JP2010154182A - On-vehicle radar apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the on-vehicle radar apparatus which reflects the transmission and reception waves of a millimeter-wave radar on a conical reflector and can detect an object around a vehicle over a wide angle by a simple and inexpensive configuration. <P>SOLUTION: The on-vehicle radar apparatus 1 is installed in the lamp chamber 7 of a rear combination lamp 2. The on-vehicle radar apparatus 1 includes the millimeter-wave radar 12 which detects an object behind the vehicle, and a reflector 13 which reflects the transmission and reception waves of the millimeter-wave radar 12. The millimeter-wave radar 12 is arranged below the lamp chamber 7 so that the antenna 15 is directed upward, and the reflector 13 is arranged above the lamp chamber 7 so that the vertex is directed downward. The reflector 13 is a half-cut cone having a radius longer than the height, and the side surface of the half-cut cone is a reflecting surface 18. The reflecting surface 18 is a concave surface which is formed, by bending the generator of the half-cut cone toward the footprint, and reflects the transmission and reception waves of the millimeter-wave radar 12 within a range which is equal to about twice the radiation angle set at the antenna 15 in the horizontal direction and within a range of about 25° in the vertical direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-vehicle radar device that detects an object around a vehicle by a millimeter wave radar.

  Conventionally, a technique for extending the detection range of an on-vehicle radar device in the horizontal direction is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique in which a light source and a laser radar are provided in parallel in a lamp chamber of a headlamp, and the direction of the laser radar is adjusted by a tilt adjustment mechanism common to the light source.

  Patent Document 2 proposes a monopulse type on-vehicle radar device that divides an antenna unit of a millimeter wave radar into left and right parts, irradiates a wide beam around the vehicle body, and analyzes the direction of the target by signal processing. Patent Document 3 proposes a scanning in-vehicle radar device that scans a wide range around a vehicle by rotating a reflector that reflects millimeter waves with an actuator.

JP 2001-260777 A JP 2005-156337 A JP-A-11-72554

  However, according to the on-vehicle radar device of Patent Document 1, the irradiation range of the laser light is limited and the tilting range of the light source is very small. For this reason, for example, as shown in FIG. 8A, when the radar apparatus 61 is installed at the rear part of the vehicle body 62, there is a problem that the monitoring range behind the vehicle becomes narrow, and the rear and side of the vehicle are monitored over a wide range. In order to do this, as shown in FIG. 8B, it is necessary to mount two on-vehicle radar devices 61 on the left and right.

  On the other hand, the in-vehicle radar devices of Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3 can monitor the periphery of the vehicle over a wide range. However, in order to widen the monitoring range, in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to divide the antenna portion and perform complicated signal processing, and in Patent Document 2, an actuator for rotating the reflecting plate is required. For this reason, there has been a problem that the configuration and control are complicated, and the radar apparatus becomes an expensive vehicle equipment.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle radar device that can detect an object around a vehicle at a wide angle with a simple and inexpensive configuration.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an on-vehicle radar device according to the present invention includes a millimeter wave radar that detects an object around a vehicle, and a reflector that reflects a transmission / reception wave of the millimeter wave radar, and the vertex of the reflector is a millimeter wave. It is characterized by being formed in a conical shape protruding toward the radar antenna.

  Here, preferably, the millimeter wave radar can be arranged so that the antenna part faces upward, and the reflecting mirror can be arranged so that the apex faces downward. According to this configuration, since the reflecting surface (conical surface) of the reflecting mirror faces downward, there is an advantage that the elevation angle of the transmitted / received wave is limited, useless radiation to the sky is prevented, and an appropriate detection range can be set in the vertical direction. is there.

  In the on-vehicle radar device of the present invention, the reflecting mirror is a half-cut cone cut by a plane including a cone axis, and the side surface of the half-cut cone is a reflecting surface. According to this shape, the reflecting mirror can be formed in a small size, and the radiation range in the horizontal direction can be limited to about 180 ° to prevent an extreme decrease in angular resolution.

  In particular, from the viewpoint of optimizing the detection range in the vertical direction, the reflecting mirror is a half-cut cone whose radius is longer than the height, and the reflecting surface is a concave curved surface in which the generatrix of the half-cut cone is curved toward the bottom surface. It is preferable. According to this shape, the concave curved surface (reflecting surface) of the reflecting mirror faces downward, limiting both the elevation angle and depression angle of transmitted and received waves, preventing unnecessary radiation to the sky and the road surface, and increasing the detection range in the vertical direction. There is an advantage that can be optimized according to the installation height.

