increase the radio wave transmission in the vertical direction. can do it

On the other hand, the upper surface of the cover part 171 is formed to have a predetermined step difference, and accordingly, the inner surface of the cover part 171 is also formed to have a predetermined step difference.

That is, the inner surface of the cover part 171 may be divided into a first area in which the electromagnetic wave shielding member 450 is disposed and a second area in which the concavo-convex part 175 is disposed.

In this case, the second area of the cover part 171 is related to the distance d4, and the wide-angle implementation performance varies according to the location of the second area.

In this case, when the distance d4 is 2 mm as described above, optimal performance may be realized.

Meanwhile, in the first area of the cover part 171 , the electromagnetic wave shielding member 450 is disposed. In this case, the distance d6 between the first area of the cover part 171 and the printed circuit board 150 may be determined by the height of the communication elements 430 and 440 and the height of the electromagnetic wave shielding member 450 . can

In this case, the height of the communication element 430 is generally about 0.8 mm, and the height of the electromagnetic wave shielding member 450 is about 4.2 mm.

Accordingly, the distance d6 between the inner surface of the first area of the cover part 171 and the printed circuit board 150 may satisfy 4.2 mm.

In other words, the first area of the inner surface of the cover part 171 may be defined as an area for shielding electromagnetic waves, and the second area may be defined as an area for transmitting radio waves. Accordingly, the characteristics that each inner surface should have are different, and accordingly, the inner surface of the cover part 171 has a certain level difference.

Preferably, among the inner surfaces of the cover part 171 , an inner surface of the first area is higher than an inner surface of the second area.

21 is a plan view of the radome of the vehicle radar device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 21, as a plan view showing the inner surface (177a) of the radome (170a), the radome (170a) is arranged in the second area of the inner surface (177a) in the rim portion (173a) uneven portion (175a) may include In this case, the concave-convex portion 175a is not formed in the first region of the inner surface 177a of the edge portion 173a, and thus has a flat surface to contact the electromagnetic wave shielding member 450 .

The interval d8 in the X-axis direction and the interval d7 in the Y-axis direction between the edge portion 173a and the inner surface 177a may be the same, but is not limited thereto. The interval d7 in the X-axis direction between the edge portion 173a and the inner surface 177a may be 5 mm or more and 7 mm or less, and the interval d6 in the Y-axis direction between the edge portion 173a and the inner surface 177a. ) may be 5mm or more and 7mm.

The concave-convex portion 175a of the radome according to the first embodiment has a shape continuously extending in the longitudinal direction (eg, the Y-axis direction), and a plurality of irregularities may be disposed in the horizontal direction (eg, the X-axis direction). .

22 is a plan view of a radome of a vehicle radar device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 22, as a plan view showing the inner surface 177b of the radome 170b, the radome 170b may include an uneven portion 175b disposed on the inner surface 177b in the rim portion 173b. have. The distance between the edge portion 173b and the inner surface 177b in the X-axis direction and the distance in the Y-axis direction may be the same, but is not limited thereto.

The concavo-convex portion 175b of the radome according to the second embodiment has a shape that discontinuously extends in the longitudinal direction (eg, the Y-axis direction), and a plurality of irregularities in the horizontal direction (eg, the X-axis direction) are zigzag (jig) -zag) form.

23 is a cross-sectional view showing a radome and a printed circuit board of a radar device for a vehicle according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 23 , the radome 170c is a cover portion 171c disposed to face the printed circuit board 150 , an edge portion 173c for fastening with the case 110 , and the inner surface of the cover portion 171c). It may include a concave-convex portion 175c disposed at the 177c.

Preferably, the upper surface of the printed circuit board 150 is divided into a first area in which the communication element 430 is mounted, and a second area in which the transmit antenna element 410 and the receive antenna element 420 are mounted.

In addition, an electromagnetic wave shielding member 450 for shielding electromagnetic waves generated by the communication device 430 is disposed on an inner surface of the cover portion 171c that vertically overlaps with the first area. Here, the electromagnetic wave shielding member 450 may be a shield can.

In addition, a concave-convex portion 175c is disposed on an inner surface of the cover portion 171c that vertically overlaps with the second area.

The cover portion 171c may accommodate the printed circuit board 150 to protect the printed circuit board 150 , and the transmit antenna element 410 and the receive antenna element 420 mounted on the printed circuit board 150 . It is possible to pass the radio waves emitted from the radio wave and the radio waves received from the outside.

The radome 170c may have a printed circuit board 150 disposed in a space formed by a height difference between the cover portion 171c and the edge portion 173c.

The transmit antenna element 410 and the receive antenna element 420 may be mounted on the printed circuit board 150 .

The radome 170c according to the third embodiment includes at least one of a plurality of concavo-convex portions 175c in a region where the cover portion 171c and the transmit antenna element 410 and the receive antenna element 420 vertically overlap. may not That is, since the concavo-convex portion 175c is not disposed in the vertical direction of the transmission antenna element 410 and the reception antenna element 420 , the beam width may be widened by increasing radio wave transmission in the vertical direction.

