Scanning control method and device for MIMO array radar

Abstract

The invention particularly relates to a scanning control method and device for an MIMO array radar. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring a transmitting antenna scanning configuration parameter corresponding to a target antenna; analyzing the transmitting antenna scanning configuration parameters by utilizing a field programmable logic gate array, and generating a corresponding antenna scanning time sequence mapping table; wherein the antenna scanning time sequence mapping table is used for configuring a working time sequence corresponding to each transmitting antenna; and configuring the scanning sequence of each transmitting antenna according to the antenna scanning time sequence mapping table. According to the method, the working state of each transmitting antenna can be accurately controlled, so that the whole scanning process is orderly carried out, and the method has high flexibility. Moreover, the multi-stage pipeline control of the transmitting antenna can be realized, and the accurate management of the switching of the transmitting antenna can be realized, so that the improvement of the time use efficiency in the TDM mode can be realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of radar technology, and in particular to a scanning control method and device for a MIMO array radar, a storage medium, a computer program product, and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] In related technologies, MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) radar is an innovative application of MIMO technology in the communication field to the radar field.

[0003] When a large-scale MIMO array radar operates in TDM (time-division multiplexing) mode, the transmitting antenna usually follows a pre-arranged time sequence table to transmit signals in sequence. However, this strict time serialization operation brings certain limitations to the radar system. It cannot meet the needs of different large-scale array scanning and cannot flexibly adjust the scanning order of the radar system's transmitting antenna in real time. In addition, in TDM mode, the antenna array in the radar system transmits signals in sequence, and each antenna must wait for its specific transmission time slot according to the established timing. This working mode requires the system to accurately configure each transmitting antenna to set its working mode. At the same time, since the response of the filtering, amplifier and other modules in the analog circuit requires a certain amount of time to reach its stable state, a certain amount of Idle_Time is required before each transmitting antenna starts working. During this Idle_Time, three key preparations need to be completed: first, turn off the "previous" working transmit antenna to ensure that there is only one transmit antenna working for each Chirp_Time (working time); second, turn on the "next" transmit antenna that is about to work; and finally, wait for the response of the filtering, amplifier and other modules in the analog circuit so that they can work stably. This design ensures that the switching and preparation of the transmit antenna have been completed before the arrival of each Chirp_Time. As the Idle_Time increases, the time utilization efficiency of the TDM mode gradually decreases. This results in the radar's ability to detect high-speed moving targets being limited, and Doppler ambiguity is prone to occur, making it impossible to distinguish between approaching and distant high-speed targets.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present invention, and therefore may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to ordinary technicians in the field. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention provides a scanning control method and device for MIMO array radar, a storage medium, a computer program product, and an electronic device, which can improve the flexibility of controlling the scanning sequence of a transmitting antenna, thereby overcoming the defects in the prior art to a certain extent.

[0006] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part by practice of the present invention.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a scanning control method for a MIMO array radar is provided, the method comprising:

[0008] Obtain the transmit antenna scanning configuration parameters corresponding to the target antenna;

[0009] Utilizing a field programmable logic gate array to parse the transmit antenna scanning configuration parameters and generate a corresponding antenna scanning timing mapping table; wherein the antenna scanning timing mapping table is used to configure the corresponding working timing of each transmit antenna;

[0010] The scanning order of each transmitting antenna is configured according to the antenna scanning timing mapping table.

[0011] In some exemplary embodiments, acquiring a transmit antenna scanning configuration parameter corresponding to the target antenna includes:

[0012] The transmitting antenna scanning configuration parameters sent by the host computer are received based on the TCP link.

[0013] In some exemplary embodiments, the transmit antenna scanning configuration parameter is used to describe a scanning order corresponding to each transmit antenna.

[0014] In some exemplary embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0015] When the working state of the transmitting antenna is configured to execute the on mode, the corresponding first control time is t1, and the corresponding first circuit response time is t2;

[0016] When the working state of the transmitting antenna is configured to execute the shutdown mode, the corresponding second control time is t3, and the corresponding second circuit response time is t4;

[0017] Based on the control time and circuit response time of the transmitting antenna, a first control waiting time and a second control waiting time between the transmitting antennas in adjacent order are configured; wherein the first control waiting time is used to configure the transmitting antenna in the current on mode to switch the working state; and the second control waiting time is used to configure the transmitting antenna in the next off mode in the adjacent order corresponding to the transmitting antenna in the current on mode to switch the working state;

[0018] The working timing of each transmitting antenna is configured based on the control time consumption, circuit response time consumption and waiting time consumption of each transmitting antenna.

