Conti Temic Microelectronic Gmbh

Adc Automotive Distance Control Systems Gmbh

Continental Autonomous Mobility Germany Gmbh

Continental Automotive Systems Corporation

Automotive Distance Control Systems Gmbh

Markus Wintermantel

Thomas Fechner

Matthias Zobel

Steen Kristensen

Hansjerg Goelz

Lutz Kühne

Arnold Moebius

Christoph Schwoerer

Arnold MÖBIUS

Christoph SCHWÖRER

Hansjerg Gölz

A method for a radar system is presented, for detecting the surroundings using transmission means for emitting transmission signals which contain a sequence of at least approximately identical individual signals, the sequence of individual transmission signals being repeated cyclically, said method being characterized in that over the sequence of the individual signals the frequency position thereof—optionally apart from a varying and at least approximately mean value-free component—is changed at least approximately linearly and, in the process, the slope of the linear frequency position change over the individual transmission signals is at least sometimes varied from sequence to sequence, in particular in order to increase the radial distance and/or relative speed measurement accuracy and/or in order to be more robust in respect of interference with other radar systems.

Radar modulation method with a high distance resolution and little signal processing outlay

A radar system including a circuit board and a molded part having an antenna, wherein the connection between an emitting or receiving element of a high-frequency component and the antenna on an upper side of the molded part is realized by inner waveguides, the emitting or receiving element configured to emit in the direction or receive from the direction of the circuit board, the circuit being permeable by radar waves in the region of the emitting or receiving element, the molded part being arranged on a side of the circuit board opposite the high-frequency component and partially and conductively connected to said circuit board, at least one hollow waveguide is formed by a depression on the side of the molded part facing the circuit board and a metallized surface of the circuit board, and said at least one waveguide is fed from a permeable location of the circuit board.

Radar system for detecting surroundings, comprising a waveguide antenna made of a printed circuit board and a molded part

A radar system for detecting the surroundings of a motor vehicle, the radar system includes a plastic-based antenna having a front side facing a cover. The plastic-based antenna has a plurality of individual antennas for transmitting and/or receiving radar signals to detect objects and/or determining angles thereof. The front side between the individual antennas is configured to be at least partially not reflective on a surface thereof such that interference waves on the surface of the plastic-based antenna and/or reflections between the plastic-based antenna and the cover are suppressed or the negative effects thereof on the determination of angles are at least reduced.

Radar system having a plastic antenna with reduced sensitivity to interference waves on the antenna and to reflections from a sensor cover

A method for detecting the environment of a motor vehicle utilizing a radar sensor includes bringing about frequency modulation with a controllable oscillator and generating a sequence of transmission-frequency-modulated transmit signals, which each have the same nominal frequency profile. Received signals reflected from objects are evaluated such that an actual profile of the transmission frequency within the transmit signals or a deviation of the actual profile from the nominal frequency profile is established. Depending on an actual profile and/or a deviation determined, correction in the driving of the oscillator and/or correction in the evaluation of the received signals and/or adaptation of the driver assistance function and/or the autonomous driving maneuver function up to and including disabling thereof are performed.

Radar system with monitoring of the frequency modulation of a sequence of similar transmission signals

A method for detecting the environment of a motor vehicle utilizing a radar system includes bringing about frequency modulation utilizing an oscillator and generating a sequence of transmission-frequency-modulated transmit signals, which each having the same nominal frequency profile, apart from a variation in frequency position. Received signals for object detection are evaluated. A one time-discrete signal per transmit signal is used which includes information about the frequency profile of the transmit signal and which is generated by sampling of an analog signal or by reading out of a free-running counter at predetermined points in time. These time-discrete signals are unnormalized by way of the transmit signals with regard to the position of their phase and/or their initial value.

Radar system with monitoring of the frequency position of a sequence of similar transmission signals

A radar system for detecting the environment of a motor vehicle includes an antenna assembly comprising plastic and including one or more individual antennas for transmitting and/or receiving radar signals. A circuit board includes at least one area that is permeable by radar waves. At least one high-frequency component is coupled to one side of the circuit board and includes at least one radiating element for direct emission or receipt of radar waves in the direction of the circuit board in the least one area that is permeable by radar waves. The antenna assembly is disposed on the other side of the circuit board opposite the at least one high-frequency component. The antenna assembly includes a coupling/decoupling point disposed in the at least one area of the circuit board permeable by radar waves.

Radar system for detecting the environment of a motor vehicle having a plastic antenna

A device for determining the detection range of a sensor unit for a motor vehicle includes: a memory unit configured to provide a map having map data regarding a landmark and a target detection range, a reflectivity property and/or a radiant intensity respectively associated with the landmark; a sensor unit configured to detect the landmark in surroundings with an actual detection range and/or to measure a received signal intensity for the landmark; and a computing unit configured to determine a detection range of the sensor unit based on the target detection range and the actual detection range and/or based on a comparison of the received signal intensity with a calculated signal intensity derived from the reflectivity property and/or the radiant intensity associated with the landmark.

