Automotive radar elevation alignment

• Main Authors: PAUL ROBERT HANEY, EDWARD GEORGE HOARE, MICHAEL JULIAN RICHARDSON
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 14.08.2001
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MEASURING; PHYSICS; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; TESTING

A method and an apparatus for aligning the elevation of an automotive radar unit. The method of aligning a radar transceiver unit (4) on a vehicle (1) having the steps of: positioning at least three radar reflectors (7, 8, 9) in a pattern in which the reflectors are fixed relative to one another with the reflectors occupying three rows (20, 21, 22) at different elevations and at least three different horizontal positions (23, 24, 25), so that the middle row (21) is horizontally distinguishable from the neighboring rows (20, 22); directing a beam (14) of radar waves (12) from the radar transceiver (4) generally towards the radar reflectors (7, 8, 9); scanning (18), and if necessary repeatedly scanning, the beam (14) relative to the pattern so that the beam moves across the pattern at one or more fixed elevations in a horizontal direction; receiving at the radar transceiver (4) radar waves reflected (17) from one or more of the reflectors (7, 8, 9); detecting the elevation of the middle row (21); setting the elevation of the beam (14) of radar waves according to the detected elevation of the middle row (21).