[0019] In some exemplary embodiments, configuring the scanning order of each transmitting antenna according to the antenna scanning timing mapping table includes:

[0020] Configure the current working state of the i-th transmitting antenna to be an on mode, so that the i-th transmitting antenna transmits a scanning signal;

[0021] When it is judged that i<n, wait timing is executed;

[0022] After the first control waiting time is completed, the working state of the current i-th transmitting antenna is configured to be a shutdown mode; and

[0023] After the second control waiting time is completed, the working state of the (i+1)th transmitting antenna is configured to be in the on mode;

[0024] Repeat the above steps until all n transmitting antennas transmit scanning signals.

[0025] In some exemplary embodiments, at the same time when the i-th transmitting antenna completes the off mode, the (i+1)-th transmitting antenna completes the on mode.

[0026] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a scanning control device for a MIMO array radar, comprising:

[0027] A parameter acquisition module is used to obtain the transmit antenna scanning configuration parameters corresponding to the target antenna;

[0028] A parameter parsing module, used to parse the transmit antenna scanning configuration parameters using a field programmable logic gate array, and generate a corresponding antenna scanning timing mapping table; wherein the antenna scanning timing mapping table is used to configure the corresponding working timing of each transmit antenna;

[0029] The antenna configuration module is used to configure the scanning order of each transmitting antenna according to the antenna scanning timing mapping table.

[0030] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the above-mentioned scanning control method for MIMO array radar.

[0031] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device, comprising:

[0032] Processor; and

[0033] A memory, configured to store executable instructions of the processor;

[0034] Wherein, the processor is configured to implement the above-mentioned scanning control method for MIMO array radar by executing the executable instructions.

[0035] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program product having a computer program stored thereon, which implements the above-mentioned scanning control method for MIMO array radar when the computer program is executed by a processor.

[0036] The scanning control method for MIMO array radar provided by the embodiment of the present invention can receive and parse the customized transmitting antenna scanning configuration parameters sent by the host computer, thereby obtaining the corresponding antenna scanning timing mapping table, and accurately controlling the working state of each transmitting antenna according to the mapping table, thereby ensuring that the entire scanning process is carried out in an orderly manner, with a high degree of flexibility. By configuring the scanning order of the antenna using the transmitting antenna scanning configuration parameters, the radar system can dynamically adjust its scanning strategy according to different large-scale array scanning requirements. By controlling the working state of each transmitting antenna using the antenna scanning timing mapping table, it is possible to achieve multi-level pipeline control of the transmitting antenna, and achieve accurate management of the switching of the transmitting antenna, thereby achieving an improvement in the time utilization efficiency in the TDM mode.

[0037] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The accompanying drawings herein are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present invention, and together with the specification are used to explain the principles of the present invention. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention, and for those of ordinary skill in the art, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without creative work.

[0039] Figure 1 A schematic diagram schematically illustrates a scanning control method for a MIMO array radar according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 A schematic diagram schematically illustrates a timing diagram of a transmitting antenna control according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 A schematic diagram schematically illustrates a method flow of configuring a transmitting antenna in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 4 A schematic diagram schematically illustrates a scanning control device for a MIMO array radar according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5 The figure schematically shows the composition of an electronic device in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present invention will be more comprehensive and complete and fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0045] In addition, the accompanying drawings are only schematic illustrations of the present invention and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar parts, and their repeated description will be omitted. Some of the block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities can be implemented in software form, or implemented in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or implemented in different networks and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0046] In the related technologies, MIMO radar is an innovative application of MIMO technology in the field of radar in the field of communications. It combines MIMO antenna arrays with traditional millimeter-wave radars, and transmits a set of orthogonal waveforms to virtualize a larger array aperture than the phased array system, thereby achieving higher angular resolution in the horizontal and elevation directions, greatly improving the shortcomings of low resolution of traditional millimeter-wave radars. The main ways to achieve orthogonal transmission signals of MIMO radars are time division, frequency division, and code division multiplexing. Among them, frequency division multiplexing has limited frequency band allocation. When the total bandwidth of the system transmission signal is certain, the bandwidth allocated to each transmitting antenna becomes extremely small, so the transmission waveform of each transmitting antenna can only use a narrowband model; each transmission channel of code division multiplexing requires different specific coding, which requires a large amount of calculation. TDM is the easiest to implement, and this radar system has been widely used in the civilian field. Under this radar system, there is no need to modulate or encode the waveform, but only to achieve signal orthogonality in the time dimension, that is, to cut the time slice using time division multiplexing technology. In each time slice, the MIMO radar is divided into single input multiple output (SIMO) radars with different transmissions. The transmitting antennas are scanned and switched at a uniform speed in the specified arrangement order, and only one transmitting antenna transmits millimeter waves at a time. Each receiving antenna is always in the receiving state, and the data of all transmitting and receiving antennas can be obtained by a sequential scan.

