Abstract: A cover for a radar sensor, the cover comprising a plastic body and a foam material. The plastic body has a first surface and a second surface facing in an opposite direction to the first surface. The second surface includes a plurality of spaced-apart recesses formed in the second surface. The foam material at least partly contacts the second surface to prevent debris of water from entering the recesses.

Abstract: A vehicular system includes a body panel having an aperture and a radar unit at least partially aligned with the aperture. The radar unit includes a housing encapsulating a printed circuit board operable to generate radar waves. The housing includes a first wall through which the radar waves are directed. The first wall of the housing is visible within the aperture and the body panel does not extend across the first wall.

Abstract: A cover for a radar sensor, the cover comprising a plastic body and a foam material. The plastic body has a first surface and a second surface facing in an opposite direction to the first surface. The second surface includes a plurality of spaced-apart recesses formed in the second surface. The foam material at least partly contacts the second surface to prevent debris of water from entering the recesses.

Abstract: A vehicular system includes a body panel having an aperture and a radar unit at least partially aligned with the aperture. The radar unit includes a housing encapsulating a printed circuit board operable to generate radar waves. The housing includes a first wall through which the radar waves are directed. The first wall of the housing is visible within the aperture and the body panel does not extend across the first wall.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining misalignment of a radar sensor unit mounted to a vehicle includes providing targets on an alignment apparatus. A vehicle is located at predetermined location on a test station an exact given distance from the alignment apparatus. The actual locations and distances of the targets from each other and from radar sensor unit of the vehicle at the test station are known and pre-stored. At least one target is a greater distance from the vehicle than the other targets. The targets receive and return a radar wave from the radar sensor unit. The radar sensor unit determines locations and distances of the targets and compares with the given or actual locations and distances of the targets to determine misalignment of the radar sensor unit. A calibration program automatically calibrates azimuth and elevation to adjust for misalignment.

Abstract: A vehicular system includes a body panel having an aperture and a radar unit at least partially aligned with the aperture. The radar unit includes a housing encapsulating a printed circuit board operable to generate radar waves. The housing includes a first wall through which the radar waves are directed. The first wall of the housing is visible within the aperture and the body panel does not extend across the first wall.

Abstract: A lane assistance system of a host vehicle for reacting to fast and extremely fast approaching vehicles includes a rear radar sensing unit having a sensor and an electronic controller. The electronic controller determines the distance and relative velocity of the fast approaching vehicle to the host vehicle. Further, depending on the closeness of the approaching vehicle, the lane of the approaching vehicle is determined from angular resolution of the radar signal. When the vehicle is approaching at an extremely fast rate and the angular resolution of the radar signal is not capable of determining an exact relative lane of the approaching vehicle due to the vehicle being too far away, the assistance system warns against or prevents lane changes by the host vehicle.

Abstract: An antenna array includes a first patch antenna and a second patch antenna which are oriented mutually in parallel. Each patch antenna includes a linear array of radiation elements. Adjacent radiation elements within each patch antenna are equidistantly spaced apart and are interconnected. In addition, a connecting line between adjacent first ends of the two patch antennas is provided, and the two second ends of the patch antennas are each adapted for transfer of an electrical oscillation. The spacings between the adjacent radiation elements of the first patch antenna are greater than the spacings between the adjacent radiation elements of the second patch antenna.

Abstract: A radar system for motor vehicles has at least two radar sensors for emitting and receiving radar radiation for monitoring the surroundings of the motor vehicle, the at least two radar sensors being each positioned at an angle between 40 degrees and 50 degrees to an axis, and the at least two radar sensors being configured in such a way that the respective antenna has a pivotable visual range of an angle between at least ?60 degrees and +60 degrees, in particular between ?45 degrees and +45 degrees, relative to the main emission direction of the respective radar sensor.

Abstract: A radar sensor for vehicles, including a group antenna, having a linear array of antenna elements, a feed unit for feeding transmission signals having a settable phase relationship into the antenna elements, a control unit controlling the feed unit, and an evaluation device evaluating received radar echoes and angle-resolving locating of objects. The group antenna includes at least two non-interleaved subgroups, the feed unit supplies in-phase transmission signals to the elements, while the transmission signals for the various subgroups have a settable phase difference, the control unit periodically changes the settable phase difference so that the transmission signals have a base phase difference in one measuring cycle and a phase difference in another measuring cycle which differs by a fixed absolute value from the base difference. The control unit sets the base difference based on levels of the received radar echoes to maximize the level difference between the measuring cycles.

