Patent ID: 7932854

Claim:
An azimuth detecting apparatus comprising: a transmitter that transmits a continuous wave; a receiver including a plurality of first antenna elements and a second antenna element, each of all the first and second antenna elements being configured to generate a signal upon receipt of a reflected continuous wave that is produced by the reflection of the continuous wave by a target, the first antenna elements being arranged at first intervals d 1 to form an array of the first antenna elements, the second antenna element being arranged to define a second interval d 2 between itself and one of the first antenna elements which is located at an end of the array of the first antenna elements, where d 2 is less than d 1 ; a first azimuth detector that detects, within a first azimuth detection area whose angular range is defined by d 1 , the azimuth of the target based on the signals generated by all the first antenna elements; and a second azimuth detector that detects, within a second azimuth detection area whose angular range is defined by d 2 , the azimuth of the target based on the signals generated by the second antenna element and the one of the first antenna elements which is located at the end of the array and defines the second interval d 2 together with the second antenna element.