[0047] In the TDM mode operation of the massive MIMO array radar, a pseudo-random sequence signal is usually used to provide a unified working sequence for the entire system. This design ensures that the various modules in the radar system can operate synchronously and coordinately. The pseudo-random sequence signal defines the radar working cycle, and divides each cycle into two stages: working time (Chirp_Time) and idle time (Idle_Time). In Chirp_Time, it is used to transmit signals; while in Idle_Time, the radar system switches the transmitting antenna: first turn off the currently working transmitting antenna, and then turn on the next transmitting antenna. Here, "up" and "down" represent the first and last positions of the transmitting antenna of the radar system in TDM mode when scanning in a pre-set order. The transmitting antenna switches at a uniform speed according to this established order, and only one transmitting antenna is working at a time. Each receiving antenna is always in a receiving state. Through a complete sequential scan, the radar system can obtain data from all transmitting and receiving antennas.

[0048] However, in the TDM mode operation of the massive MIMO array radar, the strict time serialization operation brings certain limitations to the radar system. It cannot meet the needs of different large-scale array scanning, and cannot flexibly adjust the scanning order of the radar system's transmitting antenna in real time. In addition, in the TDM mode, the antenna array in the radar system transmits signals in sequence, and each antenna must wait for its specific transmission time slot according to the established timing. This working mode requires the system to accurately configure each transmitting antenna to set its working mode. At the same time, since the response of the filtering, amplifier and other modules in the analog circuit requires a certain amount of time to reach its stable state, a certain amount of Idle_Time is required before each transmitting antenna starts working. During this Idle_Time, three key preparations need to be completed: first, turn off the "previous" working transmitting antenna to ensure that there is only one transmitting antenna working for each Chirp_Time; second, turn on the "next" transmitting antenna to be worked; and finally, wait for the response of the filtering, amplifier and other modules in the analog circuit so that they can work stably. This design ensures that the switching and preparation of the transmitting antenna have been completed before each Chirp_Time arrives. As Idle_Time increases, the time utilization efficiency of TDM gradually decreases, which in turn limits the radar's ability to detect high-speed moving targets, makes Doppler ambiguity a problem, and makes it impossible to distinguish between approaching and distant high-speed targets.

[0049] In view of the shortcomings and deficiencies of the prior art, this example implementation provides a scanning control method for a MIMO array radar.

[0050] Below, each step of the scanning control method for MIMO array radar in this example implementation will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0051] In this example implementation, the scanning control method for the MIMO array radar can be implemented by using an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) as the execution subject; wherein the FPGA can be a logic control device of the radar control system. Figure 1 As shown, the scanning control method for MIMO array radar may specifically include the following steps:

[0052] In step S11, the transmit antenna scanning configuration parameters corresponding to the target antenna are obtained.

[0053] Exemplarily, a TCP link may be pre-established between the FPGA and the host computer, and the established TCP link may be used to receive the transmitting antenna scanning configuration parameters sent by the host computer.

[0054] The transmit antenna scanning configuration parameters may be used to describe the scanning order corresponding to each transmit antenna.

[0055] Specifically, users can pre-configure the scanning order of each transmitting antenna in the MIMO array radar in the TDM mode of the radar system according to the actual needs of the current business scenario, and generate the corresponding transmitting antenna scanning configuration parameters based on the scanning parameters. For example, in the face of drone prevention and control, or vehicle assisted driving and other application scenarios, users can pre-configure the scanning order of each transmitting antenna in the MIMO array radar in the host computer, and generate the corresponding transmitting antenna scanning configuration parameters based on the scanning order; and the transmitting antenna scanning configuration parameters can be sent down to the FPGA of the radar system.

