Mitigating radar-to-radar interference within sharable timeslot

Abstract

An apparatus for mitigating radar-to-radar interference within a sharable time slot is disclosed. The apparatus includes a wireless transceiver configured to transmit a first radar signal during a first sharable time slot. The first radar signal has a start time delayed by a first time delay relative to a start time of the first sharable time slot. In addition, the wireless transceiver is configured to receive a first received signal during the first sharable time slot, and to detect a potential object based on the first received signal. Further, the wireless transceiver is configured to transmit a second radar signal using the first antenna during a second sharable time slot. The second radar signal has a start time delayed by the second time delay relative to a start time of the second sharable time slot. The second time delay is different from the first time delay based on the detection of the potential object.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to wireless transceivers, and more specifically to mitigating radar-to-radar interference within shareable time slots. Background Technology

[0002] To increase transmission rates and throughput, cellular and other wireless networks are using signals with higher frequencies and shorter wavelengths. For example, devices with fifth-generation (5G) capabilities use frequencies in or near the extremely high frequency (EHF) spectrum (e.g., frequencies greater than 25 GHz) to communicate with the network using wavelengths of millimeter or near millimeter wavelengths. These signals present various technical challenges, such as higher path loss compared to signals used in earlier generations of wireless communication. In some scenarios, it may be difficult for 5G wireless signals to travel far enough for cellular communication to be feasible at these higher frequencies.

[0003] Higher path losses can be compensated by increasing transmit power levels or by beamforming to concentrate energy in specific directions. However, these types of compensation techniques increase power density. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has established Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) limits to accommodate these higher power densities. To meet target guidelines based on these MPE limits, equipment performance must be balanced with transmit power and other considerations. This balancing act can be challenging to achieve given cost, size, functional design goals, and / or constraints. Summary of the Invention

[0004] A device for mitigating radar-to-radar interference within a shareable time slot is disclosed. In an example implementation, a computing device performs proximity detection during a shareable time slot (such as an uplink random access channel time slot) and adjusts transmission parameters for wireless communication based on whether an object is detected. Other computing devices may also perform proximity detection, which could lead to signal collisions during the shareable time slot. Specifically, the computing device may receive a radar signal transmitted by another computing device during the shareable time slot, either as a reflected version of the transmitted radar signal or in lieu of a reflected version. This interfering radar signal can cause the computing device to generate false detections. To avoid persistent false detections, the computing device adjusts the time delay used to transmit subsequent radar signals in subsequent shareable time slots. The adjustment of the time delay is sufficient to filter out interference generated by another computing device during subsequent shareable time slots. Using these techniques, multiple computing devices can perform proximity detection while significantly reducing the probability of radar-to-radar interference caused by signal collisions.

[0005] In an example, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a wireless transceiver configured to be coupled to at least two antennas. The wireless transceiver is also configured to transmit a first radar signal during a first shareable time slot using a first antenna of the at least two antennas. The first radar signal has a start time delayed by a first time delay relative to the start time of the first shareable time slot. Additionally, the wireless transceiver is configured to receive a first received signal during the first shareable time slot using a second antenna of the at least two antennas, and to detect a potential object based on the first received signal. Furthermore, the wireless transceiver is configured to transmit a second radar signal during a second shareable time slot using the first antenna. The second radar signal has a start time delayed by a second time delay relative to the start time of the second shareable time slot. The second time delay differs from the first time delay based on the detection of the potential object.

[0006] In one example, a method for mitigating radar-to-radar interference within a shareable time slot is disclosed. The method includes transmitting a first radar signal during a first shareable time slot. The first radar signal has a first time delay defined relative to the start time of the first shareable time slot. The method also includes receiving a first received signal during the first shareable time slot. The method further includes determining the presence of a potential object based on the first received signal. The method also includes adjusting a second time delay of a second radar signal associated with a subsequent shareable time slot, based on the determination of the presence of the potential object, such that the second time delay differs from the first time delay.

[0007] In an example, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes units for transmitting multiple radar signals during multiple shareable time slots. The multiple radar signals have respective time delays defined relative to the start time of the multiple shareable time slots. The apparatus also includes units for receiving multiple received signals during the multiple shareable time slots. The apparatus further includes units for determining the presence of a potential object based on a corresponding received signal among the multiple received signals for at least one of the multiple shareable time slots. The apparatus also includes units for adjusting the time delay of radar signals associated with subsequent shareable time slots based on the determination of the presence of the potential object for the at least one shareable time slot, such that the time delay differs from the time delay associated with the at least one shareable time slot.

[0008] In one example, a method for mitigating radar-to-radar interference within a shareable time slot is disclosed. The method includes transmitting a first radar signal during a first shareable time slot based on a first time delay relative to the start time of the first shareable time slot. The method also includes transmitting a second radar signal during a second shareable time slot based on a second time delay relative to the start time of the second shareable time slot. The second time delay is selectively adjusted to be different from or similar to the first time delay. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 An example operating environment for mitigating radar-to-radar interference within a shareable time slot is shown.

[0010] Figure 2 An example operating environment is shown for proximity detection, including mitigating radar-to-radar interference within a shareable time slot.

[0011] Figure 3 An example sequence flowchart for proximity detection and wireless communication is shown.

[0012] Figure 4 An example component of a wireless transceiver is shown for mitigating radar-to-radar interference within a shareable time slot.

[0013] Figure 5 Example components of a transmitter, receiver, and modem are shown for mitigating radar-to-radar interference within a shareable time slot.

[0014] Figure 6 An exemplary local oscillator circuit for supporting proximity detection and wireless communication is shown.

[0015] Figure 7 An example is shown where time slots can be shared.

[0016] Figure 8 An example of radar jamming is shown in a shareable time slot.

[0017] Figure 9 An example scheme for mitigating radar-to-radar interference within a shareable time slot is shown.

[0018] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an example process for mitigating radar-to-radar interference within a shareable time slot.

[0019] Figure 11 This is another flowchart illustrating an example process for mitigating radar-to-radar interference within a shareable time slot. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Current high-frequency and low-wavelength communications require performance balancing to meet the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) maximum permissible exposure limits (e.g., FCC MPE limits). Inefficient balancing can prevent devices from fully utilizing increased data rates (e.g., those enabled by 5G wireless communications). However, because exposure is affected by the user's proximity to the device's antenna, the techniques described in this document achieve greater wireless performance while remaining within FCC MPE limits. To do this, these techniques detect the user's proximity to the device. Based on the detected proximity, the device can balance the power density of the transmitted wireless signal with the requirements for meeting MPE limits. As a result, the device is allowed to transmit wireless signals with higher average power levels, enabling the wireless signal to travel further, such as between smartphones and remote cellular base stations. The devices and techniques described herein can be used, additionally or alternatively, to comply with radio frequency exposure requirements issued by organizations or jurisdictions outside the United States.

[0021] Some proximity detection technologies use specialized sensors to detect users, such as cameras or infrared sensors. However, these sensors can be bulky or expensive. Furthermore, a single electronic device may include multiple antennas positioned on different surfaces (e.g., on the top, bottom, or opposite sides). To account for each of these antennas, multiple cameras or sensors may need to be mounted near each of them, further increasing the cost and size of the electronic device.

[0022] In contrast, this paper describes a proximity detection technique for mitigating radar-to-radar interference within shared time slots. In an example implementation, a computing device employs proximity detection during shared time slots (such as uplink random access channel time slots) and adjusts transmission parameters for wireless communication based on whether an object is detected. The described technique utilizes a wireless transceiver and antenna within the computing device to perform proximity detection during shared time slots. Using proximity detection, transmission parameters for wireless communication can be adjusted based on whether an object is detected. This adjustment allows the wireless transceiver to meet guidelines issued by governments or the wireless industry, such as the Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) limits determined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Furthermore, the devices and techniques described herein can be used, or modified for purposes other than exposure compliance, such as detecting objects other than users, mapping the environment, for other forms of radio frequency (RF) or millimeter-wave sensing, for sensor-assisted communication, or for combined communication and sensing.

[0023] A shareable time slot refers to a time slot in which two or more devices can perform aspects of proximity detection, including at least transmitting radar signals. In some examples, the two or more devices also communicate with the same network. In some further examples, the shareable time slot may be defined by the network or identifiable based on the network or its communications. In the case of multiple devices transmitting radar signals, signal collisions may occur, leading to radar-to-radar interference during the shareable time slot. For example, a computing device may receive a reflected version of a radar signal transmitted by another computing device during a shareable time slot, other than or replacing the radar signal transmitted by that device. This interfering radar signal can cause the computing device to generate false detections. To avoid persistent false detections, the computing device adjusts the time delay used to transmit subsequent radar signals in subsequent shareable time slots. The adjustment to the time delay is sufficient to filter out interference generated by another computing device during subsequent shareable time slots. Using these techniques, multiple computing devices can perform proximity detection while significantly reducing the probability of radar-to-radar interference caused by signal collisions.

[0024] Some embodiments can provide a relatively inexpensive way to utilize existing transceiver hardware and antennas. For example, the computing device can selectively perform proximity detection or wireless communication. In such cases, dual use of components within the wireless transceiver of the computing device can be enabled, reducing the cost and size of both the wireless transceiver and the computing device. In other implementations, the computing device can be utilized in standalone proximity detection applications. For example, the computing device can be implemented as a car bumper sensor to assist parking or autonomous driving. As another example, the computing device can be mounted on a drone to provide collision avoidance. Based on proximity detection, and as described herein, transmission parameters can be tuned for wireless communication so that the wireless transceiver can meet safety guidelines issued by governments or the wireless industry, such as the Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) limits determined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

[0025] Figure 1 An example environment 100 for mitigating radar-to-radar interference within a shareable time slot is illustrated. In environment 100, computing device 102 communicates with base station 104 via wireless communication link 106 (wireless link 106). In this example, computing device 102 is depicted as a smartphone. However, computing device 102 can be implemented as any suitable computing or electronic device, such as a modem, cellular base station, broadband router, access point, cellular phone, customer premises equipment (CPE), gaming device, navigation device, media device, laptop computer, desktop computer, tablet computer, wearable computer, server, network attached storage (NAS) device, smart appliance or other Internet of Things (IoT) device, medical device, vehicle-based communication system, radar, radio device, etc.

[0026] Base station 104 communicates with computing device 102 via wireless link 106, which can be implemented as any suitable type of wireless link. Although depicted as a tower in a cellular network, base station 104 can represent or be implemented as another device, such as a satellite, server equipment, terrestrial television broadcasting tower, access point, peer-to-peer device, another smartphone, mesh network node, etc. Therefore, computing device 102 can communicate with base station 104 or another device via a wireless connection.

[0027] Wireless link 106 may include a downlink transmitting data or control information from base station 104 to computing device 102, and an uplink transmitting other data or control information from computing device 102 to base station 104, or both downlink and uplink. Wireless link 106 may be implemented using any suitable communication protocol or standard, such as 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G cellular; IEEE 802.11 (e.g., ); IEEE 802.15 (for example, Or Ultra Wideband (UWB); IEEE 802.16 (e.g., In some implementations, the wireless link 106 can be wirelessly powered, and the base station 104 or computing device 102 can include a power supply.

[0028] As shown, computing device 102 includes an application processor 108 and a computer-readable storage medium 110 (CRM 110). The application processor 108 may include any type of processor, such as a multi-core processor, that executes processor-executable code stored in the CRM 110. The CRM 110 may include any suitable type of data storage medium, such as volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory), optical media, magnetic media (e.g., disk), etc. In the context of this disclosure, the CRM 110 is implemented to store instructions 112, data 114, and other information of computing device 102, and therefore does not include transient propagation signals or carrier waves.

[0029] The computing device 102 may also include an input / output port 116 (I / O port 116) or a display 118. The I / O port 116 enables data exchange or interaction with other devices, networks, or users. The I / O port 116 may include a serial port (e.g., a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port), a parallel port, an audio port, an infrared (IR) port, a user interface port such as a sensing portion of a touchscreen, etc. The display 118 displays graphics from the computing device 102, such as a user interface associated with an operating system, program, or application. Alternatively or additionally, the display 118 may be implemented as a display port or virtual interface through which the graphical content of the computing device 102 is displayed, and / or the display 118 may be omitted.

[0030] The wireless transceiver 120 of computing device 102 provides connectivity to its respective network and other electronic devices connected thereto. The wireless transceiver 120 can facilitate communication over any suitable type of wireless network, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN), peer-to-peer (P2P) network, mesh network, cellular network, ultra-wideband network, wireless wide area network (WWAN), and / or wireless personal area network (WPAN). In the context of example environment 100, the wireless transceiver 120 enables computing device 102 to communicate with base station 104 and the network connected thereto. However, the wireless transceiver 120 can also enable computing device 102 to communicate "directly" with other devices or networks.

[0031] Wireless transceiver 120 includes circuitry and logic for transmitting and receiving signals via antenna 124. Components of wireless transceiver 120 may include amplifiers, switches, mixers, analog-to-digital converters, filters, etc., for conditioning signals (e.g., for generating or processing signals). Wireless transceiver 120 may also include logic for performing in-phase / quadrature (I / Q) operations (such as synthesis, encoding, modulation, decoding, demodulation, etc.). In some cases, the components of wireless transceiver 120 are implemented as separate transmitter and receiver entities. Alternatively or additionally, wireless transceiver 120 may be implemented using multiple or different parts to perform separate transmit and receive operations (e.g., separate transmit and receive chains). Typically, wireless transceiver 120 processes data and / or signals associated with data transmitted via antenna 124 to computing device 102, and / or processes signals associated with proximity detection.

[0032] exist Figure 1In the example shown, computing device 102 includes at least one modem 122. Modem 122 (which may be implemented as a processor) controls wireless transceiver 120 and enables proximity detection 126 or wireless communication 128 to be performed. Modem 122 may include a portion of CRM 110, or may access CRM 110 to obtain computer-readable instructions. Modem 122 may include a baseband circuitry to perform high-rate sampling processes, which may include analog-to-digital conversion, digital-to-analog conversion, Fourier transform, gain correction, skew correction, frequency conversion, etc. Modem 122 may provide communication data to wireless transceiver 120 for transmission. Modem 122 may also process a baseband version of the signal received from wireless transceiver 120 to generate data, which may be provided to other parts of computing device 102 via a communication interface for proximity detection 126 or wireless communication 128.

[0033] Modem 122 is coupled to wireless transceiver 120 and can control timing within wireless transceiver 120 to mitigate radar-to-radar interference within a shareable time slot. In doing so, modem 122 implements a scheme that can selectively adjust (e.g., randomize) the time delay associated with transmitting radar signals within a shareable time slot, as further described below.

[0034] The computing device 102 may also include a controller (not shown separately) to implement one or more aspects of mitigating radar-to-radar interference within a shareable time slot. The controller may include at least one processor and a CRM storing computer-executable instructions (such as application processor 108, CRM 110, and instructions 112). The processor and CRM may reside in a single module or integrated circuit chip, or may be distributed across multiple modules or chips. The processor and associated instructions may be implemented together in separate circuit systems, fixed logic circuit systems, hard-coded logic, etc. The controller may be implemented as part of a wireless transceiver 120, a modem 122, an application processor 108, a dedicated processor configured to perform MPE technology, a general-purpose processor, or some combination thereof.

[0035] In one example implementation, transceiver 120 supports proximity detection 126 and wireless communication 128. In other words, transceiver 120 can be configured to perform proximity detection 126 during a first time interval and wireless communication 128 during a second time interval. In other example implementations, transceiver 120 supports proximity detection 126 but does not support wireless communication 128. In such cases, transceiver 120 may be a transceiver for a dedicated radar system, integrated into computing device 102 or a standalone radar system. In yet another example implementation, transceiver 120 supports other applications that can benefit from mitigating radar-to-radar interference within shareable time slots. In other examples, separate transceivers are configured for proximity detection 126 and wireless communication 128, respectively.

[0036] Figure 2 An example operating environment 200 for proximity detection 126 and wireless communication 128 is shown. In example environment 200, a user holds a computing device 102. In one aspect, the computing device 102 communicates with a base station 104 by transmitting an uplink signal 202 (UL signal 202) or receiving a downlink signal 204 (DL signal 204) via one or more antennas 124. However, the user's thumb may indicate the closest object 206 that can be exposed to radiation via the uplink signal 202. Other cases in which the user (or part of the user) indicates the closest object 206 are also possible, including those where the user is near the computing device 102 but does not physically touch it. In the example case, the computing device 102 is within the user's arm reach on a table. As another example case, the computing device 102 is supported on a table, and the user is watching video from a distance on the computing device 102.

[0037] To detect whether object 206 is present or within detectable range, computing device 102 transmits radar transmit signal 208 via at least one of antennas 124 and receives receive signal 210 via at least another antenna 124. Typically, the term "range" refers to tilt range or distance. The transmission of radar transmit signal 208 and the reception of receive signal 210 occur during a portion of a shareable time slot, which will be related to... Figure 3 and Figure 7 Further description. In some cases, the received signal 210 may be received during a portion of the time during which the radar transmitted signal 208 is transmitted. The received signal 210 may include a reflected radar signal 212, which represents a version of the radar transmitted signal 208 reflected by the object 206.

[0038] The radar transmitted signal 208 can be implemented as a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) signal or a frequency-modulated pulse signal. The type of frequency modulation can include linear frequency modulation, triangular frequency modulation, sawtooth frequency modulation, etc. Based on the reflected radar signal 212, the range to object 206 can be determined. The same antenna 124 or a subset of the same antenna 124 used for communication with base station 104 can be used for proximity detection 126. In other examples, one or more antennas 124 used for proximity detection 126 are not used for wireless communication 128.

[0039] Antenna 124 can be arranged via modules and can have various configurations. For example, antenna 124 may include at least two different antennas, at least two antenna elements of antenna array 214 (such as those close to each other). Figure 2 (As shown at the top), at least two antenna elements, or any combination thereof, associated with different antenna arrays. Antenna array 214 is shown as comprising a plurality of antennas 124-1 to 124-N, where N represents a positive integer greater than one. Further, array 214 may be a multidimensional array. For example, consider antenna 124 as a first antenna 124-1 and a second antenna 124-2 comprising antenna array 214. First antenna 124-1 transmits radar transmit signal 208, and second antenna 124-2 receives receive signal 210.

[0040] Antenna array 214 can be configured for beam management techniques such as beamforming, beam measurement, beam reporting, or beam scanning. The distance between antennas 124 within antenna array 214 can be based on the frequency transmitted by wireless transceiver 120. For example, antennas 124 can be spaced apart from each other at approximately half a wavelength (e.g., approximately half a centimeter (cm) for a frequency of approximately 30 GHz). Antennas 124 can be implemented using any type of antenna, including patch antennas, dipole antennas, bowtie antennas, or combinations thereof.

[0041] In some cases, another device 216 approaches computing device 102 and performs proximity detection 126. For example, device 216 transmits a radar signal 218, which may resemble radar transmitted signal 208. For example, radar signal 218 may be an FM continuous wave signal or an FM pulse signal. Due to the proximity of device 216 to computing device 102 and / or the transmission time of radar signal 218, computing device 102 may receive at least a portion of radar signal 218 during a shareable time slot as part of received signal 210. In this case, radar signal 218 represents a jamming radar signal (e.g., a radar signal that causes radar-to-radar interference within computing device 102). In some cases, computing device 102 may mistakenly identify radar signal 218 as a reflection of radar transmitted signal 208 from an object of interest. This false detection may degrade the false alarm rate performance of computing device 102.

[0042] To reduce the probability of device 216 contributing to future false detections, computing device 102 employs techniques for mitigating radar-to-radar interference within the shareable time slot by adjusting the time delay associated with the transmission of radar signal 208 during subsequent shareable time slots, such as regarding Figure 9 Further described. By changing the time delay, computing device 102 can shift the received version of radar signal 218 (or another radar signal from computing device 216) in time or frequency so that radar signal 218 is filtered (e.g., rejected or substantially attenuated). The adjustment of the time delay does not intentionally affect the ability of computing device 102 to detect object 206. Accordingly, computing device 102 can continue to receive reflected radar signal 212 and detect object 206, regardless of whether the time delay is adjusted.

[0043] At various times, the received signal 210 may include reflected radar signal 212, radar signal 218, both reflected radar signal 212 and radar signal 218, or may not include radar signals (e.g., neither reflected radar signal 212 nor radar signal 218). The reflected radar signal 212 includes a portion of the radar transmission signal 208 reflected by object 206. Based on proximity detection 126, transmission parameters can be adjusted for use during wireless communication 128. An example sequence for switching between proximity detection 126 and wireless communication 128 is provided. Figure 3 Further description.

[0044] Figure 3An example sequence flowchart for proximity detection 126 and wireless communication 128 is shown, where time flows from left to right. Examples of wireless communication mode 300-1 (WC mode 300-1) are shown at 302 and 306, and examples of proximity detection mode 300-2 (PD mode 300-2) are shown at 304 and 308. Proximity detection mode 300-2 can occur during shareable time slots 310 (such as shareable time slot 310-1 at 304 and shareable time slot 310-2 at 308). Shareable time slot 310 can include time intervals in which proximity detection 126 is performed by two or more computing devices 102 (e.g., by computing device 102 and device 216). Shareable time slot 310 can occur at fixed time intervals, between active data cycles occurring during wireless communication 128, at predetermined times such as those set by modem 122, as part of an initialization process prior to wireless communication 128, etc. Alternatively, some implementations of computing device 102 may perform proximity detection 126 in response to detecting device movement or based on indications that a user may be approaching computing device 102 (e.g., determining that a user is interacting with display 118 of computing device 102 based on a decrease in power observed by wireless transceiver 120 in downlink signal 204 or application processor 108).

[0045] At 302, the wireless transceiver 120 transmits a high-power (e.g., normal) uplink signal 202-1, configured to provide sufficient range to a destination (such as base station 104). Following the transmission of the uplink signal 202-1, the computing device 102 transmits a radar transmission signal 208-1 at 304 during a first shareable time slot 310-1. The duration of transmission of the radar transmission signal 208-1 within the first shareable time slot 310-1 is represented by a diamond pattern at 312. The start time of the radar transmission signal 208-1 is based on a time delay 314-1 (TD 314-1), which is relative to the start time of the first shareable time slot 310-1.

[0046] As described above, radar transmission signal 208 enables computing device 102 to detect object 206 and determine whether object 206 is near computing device 102. At 304, radar transmission signal 208-1 is represented as a low-power broadband signal. In the example implementation, radar transmission signal 208-1 may have a bandwidth of approximately 2 GHz or greater (e.g., 2 GHz, 3 GHz, 4 GHz, etc.). Based on the detection, wireless transceiver 120 can adjust the transmission parameters for the next uplink signal 202 to take into account MPE compliance guidelines.

[0047] In some examples, proximity detection mode 300-2 can also determine the range of object 206, thereby enabling the transmission of uplink signal 202 to conform to range-dependent guidelines, such as maximum power density. Because power density is proportional to transmit power and inversely proportional to range, for the same transmit power level, object 206 at a closer range is exposed to a higher power density than another object 206 at a farther range. Therefore, if object 206 is at a farther range, a similar power density can be achieved at object 206 by increasing the transmit power level, and if object 206 is at a closer range, a similar power density can be achieved by decreasing the transmit power level. In this way, transceiver 120 can adjust the transmission of uplink signal 202 so that the power density at object 206 at both closer and farther ranges is lower than the maximum power density. Simultaneously, because the range is known, the transmit power level can be increased to a level that facilitates wireless communication 128 and conforms to compliance guidelines.

[0048] At 306, the wireless transceiver 120 transmits the next uplink signal 202-2. In the depicted example, if object 206 is not detected at 304, uplink signal 202-2 can be a high-power uplink signal. Alternatively, if object 206 is detected at 304, uplink signal 202-2 can be a low-power uplink signal. The low transmit power can be, for example, between approximately five and twenty decibels per milliwatt (dBm) compared to the high-power signal at 302. In addition to changing the power, or instead of changing the power, uplink signal 202-2 can be transmitted using a different antenna within computing device 102 or using a different beam steering angle (e.g., different from the beam steering angle of antenna 124 or used at 302 to transmit uplink signal 202-1). Although not shown, the wireless transceiver 120 may alternatively skip the wireless communication mode 300-1 at 306 and perform proximity detection 126 using a different antenna or a different transmit power level to detect object 206 at various locations or distances around computing device 102. While some operations are described above based on the range to object 206, it will be appreciated that the operations in wireless communication mode 300-1 at 306, or adjustments made according to proximity detection mode 300-2, may be based solely on the presence of object 206, regardless of the range to object 206.

[0049] At 308, radio transceiver 120 and antenna 124 transmit another radar transmission signal 208-2 during the second shareable time slot 310-2 in an attempt to detect object 206 (or another object). The second time delay 314-2 (TD 314-2) associated with radar transmission signal 208-2 may be similar to or different from the first time delay 314-1 to mitigate radar-to-radar interference, as per [reference to...]. Figure 9 Further described. Wireless communication mode 300-1 and proximity detection mode 300-2 are in Figure 3 The diagrams shown separately, and in some examples not overlapping, but in others, some wireless communications may be transmitted during proximity detection mode 300-2 or a portion thereof.

[0050] By scheduling multiple radar transmission signals 208 within a certain time period, the transmission of the uplink signal 202 can be dynamically adjusted based on changing environments or movement of the object 206. Furthermore, appropriate adjustments can be made to balance wireless communication performance with compliance or radiation requirements.

[0051] The sequence described above can also be applied to other antennas. Other antennas and antenna 124 can transmit multiple radar transmit signals 208 sequentially or in parallel. To facilitate proximity detection 126 in the event of radar-to-radar interference within the shareable time slot 310, modem 122 can control the timing of the transmission of radar transmit signals 208, as per [reference to...]. Figure 4 Further description.

[0052] Figure 4 Example components of a wireless transceiver 120 are shown. The wireless transceiver 120 is coupled between an antenna 124 and a modem 122, and includes a transmitter 402 and a receiver 404. In the depicted configuration, the wireless transceiver 120 also includes at least one digital circuit 406, at least an intermediate frequency (IF) circuit 408 (IF circuit 408), and at least one radio frequency (RF) circuit 410 (RF circuit 410).

[0053] Transmitter 402 and receiver 404 are distributed across digital circuitry 406, intermediate frequency (IF) circuitry 408, and radio frequency (RF) circuitry 410. Typically, IF circuitry 408 up-converts baseband signals to IF and down-converts IF signals to baseband. IF can be on the order of several gigahertz (GHz), such as between approximately 5 and 15 GHz. Similarly, RF circuitry 410 up-converts IF signals to RF and down-converts RF signals to IF. RF can include frequencies in the extremely high frequency (EHF) spectrum, such as between approximately 25 and 66 GHz.

[0054] Digital circuitry 406, intermediate frequency circuitry 408, and radio frequency circuitry 410 may include mixers, filters, or amplifiers to enable wireless transceiver 120 to perform proximity detection 126 and / or wireless communication 128. In an example implementation, wireless transceiver 120 includes at least one filter 412, which may be integrated within intermediate frequency circuitry 408 or digital circuitry 406. Filter 412 has a passband 414 that allows reflected radar signal 212 to pass through. Furthermore, filter 412 may pass through or reject (e.g., attenuate) radar signal 218 based on time delay 314, as per [reference to...]. Figure 5 and Figure 8 Further description. In the example implementation, filter 412 is implemented as a low-pass filter.

[0055] The wireless transceiver 120 also includes at least one local oscillator (LO) circuit 416. Figure 4 In the illustrated implementation, the local oscillator circuit 416 is implemented within the radio frequency circuit 410. However, other implementations are also possible, in which the local oscillator circuit 416 is implemented within the intermediate frequency circuit or within another part of the wireless transceiver 120. The local oscillator circuit 416 provides a reference signal that enables the wireless transceiver 120 to selectively perform proximity detection 126 or wireless communication 128, as per [reference to...]. Figure 5 and Figure 6 Further described below, modem 122 can control the timing of local oscillator circuit 416 to adjust the time delay 314 associated with the transmission of radar signal 208 during the shareable time slot 310, as further described below.

[0056] Along the transmission path (shown via transmitter 402), digital circuitry 406 generates a digital baseband signal 420-1. Based on the digital baseband signal 420-1, digital circuitry 406 generates an analog baseband signal 422-1. Intermediate frequency (IF) circuitry 408 up-converts the analog baseband signal 422-1 to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) signal 424-1. Radio frequency (RF) circuitry 410 up-converts the IF signal 424-1 to generate an radio frequency (RF) signal 426-1. RF signal 426-1 is transmitted via at least one of the antennas 124. Depending on the situation or operating mode, RF signal 426-1 may represent uplink signal 202 or radar transmit signal 208. As shown via the transmission path, the radio frequency signal 426-1 is derived from the intermediate frequency signal 424-1, which in turn is derived from the analog baseband signal 422-1 and the digital baseband signal 420-1.

[0057] Along the receiving path (shown via receiver 404), radio frequency (RF) circuitry 410 receives another RF signal 426-2 (RF signal 426-2). RF signal 426-2 may represent downlink signal 204 or receive signal 210. RF circuitry 410 downconverts RF signal 426-2 to generate intermediate frequency (IF) signal 424-2. IF circuitry 408 downconverts IF signal 424-2 to generate analog baseband signal 422-2. Digital circuitry 406 digitizes analog baseband signal 422-2 to generate digital baseband signal 420-2. As shown via the receiving path, digital baseband signal 420-2 is derived from analog baseband signal 422-2, which in turn is derived from IF signal 424-2 and RF signal 426-2. Digital circuitry 406 is shown as separate from IF circuitry 408, but may be included within it.

[0058] During proximity detection 126, modem 122 can analyze digital baseband signal 420-2 to detect object 206. Digital baseband signal 420-2 may contain... Figure 2 At least one beat frequency associated with the received signal 210 and the radar transmitted signal 208. The beat frequency is related to... Figure 5 Further described, as shown by the multiple up-conversion and down-conversion stages via the wireless transceiver 120, Figure 4 The wireless transceiver 120 implements a superheterodyne transceiver. Alternatively, the wireless transceiver 120 can be implemented as a direct conversion transceiver, which may not include the intermediate frequency circuit 408.

[0059] Modem 122 is operatively coupled to local oscillator circuit 416 and generates control signal 428, which is transmitted by wireless transceiver 120 to local oscillator circuit 416. Control signal 428 controls various aspects of local oscillator circuit 416, including timing associated with generating a reference signal for proximity detection 126 and operating modes of local oscillator circuit 416, such as regarding... Figure 5 Further description.

[0060] Figure 5Example components of transmitter 402, receiver 404, and modem 122 are shown. In the depicted configuration, transmitter 402 is coupled between modem 122 and antenna array 214. Transmitter 402 is shown as including at least one signal generator 502, at least one digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 504, at least one mixer 506-1, and at least one amplifier 508-1 (e.g., a power amplifier). Signal generator 502 can generate a digital signal (e.g., digital baseband signal 420-1), which can be used to derive radar transmit signal 208 or uplink signal 202. Signal generator 502 (or a portion thereof) can be implemented in modem 122 and / or digital circuitry 406. Transmitter 402 is connected to at least one feed port of antenna 124-1. In some examples, radar transmit signal 208 is generated directly in RF circuitry 410 without using digital baseband signal 420-1 or signal generator 502.

[0061] Receiver 404 is coupled between modem 122 and antenna array 214. Typically, receiver 404 includes at least one channel coupled to a feed port of antenna 124-2. In some implementations, receiver 404 includes multiple channels that may be coupled to different feed ports of antenna 124-2 or different feed ports of multiple antennas 124 within antenna array 214. Receiver 404 includes at least one amplifier 508-2 (e.g., a low-noise amplifier), at least one mixer 506-2, at least one filter 412, and at least one analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 510.

[0062] The digital-to-analog converter 504 and / or the analog-to-digital converter 510 may be implemented in the digital circuit 406 or the modem 122. Mixers 506-1 and 506-2 may be implemented in the intermediate frequency circuit 408 or the radio frequency circuit 410. Amplifiers 508-1 and 508-2 may be implemented in the radio frequency circuit 410.

[0063] The wireless transceiver 120 also includes a local oscillator circuit 416 that generates a reference signal 512. The reference signal 512 enables mixers 506-1 and 506-2 to up-convert or down-convert analog signals within transmitter 402 and receiver 404. The reference signal 512 may have a continuous tone or may be frequency-modulated, as per [the relevant information]. Figure 6 Further described. During operation, the local oscillator circuit 416 provides an appropriate version of the reference signal 512 to support proximity detection 126 or wireless communication 128. Transmitter 402 and receiver 404 may also include... Figure 5 Other components not described herein include phase shifters, additional amplifiers, additional mixers, switches, etc.

[0064] During wireless communication 128, wireless transceiver 120 can transmit ( Figure 2 and Figure 3 The uplink signal 202 or the received ( Figure 2 and Figure 3 The downlink signal 204. Specifically, signal generator 502 generates transmit signal 514, which includes communication data. Digital-to-analog converter 504 converts transmit signal 514 from the digital domain to the analog domain. Local oscillator circuit 416 generates reference signal 512 with continuous tone. Mixer 506-1 uses reference signal 512 to upconvert transmit signal 514 to radio frequency. Amplifier 508-1 amplifies transmit signal 514, and antenna 124-1 transmits transmit signal 514 as uplink signal 202.

[0065] During wireless communication 128, antenna 124-2 can receive downlink signal 204. At least one of the receiving channels within receiver 404 processes downlink signal 204. For example, amplifier 508-2 amplifies downlink signal 204, and mixer 506-2 downconverts downlink signal 204 using reference signal 512 (which has a continuous tone). Analog-to-digital converter 510 converts downlink signal 204 from the analog domain to the digital domain. The digital version of downlink signal 204 can be passed to modem 122.

[0066] During proximity detection 126, transmitter 402 transmits radar transmission signal 208 via antenna 124-1. Specifically, signal generator 502 can generate transmission signal 514, which may include a single continuous tone. Digital-to-analog converter 504 converts transmission signal 514 from the digital domain to the analog domain. Local oscillator circuit 416 generates reference signal 512, which is frequency-modulated. Mixer 506-1 uses reference signal 512 to up-convert and modulate transmission signal 514. Amplifier 508-1 amplifies transmission signal 514, and antenna 124-1 transmits transmission signal 514 as radar transmission signal 208.

[0067] Receiver 404 receives the received signal 210 via antenna 124-2. At least one of the receiving channels within receiver 404 processes the received signal 210. For example, amplifier 508-2 amplifies the received signal 210, and mixer 506-2 down-converts and demodulates the received signal 210 using reference signal 512 to generate a received signal 516. Analog-to-digital converter 510 converts the received signal 516 from the analog domain to the digital domain. The digital version of the received signal 516 may be passed to modem 122.

[0068] The received signal 516 includes at least one beat frequency 518, which indicates the frequency offset between the radar transmitted signal 208 and the received signal 210. More specifically, the received signal 210 may sometimes include a first beat frequency 518 associated with the reflected radar signal 212 and / or a second beat frequency associated with the radar signal 218. The first beat frequency 518 represents the frequency offset between the radar transmitted signal 208 and the reflected radar signal 212. This frequency offset may be proportional to the distance between the object 206 and the computing device 102.

[0069] The second beat frequency 518 represents the frequency offset between radar transmitted signal 208 and radar signal 218. This frequency offset may be based at least in part on the start time of radar transmitted signal 208, the start time of radar signal 218, and the distance between device 216 and computing device 102.

[0070] In some cases, filter 412 can attenuate the second beat frequency 518, thereby discarding radar signal 218 to prevent false detection. In this way, the second beat frequency 518 is not used to determine the presence of object 206. Filter 412 can also allow the first beat frequency 518 to pass through. Accordingly, computing device 102 can detect object 206 and appropriately adjust transmission parameters based on the reflected radar signal 212. By filtering the radar signal 218, computing device 102 can avoid adjusting transmission parameters based on radar signal 218 received from another device 216.

[0071] exist Figure 5 In this modem 122, at least one proximity detection module 520 and at least one transmitter control module 522 (TX control module 522) are included. The proximity detection module 520 receives a digital version of the received signal 516 and generates detection data 524 indicating whether a potential object has been detected. The term "potential object" is used to indicate that some implementations of the modem 122 may not be able to distinguish between detecting an object 206 (e.g., an object of interest) based on reflected radar signal 212 and generating false detections based on radar signal 218. Detection data 524 may optionally include a range extending to the object 206.

[0072] Based on the detection data 524, the transmitter control module 522 generates at least one transmission parameter 526 that controls one or more transmission attributes for wireless communication 128. The transmission parameter 526 may specify one or more transmission-related aspects of the uplink signal 202, such as power level, polarization, frequency, duration, beam shape, beam steering angle, the selected antenna for transmitting the uplink signal 202 (e.g., another antenna on a different surface of computing device 102 and not obstructed by object 206), or combinations thereof. Some transmission parameters 526 may be associated with beam management, such as those defining the unobstructed space volume for beam scanning. By specifying the transmission parameter 526, the modem 122 may, for example, cause the transmitter 402 to reduce power if object 206 is close to computing device 102, or increase power if object 206 is at a greater distance or is not detectable. The ability to detect object 206 and control transmitter 402 allows the modem 122 to balance the performance of computing device 102 with regulatory compliance guidelines. In other implementations, the application processor 108 or another component (e.g., a sensor hub) may perform one or more of these functions, including the proximity detection module 520.

[0073] Alternatively, the transmitter control module 522 may generate a control signal 428 that controls the timing of the transmission of the radar transmitted signal 208 within the shareable time slot 310, and / or the operating mode of the wireless transceiver 120. Using the control signal 428, if detection data 524 indicates the presence of a potential object, the transmitter control module 522 may adjust the time delay 314 for subsequent shareable time slots 310. However, if detection data 524 indicates the absence of a potential object (e.g., the potential object is determined to be nonexistent or outside the detectable range), the transmitter control module 522 may maintain the current time delay 314 for subsequent radar transmitted signals 208. This scheme is about... Figure 9 Further described, the components of the local oscillator circuit 416 that enable the wireless transceiver 120 to selectively perform proximity detection 126 and wireless communication 128 are related to... Figure 6 Further description.

[0074] Figure 6An example local oscillator circuit 416 is shown for supporting proximity detection 126 and wireless communication 128. In the depicted configuration, the local oscillator circuit 416 includes a frequency-modulated local oscillator 602, a local oscillator 604, and a selection circuit 606. The frequency-modulated local oscillator 602 may be implemented using a voltage ramp generator 610 and a voltage-controlled oscillator 612. As an example, the voltage-controlled oscillator 612 may be implemented using a wideband open-loop voltage-controlled oscillator. By controlling the input voltage to the voltage-controlled oscillator 612, the voltage ramp generator 610 can provide various different voltage ramps so that the voltage-controlled oscillator 612 can generate various different frequency-modulated local oscillator signals 614 (e.g., linear frequency modulation (LFM) signals, sawtooth frequency modulation signals, triangular frequency modulation signals, etc.).

[0075] Local oscillator 604 may include, for example, a quartz crystal, an inductor-capacitor (LC) oscillator, an oscillator transistor (e.g., a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET)), a transmission line, a diode, a piezoelectric oscillator, etc. The configuration of local oscillator 604 enables the achievement of desired phase noise and quality factor for wireless communication 128. Typically, local oscillator 604 generates a local oscillator signal 616 (LO signal 616) with a stable (e.g., constant) frequency. Although not explicitly shown, local oscillator circuitry 416 may also include a phase-locked loop or automatic gain control circuitry. Any of these components may be coupled to local oscillator 604 to enable local oscillator 604 to oscillate at (e.g., a selectable) stable frequency.

[0076] Selection circuit 606 may include a switch or multiplexer controlled by modem 122. Based on control signal 428, selection circuit 606 connects or disconnects frequency-modulated local oscillator 602 or local oscillator 604 with mixers 506-1 and 506-2. If control signal 428 instructs wireless transceiver 120 to perform proximity detection 126, selection circuit 606 connects frequency-modulated local oscillator 602 to mixers 506-1 and 506-2 to provide frequency-modulated local oscillator signal 614 as reference signal 512. Alternatively, if control signal 428 instructs wireless transceiver 120 to perform wireless communication 128, selection circuit 606 connects local oscillator 604 to mixers 506-1 and 506-2 to provide local oscillator signal 616 as reference signal 512. Selection circuit 606 enables wireless transceiver 120 to quickly switch between performing operations for proximity detection 126 or wireless communication 128.

[0077] Although the frequency modulation local oscillator 602 and the selection circuit 606 are in Figure 6As shown, however, other implementations of the local oscillator circuit 416 may not include these components. In this case, the local oscillator 604 can provide a local oscillator signal 616 as a reference signal 512 for both proximity detection 126 and wireless communication 128. In this case, the signal generator 502 can apply frequency modulation to the transmit signal 514 to achieve proximity detection 126. In other examples, respective LO circuit systems for wireless communication 128 and proximity detection 126 are implemented, and the respective reference signals 512 are provided to a mixer 506 shared for wireless communication 128 and proximity detection 126, or to a separate mixer. The computing device 102 can perform proximity detection 126 within a shareable time slot 310, which is related to... Figure 7 Further description.

[0078] Figure 7 An example shareable time slot 310 is shown. In some cases, the shareable time slot 310 can be selectively used for proximity detection 126 and / or wireless communication 128. The example shareable time slot 310 includes an uplink random access channel (RACH) time slot 702 (UL RACH time slot 702). For proximity detection 126, the duration of the shareable time slot 310 can be represented by three different timing windows, including a first transition window 704, a second transition window 706, and an available window 708. The durations of windows 704, 706, and 708 are... Figure 7 It may not be drawn to scale.

[0079] The first transition window 704 represents a time interval used to configure the wireless transceiver 120 for proximity detection 126. In some implementations, this time interval enables tuning of the local oscillator circuit 416 for proximity detection 126. The duration of the first transition window 704 may be based at least in part on the stabilization time associated with the phase-locked loop of the local oscillator circuit 416. Typically, the duration of the first transition window 704 is sufficient to allow the wireless transceiver 120 to transition from wireless communication mode 300-1 to proximity detection mode 300-2 during the initial portion of the shareable time slot 310.

[0080] The second transition window 706 represents a time interval used to configure the wireless transceiver 120 for wireless communication 128. In some implementations, this time interval enables tuning of the local oscillator circuit 416 for wireless communication 128. The duration of the second transition window 706 may be at least partially based on the stabilization time associated with the phase-locked loop of the local oscillator circuit 416. Typically, the duration of the second transition window 706 is sufficient to allow the wireless transceiver 120 to transition from proximity detection mode 300-2 to wireless communication mode 300-1 during the final portion of the shareable time slot 310.

[0081] Available window 708 represents the time interval used for transmitting radar transmit signal 208 and receiving receive signal 210 for proximity detection 126. Within available window 708, radar transmit signal 208 is transmitted using duration 710 (radar transmission duration 710). Radar transmission duration 710 is less than the duration of available window 708. In one example implementation, duration 710 is approximately equal to one-quarter of the duration of shareable time slot 310. In some cases, duration 710 represents a specific number of symbols, such as 2, 3, or 4 symbols.

[0082] Time delay 314 represents the difference between the start time 712 of radar transmission and the start time of the shareable time slot 310. Time delay 314 can be selectively or randomly selected from a set (e.g., a list) of multiple time delays. Time delay 314 within this set can vary at specific intervals, which can be proportional to the bandwidth of filter 412. Typically, time delay 314 enables the transmission of radar transmit signal 208 and the reception of receive signal 210 within the available window 708. In some cases, the available window 708 includes additional idle time between the end of radar transmission and the start of transition window 706, as shown at 714. Time delay 314 can be adjusted to mitigate radar-to-radar interference, as per [reference to...]. Figure 8 Further description.

[0083] Figure 8 This illustrates radar jamming within the shareable time slot 310. Graph 802 depicts the times during which radar transmit signal 208 is transmitted and radar signals 218-1, 218-2, and / or 218-3 are received as part of receive signal 210. These times can occur during the available window 708 of the shareable time slot 310, which is within... Figure 7 As shown in the figure. The difference between the frequency of radar transmitted signal 208 and the frequencies of radar signals 218-1, 218-2 and 218-3 is represented by beat frequencies 518-1, 518-2 and 518-3, respectively.

[0084] At least a portion of radar signals 218-1 and 218-2 is received during detection window 804. However, radar signal 218-3 is received outside of detection window 804. The center of detection window 804 may be aligned with the start time of radar transmitted signal 208. Typically, the duration of detection window 804 is proportional to the bandwidth of filter 412. A portion of radar signal 218 received during detection window 804 may cause modem 122 to generate false detections.

[0085] Graph 806 shows the frequency response of filter 412, which includes a passband 414. Wireless transceiver 120 generates a received signal 516 with beat frequencies 518-1, 518-2, and / or 518-3. Beat frequencies 518-1 and 518-2 are within the passband 414 of filter 412. However, beat frequency 518-3 is outside the passband 414 of filter 412. In this case, beat frequencies 518-1 and 518-2 can pass through filter 412 and can be processed by modem 122. However, beat frequency 518-3 is substantially attenuated by filter 412. Due to this attenuation, modem 122 is unlikely to detect a potential object based on beat frequency 518-3. However, modem 122 can detect a potential object based on beat frequencies 518-1 and 518-2 (e.g., generating false detections). To mitigate radar-to-radar interference, modem 122 can adjust timing delay 314 so that one or more of beat frequencies 518-1 and / or 518-2, along with beat frequency 518-3, are located outside the passband 414 of filter 412. This adjustment is about Figure 9 Further description.

[0086] Figure 9 An example scheme for mitigating radar-to-radar interference within shareable time slot 310 is illustrated. Computing device 102 selectively performs proximity detection 126 and wireless communication 128 at different time intervals. For example, computing device 102 performs proximity detection 126 during shareable time slots 310-1, 310-2, 310-3, and 310-4. Furthermore, computing device 102 may optionally perform wireless communication 128 during other time intervals existing before, between, and / or after shareable time slots 310-1 to 310-4, such as via... Figure 9 The shading style is indicated in the text. In some cases, the duration between shareable time slots 310 may be less than the duration 710 of the radar transmitted signal 208.

[0087] During the first shareable time slot 310-1, computing device 102 transmits a first radar transmit signal 208-1 with a first time delay 314-1 (TD314-1). Computing device 102 also receives a first receive signal 210-1. In this case, the first receive signal 210-1 is frequency-modulated. More specifically, the receive signal 210-1 may include a reflected radar signal 212, a radar signal 218 transmitted by another device 216, or a combination thereof. Based on the first receive signal 210-1, computing device 102 detects a potential object, which may be object 206 or a false detection. In particular, the potential object may be an object of interest based on the reflected radar signal 212 (e.g., a part of a user) or a false detection based on radar signal 218. Because computing device 102 has detected a potential object, modem 122 adjusts the time delay 314 for a subsequent shareable time slot (e.g., for shareable time slot 310-2). In some implementations, modem 122 selects a subsequent time delay 314 from a set of multiple time delays. The set of multiple time delays may or may not include the first time delay 314-1. This selection may be based on one or more rules, or it may be random.

[0088] During the second shareable time slot 310-2, computing device 102 transmits a second radar transmit signal 208-2 with a second time delay 314-2 (TD314-2). The second time delay 314-2 differs from the first time delay 314-1. In some cases, the second time delay 314-2 is sufficiently different from the first time delay 314-1 such that the radar signal 218 (if detected during the first shareable time slot 310-1) lies outside the passband 414 of filter 412 during the second shareable time slot 310-2. In the example implementation, the difference between the second time delay 314-2 and the first time delay 314-2 is proportional to the bandwidth of filter 412.

[0089] Computing device 102 receives the received signal 210-2 during the second shareable time slot 310-2. The received signal 210-2 includes noise and does not include reflected radar signal 212 or radar signal 218. In this case, computing device 102 determines that there is no potential object. Therefore, computing device 102 can maintain (e.g., without adjustment) a time delay 314-2 for a subsequent shareable time slot (e.g., for shareable time slot 310-3). In this case, the time delay 314-3 associated with shareable time slot 310-3 is approximately equal to the time delay 314-2.

[0090] This scheme can be continued for subsequent shareable time slots 310. Typically, modem 122 adjusts the time delay 314 for subsequent shareable time slots 310 based on the detection of a potential object in a previous shareable time slot 310. Furthermore, if modem 122 determines that a potential object is absent (or does not exist) in the current shareable time slot 310, modem 122 maintains the current time delay 314 for subsequent shareable time slots 310, at least until a potential object is detected later. By avoiding adjusting the time delay 314 during periods when modem 122 determines that a potential object is not present, modem 122 can reduce the probability of unintentionally selecting a time delay 314 that leads to radar-to-radar interference. Therefore, the time delay 314 can be selectively adjusted, for example, based on whether a potential object is detected. Further, in some examples, the time delay 314 can be adjusted each time a potential object is detected. Thus, the time delay 314 can be continuously shifted when an actual object is present, but can be stabilized at a value that avoids interfering with radar when no detectable object is present.

[0091] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an example process 1000 for mitigating radar-to-radar interference within a shareable time slot. Process 1000 is described in the form of a set of blocks 1002-1008 specifying the operations that can be performed. However, the operations are not necessarily limited to... Figure 10 The order shown or described herein is not necessarily the same, as operations can be implemented in an alternative order or in a manner that is completely or partially overlapping. Operations represented by the boxes shown in process 1000 can be performed by (e.g., Figure 1 or Figure 2 The operation of process 1000 may be performed at least in part by (e.g., computing device 102). More specifically, the operation of process 1000 may be performed by (e.g., computing device 102). Figure 1 , Figure 4 or Figure 5 The wireless transceiver 120 and at least in part by (e.g., Figure 1 , Figure 4 or Figure 5 The modem 122 is used to perform this.

[0092] At box 1002, the first radar signal is transmitted during a first shareable time slot. The first radar signal has a first time delay defined relative to the start time of the first shareable time slot. For example, wireless transceiver 120 transmits a first radar transmit signal 208 (e.g., radar transmit signal 208-1) during the first shareable time slot 310 (e.g., shareable time slot 310-1), as... Figure 3 and Figure 9 As shown in the diagram. The first shareable time slot 310 can be associated with wireless communication, and the uplink random access channel time slot 702, as shown in the diagram. Figure 7 As shown. Typically, the first shareable time slot 310 represents the time slot in which at least two devices (e.g., computing device 102 and another computing device 216) transmit radar signals 208 and 218.

[0093] At block 1004, the first received signal is received during a first shareable time slot. For example, wireless transceiver 120 receives the first received signal 210 during the first shareable time slot 310. The first received signal 210 may include a reflected radar signal 212, a radar signal 218 transmitted by another device 216, both signals 212 and 218, or may include neither signal 212 nor signal 218 (e.g., noise).

[0094] At box 1006, the determination of the presence of a potential object is made based on the first received signal. For example, modem 122 determines the presence of a potential object based on the first received signal 210, as per [the context of the first received signal]. Figure 5 As described.

[0095] At block 1008, a second time delay of the second radar signal associated with a subsequent shareable time slot is adjusted based on the determination of the presence of a potential object. The adjustment makes the second time delay different from the first time delay. For example, modem 122 adjusts the time delay 314 (e.g., time delay 314-2) of the second radar transmit signal 208 associated with a subsequent shareable time slot (e.g., shareable time slot 310-2) based on the determination of the presence of a potential object. The adjustment may include setting the second time delay to a value different from the first time delay or selecting such a second time delay, or may consist of setting the second time delay to a value different from the first time delay or selecting such a second time delay. Thus, the adjustment makes the second time delay 314 (e.g., time delay 314-2) different from the first time delay 314 (e.g., time delay 314-1). The first and second shareable time slots may be consecutive shareable time slots (e.g., a subsequent shareable time slot represents the next shareable time slot that occurs after at least one shareable time slot).

[0096] Figure 11 This is another flowchart illustrating an example process 1100 for mitigating radar-to-radar interference within a shareable time slot. Process 1100 is described in the form of a set of blocks 1102 and 1104 specifying the operations that can be performed. However, the operations are not necessarily limited to... Figure 11 The order shown or described herein is not necessarily the same, as operations can be implemented in an alternative order or in a manner that is completely or partially overlapping. Operations represented by the boxes shown in process 1100 can be performed by (e.g., Figure 1 or Figure 2The operation of process 1100 may be performed at least in part by (e.g., computing device 102). More specifically, the operation of process 1100 may be performed by (e.g., computing device 102). Figure 1 , Figure 4 or Figure 5 The wireless transceiver 120 is used to perform this.

[0097] At block 1102, the first radar signal is transmitted during the first shareable time slot based on a first time delay relative to the start time of the first shareable time slot. For example, the wireless transceiver 120 transmits the first radar signal 208-1 during the first shareable time slot 310-1 based on a first time delay 314-1 relative to the start time of the first shareable time slot 310-1.

[0098] At block 1104, the second radar signal is transmitted during the second shareable time slot based on a second time delay relative to the start time of the second shareable time slot. The second time delay is selectively adjusted to be different from or similar to the first time delay. For example, the wireless transceiver 120 transmits the second radar signal 208-2 during the second shareable time slot 310-2 based on a second time delay 314-2 relative to the start time of the second shareable time slot 310-2. The second shareable time slot 310-2 may be the next shareable time slot 310 occurring after the first shareable time slot 310-1. The modem 122 may selectively adjust the second time delay 314-2 to be different from or similar to the first time delay 314-1.

[0099] For example, if modem 122 detects a potential object after transmitting the first radar signal 208-1, modem 122 can adjust the second time delay 314-2 to be different from the first time delay 314-1. Typically, the second time delay 314-2 is sufficiently different from the first time delay 314-1 such that radar signal 218 transmitted by another computing device 216 during the first shareable time slot 310-1 is attenuated by filter 412 during the second shareable time slot 310-2 (e.g., outside the passband 414 of filter 412). The difference between the second time delay 314-2 and the first time delay 314-1 can be proportional to the bandwidth of filter 412.

[0100] Otherwise, if modem 122 does not detect a potential object after transmitting the first radar signal 208-1, modem 122 may set the second time delay 314-2 to be similar to the first time delay 314-2. For example, the second time delay 314-2 may be equal to the first time delay 314-1. Other values ​​for the second time delay 314-2 are also possible, such that the second time delay 314-2 is approximately equal to the first time delay 314-1 (e.g., the difference between the second time delay 314-2 and the first time delay 314-1 is less than the time interval associated with the bandwidth of filter 412).

[0101] Some aspects are described below.

[0102] Aspect 1: An apparatus comprising: The wireless transceiver is configured as follows: Coupled to at least two antennas; A first radar signal is transmitted using the first antenna of the at least two antennas during a first shareable time slot, the first radar signal having a start time delay relative to the start time of the first shareable time slot. During the first shareable time slot, the second antenna of the at least two antennas is used to receive the first received signal; Detecting potential objects based on the first received signal; and The first antenna is used to transmit a second radar signal during a second shareable time slot. The second radar signal has a start time delay relative to the start time of the second shareable time slot. The start time of the second time delay is different from the first time delay because it is based on the detection of the potential object.

[0103] Aspect 2: The device according to aspect 1, wherein at least a portion of the first shareable time slot and the second shareable time slot represents a time interval in which proximity detection can be performed by the device and at least one other device.

[0104] Aspect 3: The device according to aspect 1 or 2, wherein the first shareable time slot and the second shareable time slot include uplink random access channel time slots.

[0105] Aspect 4: The apparatus according to aspect 1, wherein: The first received signal includes a version of the first radar signal reflected by an object; and The potential object represents the object.

[0106] Aspect 5: The apparatus according to aspect 1, wherein: The first received signal includes another radar signal transmitted by another device; and The potential object represents a false detection.

[0107] Aspect 6: According to the apparatus of aspect 1, wherein the first radar signal, the first received signal and the second radar signal include frequency-modulated continuous wave radar signals.

[0108] Aspect 7: The apparatus according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein the second time delay represents a time delay randomly selected from a set of multiple time delays.

[0109] Aspect 8: The apparatus according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to: During the second shareable time slot, the second antenna is used to receive the second received signal; The absence of the potential object is determined based on the second received signal; and A third radar signal is transmitted using the first antenna during a third shareable time slot. The third radar signal has a start time delay relative to the start time of the third shareable time slot, which is approximately equal to the second time delay based on determining the absence of the potential object.

[0110] Aspect 9: The apparatus according to aspect 8, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to: During the third shareable time slot, the second antenna is used to receive the third received signal; Detecting other potential objects based on the third received signal; and A fourth radar signal is transmitted using the first antenna during a fourth shareable time slot. The fourth radar signal has a start time delay of a fourth time delay relative to the start time of the fourth shareable time slot. The fourth time delay is different from the first time delay and the second time delay because it is based on the detection of the other potential object.

[0111] Aspect 10: The apparatus according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein: The wireless transceiver is configured to receive a second received signal using the second antenna during the second shareable time slot; The first received signal and the second received signal each include radar signals transmitted by another device; The radar signal associated with the first received signal has a beat frequency within the passband of the wireless transceiver's filter based on the first time delay; and The radar signal associated with the second received signal has an additional beat frequency outside the passband of the filter based on the second time delay.

[0112] Aspect 11: The apparatus according to aspect 10, wherein the filter comprises a low-pass filter.

[0113] Aspect 12: The apparatus according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein: The wireless transceiver includes a local oscillator circuit with tuning time; The wireless transceiver is configured to generate the first radar signal and the second radar signal using the local oscillator circuit; and The first time delay and the second time delay are greater than or equal to the tuning time associated with the local oscillator circuit.

[0114] Aspect 13: The apparatus according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to: The transmission parameters are adjusted based on the detection of the potential object; and Uplink signals are transmitted using at least one of the at least two antennas and the transmission parameters.

[0115] Aspect 14: The apparatus according to aspect 13, wherein the transmission parameters include at least one of the following: Power level; Beam steering angle; frequency; Selected antenna; or Communication protocol.

[0116] Aspect 15: A method comprising: A first radar signal is transmitted during a first shareable time slot, the first radar signal having a first time delay defined relative to the start time of the first shareable time slot; During the first shareable time slot, a first received signal is received; Based on the first received signal, the presence of a potential object is determined; and Based on the determination of the existence of the potential object, the second time delay of the second radar signal associated with the subsequent shareable time slot is adjusted so that the second time delay is different from the first time delay.

[0117] Aspect 16: According to the method described in aspect 15, wherein: The first received signal includes at least one of the following: The version of the first radar signal reflected by the object; or Another radar signal; and The potential object represents at least one of the following: Based on the first received signal including the first radar signal, the version of the object reflected by the object; or The false detection is based on the first received signal including the other radar signal.

[0118] Aspect 17: The method described pursuant to Clause 15 or 16 further includes: A third radar signal is transmitted during a third shareable time slot, the third radar signal having a third time delay; During the third shareable time slot, a third received signal is received; Based on the third received signal, it is determined that the potential object does not exist; and Based on the determination that the potential object does not exist, another time delay is set to be associated with another subsequent shareable time slot, such that the other time delay is equal to the third time delay.

[0119] Aspect 18: The method according to any one of Aspects 15 to 17, wherein the first shareable time slot and the subsequent shareable time slot are associated with wireless communication.

[0120] Aspect 19: The method according to any one of Aspects 15 to 18, wherein the first shareable time slot and the subsequent shareable time slots include uplink random access channel time slots.

[0121] Aspect 20: The method according to any one of aspects 15 to 18, wherein the adjustment of the second time delay includes selecting the second time delay from a set of multiple time delays.

[0122] Aspect 21: According to the method of aspect 20, wherein the selection of the second time delay includes: randomly selecting the second time delay from the set of the plurality of time delays.

[0123] Aspect 22: An apparatus comprising: A unit for transmitting multiple radar signals during multiple shareable time slots, the multiple radar signals having a respective time delay defined relative to the start time of the multiple shareable time slots; A unit for receiving multiple received signals during the plurality of shareable time slots; A unit for determining the presence of a potential object based on a corresponding received signal among the plurality of received signals, for at least one of the plurality of shareable time slots; and A unit for adjusting the time delay of radar signals associated with subsequent shareable time slots based on the determination of the presence of the potential object for the at least one shareable time slot, such that the time delay is different from the time delay associated with the at least one shareable time slot.

[0124] Aspect 23: The apparatus according to aspect 22 further includes: A unit for determining, based on a corresponding received signal among the plurality of received signals, that the potential object does not exist, for at least one other shareable time slot among the plurality of shareable time slots; and A unit for setting another time delay associated with another subsequent shareable time slot based on the determination that the potential object does not exist for the at least one other shareable time slot, such that the other time delay is similar to the time delay associated with the at least one other shareable time slot.