Referring to the enlarged view of the radome 170c and the printed circuit board 150, the height of the cover portion 171c of the radome 170c and the height of the edge portion 173c may be the same, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The distance d10 between the edge portion 173c of the radome 170c and the transmit antenna element 410 may be 10 mm or less, but is not limited thereto.

A region where the cover portion 171c of the radome 170c according to the third embodiment and the region in which the transmit antenna element 410 and the receive antenna element 420 are disposed vertically overlap, for example, a region in which the concave-convex portion is not formed. The width d9 may be 1 mm or more and 2.5 mm or less, but is not limited thereto.

On the other hand, the upper surface of the cover portion 171c is formed to have a predetermined step difference, and accordingly, the inner surface of the cover portion 171c is also formed to have a predetermined step difference.

That is, the inner surface of the cover portion 171c may be divided into a first area in which the electromagnetic wave shielding member 450 is disposed and a second area in which the concavo-convex portion 175c is disposed.

In this case, the second area of the cover part 171c is related to the distance d4, and the wide-angle implementation performance varies according to the location of the second area.

In this case, when the distance d4 is 2 mm as described above, optimal performance may be realized.

Meanwhile, the electromagnetic wave shielding member 450 is disposed in the first area of the cover part 171c. In this case, the distance d6 between the first area of the cover part 171c and the printed circuit board 150 may be determined by the height of the communication element 430 and the height of the electromagnetic wave shielding member 450 . .

In this case, the height of the communication element 430 is generally about 0.8 mm, and the height of the electromagnetic wave shielding member 450 is about 4.2 mm.

Accordingly, the distance d6 between the inner surface of the first area of the cover part 171c and the printed circuit board 150 may satisfy 4.2 mm.

In other words, the first area of the inner surface of the cover part 171c may be defined as an area for shielding electromagnetic waves, and the second area may be defined as an area for transmitting radio waves. Accordingly, the characteristics that each inner surface should have are different, and accordingly, the inner surface of the cover part 171 has a certain level difference.

Preferably, among the inner surfaces of the cover part 171c, an inner surface of the first area is higher than an inner surface of the second area.

24 is a plan view of a radome of a vehicle radar device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 24, as a plan view showing the inner surface (177c) of the radome (170c), the radome (170c) is arranged on the inner surface (177c) in the rim portion 173c (175c) may include a concave-convex portion (175c) have. The distance between the edge portion 173c and the inner surface 177c in the X-axis direction and the distance in the Y-axis direction may be the same, but is not limited thereto.

The concave-convex portion 175c of the radome according to the third embodiment may have a shape continuously extending in the vertical direction (eg, the Y-axis direction), and a plurality of may be disposed in the horizontal direction (eg, the X-axis direction).

The radome 170c may not include at least one of the plurality of concavo-convex portions 175c in a region where the cover portion 171c, the transmit antenna element 410, and the receive antenna element 420 vertically overlap.

25 is a plan view illustrating a vehicle radar device according to an embodiment of the present invention mounted on the rear side of the vehicle.

Referring to FIG. 25 , the vehicle radar device 100 may be respectively mounted on the rear side of the vehicle. For example, a plurality of antenna arrays of the vehicle radar device 100 may be arranged perpendicular to the X-axis direction, and radio waves may be radiated in the Z-axis direction.

When a wide-angle radar that provides a wide field of view (FOV) to the side and rear like the radar device 100 for a vehicle according to the embodiment is mounted on the side and rear of the vehicle, a blind spot formed on the side and rear of the vehicle is eliminated. It can be fully covered, which can help safe driving.

The above detailed description should not be construed as restrictive in all respects and should be considered as exemplary. The scope of the present invention should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

26 is a flowchart for explaining step-by-step a method for controlling a vehicle radar device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 27 is a step-by-step diagram for explaining a control method for a vehicle radar device according to a second exemplary embodiment is a flow chart for

Referring to FIG. 26 , the controller 440 acquires driving information of the vehicle by communicating with the outside (step 110). Here, the driving information of the vehicle may include speed information of the vehicle and location information of the vehicle. In addition, the location information of the vehicle may include road traffic situation information according to the current location of the vehicle.

Thereafter, the controller 440 checks the driving state of the vehicle by using the acquired driving information (step 120). That is, the controller 440 checks the current speed of the vehicle by using the driving information, and also checks the traffic condition information of the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling.

Then, the controller 440 selects a detection mode of the transmit antenna element 410 using the checked driving state of the vehicle (step 130). The sensing mode refers to the operation mode, and accordingly includes first to third operation modes.

Thereafter, the controller 440 selects a transmission channel to which a signal is to be supplied from among a plurality of transmission channels of the communication device 430 according to the selected mode (step 140). That is, if the operation mode is the first operation mode, a second transmission channel is selected as a transmission channel to which the signal is to be supplied. channel is selected, and in the third operation mode, the first to third transmission channels are selected as transmission channels to which the signal is to be supplied.

Thereafter, the communication element 430 supplies a signal through the transmit antenna element 410 connected to the selected transmission channel among the plurality of transmission channels, and performs an object detection operation accordingly (step 150).