  The installation location of the in-vehicle radar device is not particularly limited, and various parts of the vehicle body such as a vehicular lamp, a bumper, an engine hood, a trunk lid, and a side mirror can be selected. In particular, vehicle lamps such as headlamps and rear lamps are preferable in that they do not have the risk of being flooded or fouled, look good, and can be easily installed. In this case, the millimeter wave radar and the reflecting mirror are preferably installed so that the millimeter wave radar is located below the reflecting mirror in the lamp chamber of the vehicular lamp. In this way, the millimeter wave radar can be separated from the high temperature region in the lamp chamber, and the internal electronic components can be protected from heat.

  According to the on-vehicle radar device of the present invention, the transmission / reception wave of the millimeter wave radar is reflected by the conical reflecting mirror, so that an object around the vehicle can be easily and inexpensively configured without using an actuator or a complicated signal processing circuit. It has an excellent effect of being able to detect a wide angle.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an on-vehicle radar device according to a first embodiment installed in a vehicle rear combination lamp. FIG. 2 shows a planar arrangement of the radar device in the lamp. 3 shows the detection range in the horizontal and vertical directions of the radar apparatus, FIG. 4 shows the detection range in the vertical direction, and FIG. 5 shows the detection range in the horizontal direction. FIG. 6 shows the in-vehicle radar device according to the second embodiment installed in a vehicle headlamp. FIG. 7 shows the on-vehicle radar device according to the third embodiment installed in a vehicular marker lamp. In each drawing, the same reference numerals indicate the same or similar components.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the in-vehicle radar device 1 according to the first embodiment is installed in a vehicle rear combination lamp 2. The rear combination lamp 2 includes a lamp body 3 and a front cover 4, the lamp body 3 is attached to the vehicle body panel 5, and the front cover 4 is detachably attached to the circumferential groove 6 of the lamp body 3. A lamp chamber 7 is formed between the lamp body 3 and the front cover 4, a light source 8 and a reflector 9 are installed on the left and right of the lamp chamber 7, and the radar apparatus 1 is installed in the center of the lamp chamber 7. The front cover 4 is formed with a lens portion 10 that transmits light from the light source 8 forward (to the rear of the vehicle) and a reflex reflector 11 that covers the millimeter wave radar 12.

  The in-vehicle radar device 1 includes a millimeter wave radar 12 that detects an object behind the vehicle body and a reflecting mirror 13 that reflects a transmission / reception wave of the millimeter wave radar 12. The millimeter wave radar 12 includes a case 14 in which a transmission / reception circuit and a detection circuit are incorporated, and an antenna unit 15 that radiates millimeter waves at a predetermined angle (angle θ0 shown in FIG. 4). The reflecting mirror 13 is formed in a half-cut conical shape whose apex protrudes toward the antenna unit 15. The millimeter wave radar 12 is attached to the lower part of the lamp body 3 with a screw 16 with the antenna unit 15 facing upward, and the bracket 17 is attached to the upper part of the lamp body 3 with the reflecting mirror 13 facing the apex downward. It is attached.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the reflecting mirror 13 is a half-cut cone cut by a plane including the cone axis (a), and a reflecting surface 18 is provided on a side surface of the half-cut cone. The reflecting surface 18 is a concave curved surface in which the generatrix of the half-cut cone is curved toward the bottom surface (upper surface of the reflecting mirror 13). The half-cut cone has a radius (r) longer than the height (h), and the angle formed by the generatrix and the axis (a) increases from the apex (P1) toward the base (P3) (θ1 <θ2 <θ3). ) Is formed. As a result, the reflection surface 18 reflects the transmission wave of the millimeter wave radar 12 in the horizontal direction within a range about twice the radiation angle (θ0) set in the antenna unit 15 (the range 2θ0 shown in FIG. 5), and is vertical. Reflects in the range of about 25 ° in the direction. Note that, at the intersection (P2) with the center line (c) of the antenna unit 15, the bus line angle (θ2) of the reflecting surface 18 is 45 °. The reflecting mirror 13 is disposed at a height at which transmitted / received waves are not obstructed by the case 14 (the diagonal outline in FIG. 4 is indicated by a chain line).

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, with the rear combination lamp 2 mounted on the vehicle body 20, the horizontal detection range is expanded to about twice that of the prior art, and a single radar apparatus 1 is used on the rear and side of the vehicle body 20. A wide range of pedestrians, vehicles, and buildings can be monitored. Since this detection range is expanded by the conical shape of the reflecting mirror 13, it is not necessary to equip an actuator or provide a complicated detection circuit as in the prior art, and the radar apparatus 1 can be configured easily and inexpensively. In particular, since the reflecting surface 18 is a side surface of a half-cut cone, the reflecting mirror 13 can be formed in a small size, and the horizontal radiation range is limited to about 180 °, and a decrease in angular resolution can be compensated by software processing. It is also possible to suppress it.

  Further, according to this in-vehicle radar device 1, since the reflecting surface 18 is a downwardly concave concave surface, as shown in FIG. 4, both the elevation angle and the depression angle of the transmitted / received wave are restricted, and the sky and the road surface are unnecessary. Radiation is prevented, and a detection range suitable for the height of the rear combination lamp 2 can be easily set to about 25 ° in the vertical direction. Furthermore, since the millimeter wave radar 12 and the reflecting mirror 13 are sealed inside the lamp chamber 7, accuracy degradation due to rainwater and dirt can be prevented, maintenance is easy, and there is no possibility of impairing the appearance of the appearance. In addition, since the millimeter wave radar 12 is installed on the lower side of the reflecting mirror 13, the heat generated by the light source 8 is collected on the upper part of the lamp chamber 7, the millimeter wave radar 12 is separated from the high temperature region, and the internal electronic components are removed from the heat. It is possible to protect and stabilize the detection accuracy for a long period of time.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the in-vehicle radar device 31 according to the second embodiment is installed in a vehicle headlamp 32. In the headlamp 32, a lamp chamber 35 is formed between the lamp body 33 and the front cover 34, a light source unit 36 is installed above the lamp chamber 35, and a radar device 31 is installed below the lamp chamber 35. Yes. The radar apparatus 31 is configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the millimeter wave radar 12 is arranged below the reflecting mirror 13 with the antenna unit 15 facing upward, and the reflecting mirror 13 faces the top of the half-cut cone downward and reflects. It arrange | positions in the state which faced the vehicle 18 ahead. Therefore, according to the on-vehicle radar device 31 of the second embodiment, the vehicle front lamp 32 can detect an object in front of the vehicle at a wide angle with a simple and inexpensive configuration.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the in-vehicle radar device 51 according to the third embodiment is installed in a vehicular marker lamp 52. In the marker lamp 52, a lamp chamber 55 is formed between a lamp case 53 and a lamp cover 54, and a radar device 51 similar to that of the first embodiment is installed inside the lamp chamber 55. The lamp case 53 is attached to the front, rear, or side of the vehicle body, and the reflex reflector 11 that covers the radar device 51 and reflects light from the outside is provided on the lamp cover 54. Therefore, according to the on-vehicle radar device 51 of the second embodiment, it is possible to detect an object around the vehicle at a wide angle by using the vehicle marker lamp 52.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented by appropriately changing the shape and configuration of each part without departing from the spirit of the invention, as exemplified below.
(1) In the rear combination lamp 2 shown in FIG. 1, the radar device 1 is installed on either the left or right side of the lamp chamber 7.
(2) In the front cover 4 shown in FIG. 2, instead of the reflex reflector 11, the radar apparatus 1 is covered with an opaque portion.
(3) In the radar apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 3, the reflecting mirror 13 does not need to be exactly a half cone, and may be formed in a substantially half-cut cone shape that can obtain a detection range equivalent to that.
(4) In the reflecting mirror 13 shown in FIG. 4, the reflection angle in the vertical direction is appropriately adjusted by changing the generatrix angle of the reflecting surface 18 (concave surface) according to the installation height.

It is a perspective view of the rear combination lamp for vehicles which shows Example 1 of the present invention. It is a horizontal sectional view of a rear combination lamp showing a planar arrangement of an in-vehicle radar device. It is a perspective view which shows the detection range of the horizontal and vertical direction of a radar apparatus. It is an elevation view showing a detection range in the vertical direction of the radar apparatus. It is a top view of the vehicle which shows the detection range of the horizontal direction of a radar apparatus. It is a vertical sectional view of a vehicle headlamp showing a second embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the marker lamp for vehicles which shows Example 3 of the present invention. It is a top view of the vehicle which points out the problem of the conventional radar apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 In-vehicle radar apparatus 2 Rear combination lamp 7 Lamp chamber 12 Millimeter wave radar 13 Reflector 15 Antenna part 18 Reflecting surface

Claims (5)

  It has a millimeter wave radar that detects objects around the vehicle and a reflector that reflects the transmission and reception waves of the millimeter wave radar, and the reflector is formed in a conical shape with the apex protruding toward the antenna part of the millimeter wave radar. In-vehicle radar device.   The on-vehicle radar device according to claim 1, wherein the millimeter wave radar is disposed so that an antenna portion is directed upward, and the reflecting mirror is disposed so that a vertex is directed downward.   The on-vehicle radar device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reflecting mirror is a half-cut cone cut along a plane including a cone axis, and a side surface of the half-cut cone is a reflecting surface.   4. The on-vehicle radar device according to claim 3, wherein the reflecting mirror is a half-cut cone having a radius longer than a height, and the reflecting surface is a concave curved surface in which a generatrix of the half-cut cone is curved toward the bottom surface.   The on-vehicle radar device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the millimeter wave radar and the reflecting mirror are installed so that the millimeter wave radar is located below the reflecting mirror in a lamp chamber of a vehicular lamp.

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