RADAR SENSOR

Abstract

A radar sensor for reception of radar waves. The radar sensor includes at least one control unit and at least one circuit board. The at least one circuit board includes a substrate and a structure that is arranged on the substrate and has a multiplicity of metallization structures. The radar sensor is configured to be arranged on a radome in such a manner that the substrate is arranged on a side facing away from the radome and the structure is arranged between the radome and the substrate. The at least one control unit is arranged on a side of the substrate facing away from the radome and is in communicative connection with the at least one circuit board. At least one opening is made in the structure and only ambient medium is present between the radome and the at least one opening.

Claims

1. A radar sensor to transmit and receive radar waves, the radar sensor comprising: at least one control unit; and at least one circuit board comprising a substrate and a structure that is arranged on the substrate and has at least two metallization structures, wherein the radar sensor is configured to be arranged on a radome such that the substrate is arranged on a side facing away from the radome and the structure is arranged between the radome and the substrate, wherein the at least one control unit is arranged on a side of the substrate facing away from the radome and is in communicative connection with the at least one circuit board, wherein at least one opening is made in the structure, and wherein only ambient medium is present between the radome and the at least one opening.

2. The radar sensor according to claim 1, wherein the at least one opening is metallized at its surface.

3. The radar sensor according to claim 1, wherein all control units in communicative connection with the substrate are thermally coupled to at least one heat sink that is arranged spaced apart from the substrate on a side of the substrate opposite the structure.

4. The radar sensor according to claim 1, wherein a metallization for shielding from electromagnetic radiation is arranged on an outside of the structure facing away from the substrate.

5. The radar sensor according to claim 1, wherein the at least one circuit board comprises a printed circuit board with a high-frequency substrate as substrate.

6. The radar sensor according to claim 1, wherein the at least one structure is an FR4 circuit board.

7. A radar system to transmit and receive radar waves, the radar system comprising: a radar sensor according to claim 1; and a radome, wherein the substrate of the at least one circuit board of the radar sensor is arranged on a side facing away from the radome, and a structure of the circuit board of the radar sensor is arranged between the radome and the substrate.

8. The radar system according to claim 7, wherein the radar system includes a body that includes a receptacle for arrangement of the radar sensor, wherein the receptacle is configured to orient the radar sensor relative to the radome such that the substrate of the at least one circuit board of the radar sensor is on the side facing away from the radome and the structure of the at least one circuit board of the radar sensor is between the radome and the substrate.

9. A production method for a radar system, the method comprising: arranging the radar sensor according to claim 1 on a body such that a substrate of at least one circuit board of the radar sensor is on a side facing away from a radome of the radar system; and arranging the radar sensor on the body such that a structure of the at least one circuit board of the radar sensor is between the radome and the substrate.

10. The production method according to claim 9, wherein at least one opening is made in the structure of the at least one circuit board and is metallized at its surface.

11. The production method according to claim 9, wherein the structure is produced in a first production step independent of a second production step for producing the substrate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0035] FIG. 1 shows an example of the present radar system with a present radar sensor; and

[0036] FIG. 2 shows an example of the present production process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Shown in FIG. 1 is a radar system 100. The radar system 100 includes a radar sensor 101 and a radome 103.

[0038] The radar sensor 101 includes a component 105 in the form of an integrated HF circuit for generating and processing HF signals and a control unit 107 in the form of an integrated circuit for controlling or regulating the radar sensor 101.

[0039] The component 105 and the control unit 107 are arranged on a metal body 109 for removing thermal energy from the component 105 and from the control unit 107.

[0040] The component 105 and the control unit 107 are each connected to a substrate 111 of the radar sensor 101 that acts as a carrier for the component 105 and the control unit 107, and are connected to waveguide antennas formed by respective openings 119 in a structure 115 of a circuit board 117 of the radar sensor.

[0041] The openings 119 can be filled with ambient medium such as, e.g., air.

[0042] An outer metallization or metallic coating 121 of the structure 115 of the circuit board 117 acts as shielding here from electromagnetic radiation, and therefore maximizes electromagnetic compatibility or minimizes electromagnetic emissions of the radar sensor 101.

[0043] Metallization structures 123 integrated into the structure 115 serve, in particular, to distribute low-frequency or digital signals within the structure 115 or the circuit board 117 and to supply power to components of the radar sensor 101, such as, e.g., the component 105.

[0044] The structure 115 is arranged on the substrate 111, and together with the substrate 111 forms the circuit board 117.

[0045] Shown in FIG. 2 is a production method 200. The production method 200 includes a provision step 201 for providing a radar sensor such as, e.g., the radar sensor 101 according to FIG. 1, and a body as well as a radome such as, e.g., the radome 103 according to FIG. 1.

[0046] In a joining step 203, the radar sensor 101 is inserted into a receptacle of the body. In this case, the receptacle is designed such that the radar sensor 101 can only be inserted into the receptacle in such a manner that the structure 115 of the radar sensor 101 is arranged between the substrate 111, which can be a high-frequency substrate, for example, and the radome 103.

[0047] In an optional opening step 205, at least one opening can be made in a structure formed of metallization layers or metallization structures. To this end, the at least one opening can be stamped, cut, or milled, for example. The structure with the at least one opening can then be arranged on a substrate, for example in order to form the radar sensor 101.

[0048] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art to be included within the scope of the following claims.