Patent ID: 7538714

Claim:
A radar system installed in a vehicle, the radar system comprising: a transmitter configured to: transmit a first radio wave over a first part of a surrounding area of the vehicle; receive a first echo signal generated by reflection of the first radio wave from a first object located within the first part of the surrounding area; transmit a second radio wave over a second part of the surrounding area of the vehicle, the second radio wave being distinguished from the first radio wave, the second part of the surrounding area being at least partly different from the first part thereof; and receive a second echo signal generated by reflection of the second radio wave from a second object located within the second part of the surrounding area; a first measuring unit configured to measure a first physical relationship between the vehicle and the first object based on the received first echo signal; a second measuring unit configured to measure a second physical relationship between the vehicle and the second object based on the received second echo signal; a failure detector operatively connected to each of the first measuring unit and the second measuring unit and configured to detect whether a failure occurs in each of the first and second measuring units; and an alternative control unit configured to, when it is detected that a failure occurs in one of the first and second measuring units, cause the other of the first and second measuring units to serve as an alternative to the one of the first and second measuring units to thereby measure a corresponding one of the first and second physical relationships.