Referring to FIG. 27 , the controller 440 acquires driving information of the vehicle by communicating with the outside (step 210). Here, the driving information of the vehicle may include speed information of the vehicle and location information of the vehicle. In addition, the location information of the vehicle may include road traffic situation information according to the current location of the vehicle.

Thereafter, the controller 440 checks the driving state of the vehicle using the acquired driving information (step 220). That is, the controller 440 checks the current speed of the vehicle by using the driving information, and also checks the traffic condition information of the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling.

Then, the controller 440 selects a detection mode of the transmit antenna element 410 using the checked driving state of the vehicle (step 230). The sensing mode refers to the operation mode, and accordingly includes first to third operation modes.

Thereafter, when the mode is selected, the controller 440 determines a phase and power to be input to each of the transmit antenna arrays connected to the plurality of transmit channels according to the selected mode (step 240).

Thereafter, the communication element 430 supplies the determined phase and power to each of the transmit antenna arrays according to the control signal of the controller (step 250).

In addition, the communication element 430 performs an object detection operation through a transmission antenna connected to each of the transmission channels (step 260).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the volume of the radar device can be minimized by integrating the communication element for transmission and the communication element for reception, which are previously separated into one communication element, thereby lowering the product price. .

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by implementing an optimized radar antenna beam pattern according to road driving conditions, it is possible to reduce the risk of a traffic accident due to improvement in blind spot improvement and target detection.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the radar module, which was previously separated into a long-distance antenna, a short-range antenna, and an intermediate-range antenna, is implemented as an integrated type, thereby reducing the size of the radar module. There is an effect of freedom in vehicle design and cost reduction.

Features, structures, effects, etc. described in the above embodiments are included in at least one embodiment, and are not necessarily limited to only one embodiment. Furthermore, features, structures, effects, etc. illustrated in each embodiment can be combined or modified for other embodiments by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments belong. Accordingly, the contents related to such combinations and modifications should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the embodiments.

In the above, the embodiment has been mainly described, but this is only an example and does not limit the embodiment, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiment pertains may find several not illustrated above within the range that does not deviate from the essential characteristics of the embodiment. It can be seen that variations and applications of branches are possible. For example, each component specifically shown in the embodiment can be implemented by modification. And differences related to such modifications and applications should be construed as being included in the scope of the embodiments set forth in the appended claims.

Claims (12)

a plurality of transmit antenna elements each transmitting a transmit signal;
a plurality of reception antenna elements each receiving a reception signal according to the reflection of the transmission signal; and
A communication element comprising a plurality of transmission channels respectively connected to the plurality of transmission antenna elements, a plurality of reception channels respectively connected to the plurality of reception antenna elements, and processing the transmission signal and the reception signal;
The plurality of transmit antenna elements,
a first transmit antenna array connected to a first transmit channel;
a second transmit antenna array connected to a second transmit channel;
a third transmit antenna array connected to a third transmit channel;
The communication element,
In a first mode of operation, supplying a signal to the second transmission antenna array connected to the second transmission channel, and blocking the signal supplied to the first and third transmission antenna arrays connected to the first and third transmission channels; ,
In the second operation mode, a signal is supplied to the first transmit antenna array and a third transmit antenna array connected to the first and third transmit channels, and the signal supplied to the second transmit antenna array connected to the second transmit channel is applied. block,
In a third mode of operation, a signal is supplied to all of the first to third transmit antenna arrays connected to the first to third transmit channels,
The first and third transmit antenna arrays,
It is a short-distance transmit antenna array,
The second transmit antenna array,
It is a transmit antenna array for medium range,
In the first operation mode, the transmit antenna element generates a first radiation pattern having a first maximum gain through a single operation of the second transmit antenna array,
In the second operation mode, the transmit antenna element generates a second radiation pattern having a second maximum gain smaller than the first maximum gain through a combination of the first and third transmit antenna arrays,
In the third operation mode, the transmit antenna element generates a third radiation pattern having a third maximum gain greater than the first and second maximum gains through a combination of the first to third transmit antenna arrays,
The maximum gain of each of the first to third radiation patterns is different from each other, radar module. The method of claim 1,
The number of the second transmit antenna array is,
greater than the number of each of the first and third transmit antenna arrays
radar module. The method of claim 1,
The first to third transmit antenna arrays,
Consists of either a horizontally polarized array or a vertically polarized array
radar module. The method of claim 1,
The first to third radiation patterns,
determined by the phase and power respectively supplied to the first to third transmit antenna arrays
radar module. 5. The method of claim 4,
The second transmit antenna array,
disposed between the first transmit antenna array and the third transmit antenna array,
A distance between the first transmit antenna array and the second transmit antenna array is,
equal to the distance between the second transmit antenna array and the third transmit antenna array
radar module. The method of claim 1,
The communication element,
converting the arrays of the first to third transmit antenna arrays into virtual array antenna arrays;
Forming a virtual reception channel using the interval between the first to third transmission antenna arrays
radar module. According to claim 1,
The first to third operation modes are,
determined based on at least one of vehicle speed information and location information
radar module. delete delete delete delete delete

Images