Design and Characterization of a Patch Antenna Integrated in a 77 GHz Automotive Radar for Parking Assistant Application

• Main Authors: Zhang, Wogong, Li, Nannan, Wang, Lulu, Dong, Dongdong, Zhang, Jie, Yu, Jinzhong, Kasper, Erich
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: 77 GHz; Antenna theory; automotive; bandwidth; Direction-of-arrival estimation; DoA; E- and H-plane; FoV; parking assistant; Patch antennas; Radar antennas; radiation pattern; Radio frequency; S11; Sensor phenomena and characterization; short range; single patch antenna; Systems architecture
• ISSN: 2643-4687
• DOI: 10.1109/ISAPE54070.2021.9753515

A single patch antenna has been designed, verified, and integrated to a 77 GHz automotive radar module for short range parking assistant application. The S11 and the E- /H-plane radiation patterns of the implemented single patch antenna were characterized. A center frequency of 76.38 GHz with 10-dB bandwidth of 2 GHz fulfills designed operating frequency range between 76-77 GHz. The field-of-view (FoV) both on azimuth and elevation planes achieves ± 120°. Two-way radar performance tests were additionally carried out in in- and outdoor scenarios. Corner reflectors and parking lot could be stably detected with correct position information based on direction of arrival (DoA) estimation. In-vehicle tests have been done both under high-speed and low-speed detection modes. With four implemented radar sensors installed around, the perception and sensing capa-bility of the test vehicle has great potential to meet the require-ments of automotive parking assistant application.