US5734344A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Radar apparatus for detecting a direction of a center of a target
Assignee: Toyota Motor Corp
•
Filing: 1996-10-29
•
Granted: 1998-03-31
•
Expires: 2016-10-29
Abstract
Abstract A radar apparatus of an automotive vehicle includes a radar unit which radiates an electromagnetic wave to a target in a forward direction of the vehicle and receives reflection beams from the target to detect the target. A scanning control unit performs a beam scanning of the radar unit to the target so that the reflection beams during the beam scanning are received. A center direction determining unit detects a distribution pattern of the received reflection beams with respect to respective scanning angles of the radar unit, performs a similarity approximation of the distribution pattern by using an antenna directional gain pattern of the radar unit to produce an approximated distribution pattern, and determines a direction of a center of the target based on a peak of the approximated distribution pattern.
Inventors
- 👤 Yukinori Yamada
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 06:27
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S13/00; G01S13/02; G01S13/06; G01S13/42; G01S13/424; G01S13/08; G01S13/32; G01S13/34; G01S13/345; G01S13/88; G01S13/93; G01S13/931; G01S2013/93185; G01S2013/9319; G01S2013/932; G01S7/00; G01S7/02; G01S7/03; G01S7/032; G01S7/28; G01S7/285; G01S7/288; G01S7/2883; G01S7/41; G01S7/411
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
134 words
A radar apparatus of an automotive vehicle, comprising: radar means for radiating an electromagnetic wave to a target in a forward direction of the vehicle and for receiving reflection beams from the target to detect the target; scanning control means for performing a beam scanning of the radar means to the target so that the reflection beams during the beam scanning are received; and center direction determining means for detecting a distribution pattern of the received reflection beams with respect to respective scanning angles of the radar means, for performing a similarity approximation of the distribution pattern by using an antenna directional gain pattern of the radar means to produce an approximated distribution pattern, and for determining a direction of a center of the target based on a peak of the approximated distribution pattern.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
134 words
A radar apparatus of an automotive vehicle, comprising: radar means for radiating an electromagnetic wave to a target in a forward direction of the vehicle and for receiving reflection beams from the target to detect the target; scanning control means for performing a beam scanning of the radar means to the target so that the reflection beams during the beam scanning are received; and center direction determining means for detecting a distribution pattern of the received reflection beams with respect to respective scanning angles of the radar means, for performing a similarity approximation of the distribution pattern by using an antenna directional gain pattern of the radar means to produce an approximated distribution pattern, and for determining a direction of a center of the target based on a peak of the approximated distribution pattern.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
85 words
The radar apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: correcting means for determining a corrected center scanning angle from a reference range value corresponding to a beam scanning range of the radar means for a width of the target, and from a scanning angle of the radar means corresponding to a mid-point of lower and upper limits of the scanning angle in the distribution pattern, when the vehicle is running along a curved path and the beam scanning range is below the reference range value.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
The radar apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said correcting means includes: means for detecting whether the vehicle is running along a curved path, by comparing a radius of curvature of a present path along which the vehicle is presently running with a predetermined reference value, said radius of curvature being determined by using a measured yaw rate and a measured vehicle speed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
The radar apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said correcting means includes: means for detecting whether a beam radiation axis of the radar means directed to the target is slanting with respect to the forward direction of the vehicle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the vehicle is not running along a curved path, said center direction determining means generates a signal indicating the direction of the center of the target for a center scanning angle of the radar means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
59 words
The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a beam radiation axis of the radar means directed to the target is not slanting with respect to the forward direction of the vehicle, said center direction determining means generates a signal indicating the direction of the center of the target for a center scanning angle of the radar means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
The radar apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: alarm means for providing a warning of a dangerous condition of the vehicle to a vehicle operator when the vehicle is detected to be in the dangerous condition with respect to the target, based a relative distance of the target and a relative velocity of the target.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said radar apparatus includes a yaw rate sensor connected to an electronic control unit, said yaw rate sensor measuring a yaw rate of the vehicle and supplying the measured yaw rate to the electronic control unit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said radar apparatus includes a vehicle speed sensor connected to an electronic control unit, said vehicle speed sensor measuring a vehicle speed of the vehicle and supplying the measured vehicle speed to the electronic control unit.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said radar means is a frequency-modulation-continuous-wave radar unit which radiates an extremely-high-frequency electromagnetic wave.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5023617A
Cited
JPH04158293A
Cited
EP0568427A1
Cited
US5598163A
Cited
JPH06150195A
Cited
JPH06148319A
Cited
EP0611969A1
Cited
US5585798A
Cited
JPH0749377A
Cited
JPH0763842A
Cited
US5534870A
Cited
EP0658775A1
Cited
JPH07242133A
Cited
US5612699A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-03-30 | 2001-09-29 | 2002-03-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-03-30 | 2005-09-29 | 2006-03-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-03-30 | 2009-09-29 | 2010-03-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |