Radar apparatus and method of controlling transmission signal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10379202-B2
Application number	US-201515317625-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2015
Priority date	Jun 11, 2014
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a radar apparatus capable of suitably transmitting a transmission signal according to a target object existing around the radar apparatus, and suitably displaying one of the target object therearound, a response signal of a radar beacon etc. The radar apparatus includes a determiner configured to determine one of a target object and an area, an angular range setter configured to set an angular range centering on the position of the radar apparatus to include the one of the target object and the area determined by the determiner, and a transmission signal controller configured to change a waveform of the transmission signal to be different between a direction within the angular range and a direction outside the angular range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radar apparatus for detecting a target object around the radar apparatus by transmitting a transmission signal while changing a transmitting direction centering on a position of the radar apparatus, comprising:
a hardware processor programmed to at least:
determine one of a target object and an area;
set an angular range centering on the position of the radar apparatus to include the one of the target object and the area; and
change a waveform of the transmission signal to be different between a direction within the angular range and a direction outside the angular range;

an antenna configured to transmit the transmission signal while rotating; and
an angle detector configured to detect a rotational angle of the antenna,
wherein when the rotational angle of the antenna detected by the angle detector is within the angular range, a transmission signal controller transmits the transmission signal having a waveform different from that in the direction outside the angular range.

2. The radar apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to change a transmission power of the transmission signal to be different between the direction within the angular range and the direction outside the angular range.

3. The radar apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to change a pulse width of the transmission signal to be different between the direction within the angular range and the direction outside the angular range.

4. The radar apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to use the transmission signal transmitted in the direction within the angular range to be a communication wave.

5. The radar apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to:
track the target object based on target object information previously acquired, and
set the angular range to include the target object tracked by the target object tracker.

6. The radar apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to change whether to include a modulated pulse signal in the transmission signal to be different between the direction within the angular range and the direction outside the angular range.

7. The radar apparatus of claim 6 , wherein in the direction within the angular range, a non-modulated pulse signal is transmitted as the transmission signal, and
wherein in the direction outside the angular range, the non-modulated pulse signal and the modulated pulse signal are transmitted as the transmission signal.

8. The radar apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to determine a position of a wireless equipment, and
wherein the angular range setter sets the angular range based on the position of the wireless equipment determined by the determiner.

9. The radar apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to determine a position of a land, and
wherein the angular range setter sets the angular range to include a direction in which the land is located.

10. The radar apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to determine the position of the land based on a reception signal received as a reflection wave caused by the transmission signal.

11. The radar apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to generate a radar image and perform display processing for the direction within the angular range and display processing for the direction outside the angular range in different manners.

12. The radar apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to determine the position of the land based on one of a nautical chart and a geographical chart.

13. The radar apparatus of claim 12 , comprising a display unit configured to display a radar image,
wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to:
detect an angle specifying operation that is a touch performed on the display unit and an operation of specifying the angular range, and
set the angular range according to the angle specifying operation detected by the detector.

14. The radar apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the angle specifying operation is an operation of moving the touched position while the display unit is touched.

15. A method of controlling a transmission signal, used by a radar apparatus for detecting a target object around the radar apparatus by transmitting a transmission signal while changing a transmitting direction centering on a position of the radar apparatus, comprising:
determining one of a target object and an area;
setting an angular range centering on the position of the radar apparatus to include the one of the target object and the area determined by the determining;
changing a waveform of the transmission signal to be different between a direction within the angular range and a direction outside the angular range;
transmitting the transmission signal via a rotating antenna;
determining a rotational angle of the rotating antenna; and
when it is determined that the rotation angle of the rotating antenna is within the angular range, transmitting the transmission signal having a waveform different from that in the direction outside the angular range.

Assignees

• Furuno Electric Co

Inventors

• Yamabayashi Jun
• Dai Koji
• Kojima Tatsuya

Classifications

• G01S7/282 Primary

  Transmitters · CPC title

• G01S13/42

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S13/46) · CPC title

• G01S7/12

  Plan-position indicators, i.e. P.P.I. · CPC title

• G01S7/22

  Producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means · CPC title

• G01S13/937

  of marine craft · CPC title