Method and device for determining the range of a sensor for a motor vehicle

An environmental detection method for a vehicle uses transmitting antennas to emit transmission signals that each consist of a sequence of identical or similar single signals, uses receiving antennas to receive the transmission signals reflected from objects, and processes the received signals. The transmission signals are emitted from only one transmitting antenna at a time, and the active transmitting antenna alternates cyclically from single signal to signal. All receiving antennas are always used in parallel. The received single signals are accumulated in proper phase for the different combinations of transmitting and receiving antennas to at least one relative speed hypothesis of objects. Digital beam formation is performed based on the accumulated signal values, each belonging to the same relative speed hypothesis, from different antenna combinations. Phase differences between received signals from different transmitting antennas are thereby taken into consideration.

Radar system having interleaved serial transmitting and parallel receiving

The invention relates to a radar system for use in driver assistance systems in motor vehicles. According to the invention, the radar system has optimized storage of temporary data when using periodic linear frequency modulation and a multidimensional discrete Fourier transform.

Radar system with optimized storage of temporary data

In a method for detecting light sources operated in pulsed mode using a camera, the camera records a series of images, and the time interval between two successive recordings of individual images is varied while the series of images is recorded.

Method for detecting light sources operated in pulsed mode

Using a radar system in a motor vehicle, high frequency individual signal pulses are transmitted from at least one transmitting antenna, and at least one receiving antenna receives reception signals formed by reflection of the transmitted signal pulses from objects in the surroundings. The reception signals are mixed with the high-frequency signal to produce low-frequency mixed signals representing the sequence of individual signal pulses. The phase angle of the mixed signals is varied over successive individual signal pulses thereof by varying the phase angle of: the successive individual transmitted signal pulses, the high-frequency signals used for the mixing, and/or the mixed signals. In further processing of the mixed signals to determine the distance and the relative velocity of detected objects, an interference component can be separated and/or suppressed from a useful signal component because the useful signal component has the known phase angle variation but the interference component does not.

Radar system having arrangements and methods for the decoupling of transmitting and receiving signals and for the suppression of interference radiation

A radar antenna arrangement, in particular for motor vehicles, is presented, having of a longitudinal waveguide, into which electromagnetic waves are coupled in such a manner that they expand in the longitudinal direction (X) of the waveguide, and an interference structure () with a plurality of metallic sections, whereby the interference structure in proximity to the waveguide, at a distance from the waveguide in a first transverse direction (Y) to the waveguide, is arranged at least approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction (X) of the waveguide, so that the interference structure effects an adjusted radiation of the radar waves. The waveguide comprises in the longitudinal direction two metallic surfaces () and between these, a dielectric medium (), whereby the surfaces () run in a second transverse direction (Z), which stands both vertically to the first transverse direction (Y) and to the longitudinal direction (X) of the waveguide. Preferably, the interference structure () is designed as a rotatable drum with metallic sections which are changed on the circumference and a reflector arrangement is provided for bundling and polarizing the waves.

Radar antenna arrangement

A radar system for recording the environment of a motor vehicle includes at least two transmitter antennas for emitting transmission signals, one or more receiver antennas for receiving transmission signals that have been reflected by objects, and signal processing equipment for processing the received signals. The antennas are arranged so that a phase center of at least one receiver antenna, with regard to a spatial direction R, does not lie outside of phase centers of two transmitter antennas that are offset in this spatial direction. The signals received by this receiver antenna are separated according to the two signal portions respectively originating from these two transmitter antennas.

Radar system with improved angle formation

A radar sensor includes a housing of radar-transmissive material, a circuit board in the housing, first and second antennas of several patch elements on the same or opposite surfaces of the circuit board, and a metal or metallized support supporting a rear surface of the circuit board. The first antenna has a beam axis that extends out through a front of the housing at an angle in a range from 45&#xb0; to 90&#xb0; relative to the circuit board plane. The sensor further includes a beam deflection structure arranged within the housing to deflect a beam axis of the second antenna out through the housing at an angle in a range from 0&#xb0; to 45&#xb0; relative to the circuit board plane.

Radar sensor with frontal and lateral emission

A radar system for recording the environment of a motor vehicle includes transmission antennas for emitting transmission signals, receiver antennas for receiving transmission signals reflected by objects in the environment, and a signal processor for processing the received signals. The antennas are planar and are situated on a level surface. Received signals are acquired from different combinations of the transmitter and receiver antennas. In the signal processor, the angular position of objects in a spatial direction R is estimated from the received signals, based on recognition that the received signals from an individual object have different phase positions depending on the angular position of the object in the spatial direction R. Two of the transmitter and receiver antennas overlap in the spatial direction R without coinciding, by special arrangements or configurations of the transmitter and receiver antennas.

Growing community of inventors

Lindau, Germany

Markus Wintermantel