[0125] Aspect 24: The apparatus according to aspect 22 or 23 further includes: A unit for adjusting transmission parameters based on the determination of the existence of the potential object; and A unit for transmitting uplink signals using the transmission parameters.

[0126] Aspect 25: The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 22 to 24, wherein the at least one shareable time slot and the subsequent shareable time slots comprise consecutive shareable time slots.

[0127] Aspect 26: A method comprising: Based on a first time delay relative to the start time of the first shareable time slot, a first radar signal is transmitted during the first shareable time slot; and The second radar signal is transmitted during the second shareable time slot based on a second time delay relative to the start time of the second shareable time slot. The second time delay is selectively adjusted to be different from or similar to the first time delay.

[0128] Aspect 27: The method according to aspect 26 further includes: During the first shareable time slot, receive the first received signal; and Based on the presence of a potential object indicated by the first received signal, the second time delay is selectively adjusted to be different from the first time delay.

[0129] Aspect 28: According to the method described in aspect 27, wherein: The first received signal includes at least one of the following: The version of the first radar signal reflected by the object; or Another radar signal; and The potential object represents at least one of the following: Based on the first received signal including the first radar signal, the version of the object reflected by the object; or The false detection is based on the first received signal including the other radar signal.

[0130] Aspect 29: The method according to aspect 26 further includes: During the first shareable time slot, receive the first received signal; and The second time delay is selectively adjusted to be equal to the first time delay based on the absence of the potential object indicated by the first received signal.

[0131] Aspect 30: The method according to any one of Aspects 26 to 29, wherein the first shareable time slot and the second shareable time slot include uplink random access channel time slots.

[0132] Unless the context otherwise specifies, the use of the word “or” herein may be interpreted as the use of the term “inclusion” or that allows the inclusion or application of one or more items linked by the word “or” (e.g., the phrase “A or B” could be interpreted as allowing only “A”, only “B”, or both “A” and “B”). As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, “at least one of a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc, and any combination with a plural of the same element (e.g., aa, aaa, aab, aac, abb, acc, bb, bbb, bbc, cc, and ccc, or any other ordering of a, b, and c). Furthermore, items represented in the figures and terms discussed herein may indicate one or more items or terms, and therefore the singular or plural forms of items and terms may be referred to interchangeably in this written description. Finally, although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features or methodological operations, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or operations described above, including not necessarily limited to the organization in which the features are arranged or the order in which operations are performed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: The wireless transceiver is configured as follows: Coupled to at least two antennas; A first radar signal is transmitted using the first antenna of the at least two antennas during a first shareable time slot, the first radar signal having a start time delay relative to the start time of the first shareable time slot. During the first shareable time slot, the second antenna of the at least two antennas is used to receive the first received signal; Detect potential objects based on the first received signal; as well as The first antenna is used to transmit a second radar signal during a second shareable time slot. The second radar signal has a start time delay relative to the start time of the second shareable time slot. The start time of the second time delay is different from the first time delay because it is based on the detection of the potential object.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The first shareable time slot and at least a portion of the second shareable time slot represent the time interval in which proximity detection can be performed by the device and at least one other device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The first shareable time slot and the second shareable time slot include the uplink random access channel time slot.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The first received signal includes a version of the first radar signal reflected by an object; and The potential object represents the object.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The first received signal includes another radar signal transmitted by another device; and The potential object represents a false detection.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The first radar signal, the first received signal, and the second radar signal include frequency-modulated continuous wave radar signals.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The second time delay refers to a time delay randomly selected from a set of multiple time delays.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The wireless transceiver is configured to: During the second shareable time slot, the second antenna is used to receive the second received signal; The absence of the potential object is determined based on the second received signal; as well as A third radar signal is transmitted using the first antenna during a third shareable time slot. The third radar signal has a start time delay relative to the start time of the third shareable time slot, which is approximately equal to the second time delay based on determining the absence of the potential object.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, The wireless transceiver is configured to: During the third shareable time slot, the second antenna is used to receive the third received signal; Detect other potential objects based on the third received signal; as well as A fourth radar signal is transmitted using the first antenna during a fourth shareable time slot. The fourth radar signal has a start time delay of a fourth time delay relative to the start time of the fourth shareable time slot. The fourth time delay is different from the first time delay and the second time delay because it is based on the detection of the other potential object.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The wireless transceiver is configured to receive a second received signal using the second antenna during the second shareable time slot; The first received signal and the second received signal each include radar signals transmitted by another device; The radar signal associated with the first received signal has a beat frequency within the passband of the wireless transceiver's filter based on the first time delay; and The radar signal associated with the second received signal has an additional beat frequency outside the passband of the filter based on the second time delay.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The filter includes a low-pass filter.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The wireless transceiver includes a local oscillator circuit with tuning time; The wireless transceiver is configured to generate the first radar signal and the second radar signal using the local oscillator circuit; and The first time delay and the second time delay are greater than or equal to the tuning time associated with the local oscillator circuit.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The wireless transceiver is configured to: The transmission parameters are adjusted based on the detection of the potential object; and Uplink signals are transmitted using at least one of the at least two antennas and the transmission parameters.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, The transmission parameters include at least one of the following: Power level; Beam steering angle; frequency; Selected antenna; or Communication protocol.

15. A method comprising: A first radar signal is transmitted during a first shareable time slot, the first radar signal having a first time delay defined relative to the start time of the first shareable time slot; During the first shareable time slot, a first received signal is received; The presence of a potential object is determined based on the first received signal; as well as Based on the determination of the existence of the potential object, the second time delay of the second radar signal associated with the subsequent shareable time slot is adjusted so that the second time delay is different from the first time delay.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein: The first received signal includes at least one of the following: The version of the first radar signal reflected by the object; or Another radar signal; and The potential object represents at least one of the following: Based on the first received signal including the first radar signal, the version of the object reflected by the object; or The false detection is based on the first received signal including the other radar signal.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising: A third radar signal is transmitted during a third shareable time slot, the third radar signal having a third time delay; During the third shareable time slot, a third received signal is received; Based on the third received signal, it is determined that the potential object does not exist; as well as Based on the determination that the potential object does not exist, another time delay is set to be associated with another subsequent shareable time slot, such that the other time delay is equal to the third time delay.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein, The first shareable time slot and the subsequent shareable time slots are associated with wireless communication.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein, The first shareable time slot and the subsequent shareable time slots include the uplink random access channel time slot.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein, The adjustment of the second time delay includes selecting the second time delay from a set of multiple time delays.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The selection of the second time delay includes: randomly selecting the second time delay from the set of the plurality of time delays.

22. An apparatus comprising: A unit for transmitting multiple radar signals during multiple shareable time slots, the multiple radar signals having a respective time delay defined relative to the start time of the multiple shareable time slots; A unit for receiving multiple received signals during the plurality of shareable time slots; A unit for determining the presence of a potential object based on a corresponding received signal among the plurality of received signals for at least one of the plurality of shareable time slots; as well as A unit for adjusting the time delay of radar signals associated with subsequent shareable time slots based on the determination of the presence of the potential object for the at least one shareable time slot, such that the time delay is different from the time delay associated with the at least one shareable time slot.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising: A unit for determining, based on a corresponding received signal among the plurality of received signals, that the potential object does not exist, for at least one other shareable time slot among the plurality of shareable time slots; as well as A unit for setting another time delay associated with another subsequent shareable time slot based on the determination that the potential object does not exist for the at least one other shareable time slot, such that the other time delay is similar to the time delay associated with the at least one other shareable time slot.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising: A unit for adjusting transmission parameters based on the determination that the potential object exists; as well as A unit for transmitting uplink signals using the transmission parameters.

25. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein, The at least one shareable time slot and the subsequent shareable time slots comprise consecutive shareable time slots.

26. A method comprising: The first radar signal is transmitted during the first shareable time slot based on a first time delay relative to the start time of the first shareable time slot; as well as The second radar signal is transmitted during the second shareable time slot based on a second time delay relative to the start time of the second shareable time slot. The second time delay is selectively adjusted to be different from or similar to the first time delay.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising: During the first shareable time slot, a first received signal is received; as well as Based on the presence of a potential object indicated by the first received signal, the second time delay is selectively adjusted to be different from the first time delay.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein: The first received signal includes at least one of the following: The version of the first radar signal reflected by the object; or Another radar signal; and The potential object represents at least one of the following: Based on the first received signal including the first radar signal, the version of the object reflected by the object; or The false detection is based on the first received signal including the other radar signal.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising: During the first shareable time slot, a first received signal is received; as well as The second time delay is selectively adjusted to be equal to the first time delay based on the absence of the potential object indicated by the first received signal.

30. The method according to claim 26, wherein, The first shareable time slot and the second shareable time slot include the uplink random access channel time slot.

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