US 12,436,237 B2
Radar apparatus
Kenta Iwasa, Tokyo (JP); and Hidekuni Yomo, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD., Kanagawa (JP)
Filed by PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD., Kanagawa (JP)
Filed on Jul. 3, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/763,837.
Application 18/763,837 is a continuation of application No. 17/887,053, filed on Aug. 12, 2022, granted, now 12,066,569.
Application 17/887,053 is a continuation of application No. 16/584,278, filed on Sep. 26, 2019, granted, now 11,448,725, issued on Sep. 20, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2018-185265 (JP), filed on Sep. 28, 2018; and application No. 2019-124568 (JP), filed on Jul. 3, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0369682 A1, Nov. 7, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01S 7/40 (2006.01); G01S 7/28 (2006.01); G01S 13/02 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4026 (2013.01) [G01S 7/2813 (2013.01); G01S 7/4008 (2013.01); G01S 13/0218 (2013.01); G01S 7/4013 (2021.05); G01S 2013/0245 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A radar apparatus, comprising:
a radar transmission circuit which, in operation, transmits a radar signal from a transmission array antenna; and
a radar reception circuit which, in operation, receives, from a reception array antenna, a reflected wave signal comprising the radar signal reflected at a target,
wherein a first one of the transmission array antenna and the reception array antenna comprises first antennas having m antennas, wherein m is an integer of at least 2, and intervals in a first axis direction of the first antennas are a first interval Dt,
a second one of the transmission array antenna and the reception array antenna comprises second antennas having n antennas, wherein n is an integer of at least 4, and intervals in the first axis direction of the second antennas are a second interval Dr comprised of different intervals,
the n antennas of the second antennas comprise an odd number or an even number,
in a first case where the n antennas are an odd number, both of intervals located on the first axis on either side of an innermost antenna of the second antennas are shortest intervals among the different intervals located on the first axis,
in a second case where the n antennas are an even number, an interval located between two innermost antennas in the second antennas located on the first axis is a shortest interval among the different intervals located on the first axis,
each of the first interval Dt and the second interval Dr are equal to an integer multiple of a base interval, and
intervals between antennas of a virtual reception array antenna comprising the first antennas and the second antennas comprises an interval that is 1 times a basic interval and an interval that is 2 or more integer multiples of the basic interval, and the interval that is 2 or more integer multiples of the basic interval is arranged at an outermost location of the intervals between the antennas of the virtual reception array antenna.