Abstract: A lane assistance system of a host vehicle for reacting to fast and extremely fast approaching vehicles includes a rear radar sensing unit having a sensor and an electronic controller. The electronic controller determines the distance and relative velocity of the fast approaching vehicle to the host vehicle. Further, depending on the closeness of the approaching vehicle, the lane of the approaching vehicle is determined from angular resolution of the radar signal. When the vehicle is approaching at an extremely fast rate and the angular resolution of the radar signal is not capable of determining an exact relative lane of the approaching vehicle due to the vehicle being too far away, the assistance system warns against or prevents lane changes by the host vehicle.

Abstract: A radar sensor includes: a radar antenna, a radar lens and a funnel element between the radar antenna and the radar lens. The funnel element includes a material which absorbs the radar radiation emitted by the radar antenna.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining misalignment of a radar sensor unit mounted to a vehicle includes providing targets on an alignment apparatus. A vehicle is located at predetermined location on a test station an exact given distance from the alignment apparatus. The actual locations and distances of the targets from each other and from radar sensor unit of the vehicle at the test station are known and pre-stored. At least one target is a greater distance from the vehicle than the other targets. The targets receive and return a radar wave from the radar sensor unit. The radar sensor unit determines locations and distances of the targets and compares with the given or actual locations and distances of the targets to determine misalignment of the radar sensor unit. A calibration program automatically calibrates azimuth and elevation to adjust for misalignment.

Abstract: A planar array antenna for radar sensors includes: a plurality of base antenna elements situated in a common plane on a printed circuit board; and additional antenna elements, which are situated in an offset plane, in each case over one of the base antenna elements. Each additional antenna element is situated individually on an associated carrier, and the printed circuit board is equipped with the individual carriers.

Abstract: A radar sensor for motor vehicles, having a transmitting antenna in the form of a planar group antenna having multiple antenna elements situated side by side on a shared planar substrate, and having a feed network and a switching device for supplying microwave power to the antenna elements. The antenna elements are situated at equal distances in at least one row; the feed network is designed for supplying the antenna elements with the microwave power having a phase shift which increases at constant increments from one end of the row to the other; and the switching device is designed for controlling the supply of the microwave power to the antenna elements in such a way that, depending on the operating mode, the supply is implemented in a mirror-inverted fashion from opposite ends of the at least one row.

Abstract: A radar sensor for motor vehicles, having an antenna system that can be controlled by a control device so that it has a temporally varying directional characteristic, and having an evaluation device for evaluating the radar echoes received by the antenna system and for the location of objects using angular resolution, wherein the antenna system has at least two groups of antenna elements that differ in elevation in their effective direction, and the control device is fashioned to activate and deactivate the two groups in periodically alternating fashion, and the evaluation device is configured to estimate the elevation angle of the objects on the basis of a contrast between the radar echoes received by the various groups.

Abstract: An angle-resolving radar sensor for motor vehicles having multiple antenna elements and multiple receive channels, at least two antenna elements connected to the same receive channel together having a directional characteristic having at least two main lobes having different primary sensitivity directions.

Abstract: A radar sensor for vehicles, including a group antenna, having a linear array of antenna elements, a feed unit for feeding transmission signals having a settable phase relationship into the antenna elements, a control unit controlling the feed unit, and an evaluation device evaluating received radar echoes and angle-resolving locating of objects. The group antenna includes at least two non-interleaved subgroups, the feed unit supplies in-phase transmission signals to the elements, while the transmission signals for the various subgroups have a settable phase difference, the control unit periodically changes the settable phase difference so that the transmission signals have a base phase difference in one measuring cycle and a phase difference in another measuring cycle which differs by a fixed absolute value from the base difference. The control unit sets the base difference based on levels of the received radar echoes to maximize the level difference between the measuring cycles.

Abstract: An array antenna for radar sensors has a supply line, a plurality of antenna elements each connected to the supply line via a feed line, and circuit elements for distributing power to the antenna elements, in which the supply line is made reflective at one end and the circuit elements for power distribution are situated exclusively in the feed lines.

Abstract: An antenna array includes a first patch antenna and a second patch antenna which are oriented mutually in parallel. Each patch antenna includes a linear array of radiation elements. Adjacent radiation elements within each patch antenna are equidistantly spaced apart and are interconnected. In addition, a connecting line between adjacent first ends of the two patch antennas is provided, and the two second ends of the patch antennas are each adapted for transfer of an electrical oscillation. The spacings between the adjacent radiation elements of the first patch antenna are greater than the spacings between the adjacent radiation elements of the second patch antenna.