[0056] In step S12, the transmit antenna scanning configuration parameters are parsed using a field programmable logic gate array, and a corresponding antenna scanning timing mapping table is generated; wherein the antenna scanning timing mapping table is used to configure the corresponding working timing of each transmit antenna.

[0057] Exemplarily, after receiving the transmit antenna scanning configuration parameters sent by the host computer, the field programmable gate array FPGA can perform parameter analysis and generate a corresponding antenna scanning timing mapping table. In the antenna scanning timing mapping table, the working timing information of each transmit antenna can be described. At the same time, each transmit antenna can be numbered in sequence, for example, for n transmit antennas, the corresponding numbers of each transmit antenna are: 1, 2, 3, ..., n.

[0058] In this example implementation, the FPGA can pre-configure the time duration of the transmitting antenna in different control processes. Specifically, the method further includes:

[0059] Step S21, when configuring the working state of the transmitting antenna to execute the on mode, the corresponding first control time is t1, and the corresponding first circuit response time is t2;

[0060] Step S22, when configuring the working state of the transmitting antenna to execute the shutdown mode, the corresponding second control time is t3, and the corresponding second circuit response time is t4;

[0061] Step S23, based on the control time and circuit response time of the transmitting antenna, configure the first control waiting time and the second control waiting time between the transmitting antennas in adjacent order; wherein the first control waiting time is used to configure the transmitting antenna in the current on mode to switch the working state; the second control waiting time is used to configure the transmitting antenna in the next off mode in the adjacent order corresponding to the transmitting antenna in the current on mode to switch the working state;

[0062] Step S24, configuring the working timing of each transmitting antenna based on the control time consumption, circuit response time consumption, and waiting time consumption of each transmitting antenna.

[0063] Specifically, it takes a certain amount of time for FPGA to configure the working state of the transmitting antenna to be "on mode" or "off mode", and the time is a fixed value.

[0064] Specifically, the time taken for the transmitting antenna to execute the "on mode" may be configured as t1 as the first control time; and the time taken for the transmitting antenna to execute the "off mode" may be configured as t3 as the second control time.

[0065] In addition, affected by circuit design and devices, the response of modules such as filtering and amplifiers in the analog circuit requires a certain amount of time, and the time is a fixed value. Based on device characteristics, the time it takes for the transmitting antenna to respond to the "on mode" control can be configured to be t2, which is the first circuit response time; the time it takes for the transmitting antenna to respond to the "off mode" control can be configured to be t4, which is the second circuit response time.

[0066] At the beginning of each working time (Chirp_Time) of the transmitting antenna, two timing tasks are started respectively, and the corresponding timing waiting time is t6 and t5, which serve as the first control waiting time and the second control waiting time. Among them, after waiting for t6 time, the working mode of the "previous" transmitting antenna is configured to be "off", that is, the working state control of the transmitting antenna currently in the on mode is switched to the off mode. After waiting for t5 time, the working mode of the "next" transmitting antenna is configured to be "on", that is, the working mode of the next transmitting antenna in the adjacent sequence is controlled to be switched from the off mode to the on mode.

[0067] Exemplarily, for a transmitting antenna, the duration of each working time (Chirp_Time) may be configured to be t7, and the working time of each transmitting antenna is t7 (fixed value).

[0068] Among them, each of the above-mentioned time durations can be a fixed value.

[0069] refer to Figure 2 As shown, based on the control time, response time, waiting time, and working time of the transmitting antenna configuration, the working timing of multiple transmitting antennas can be configured.

[0070] By configuring the above-mentioned fixed time-consuming periods, a multi-level configuration control strategy is implemented: the configuration time on the same-level pipeline does not overlap, and the configuration time on different-level pipelines can overlap. This multi-level pipeline is executed in parallel in time, eliminating the delay and time waste caused by configuring the operating mode of the transmitting antenna and the response of the filtering, amplifier and other modules in the analog circuit.

[0071] In step S13, the scanning order of each transmitting antenna is configured according to the antenna scanning timing mapping table.

[0072] Exemplarily, an antenna configuration module may be provided to confirm the configuration order of each transmitting antenna in the radar system according to the antenna scanning timing mapping table, and perform operating timing control of each transmitting antenna in an on mode or an off mode in turn.

[0073] Exemplarily, configuring the scanning order of each transmitting antenna according to the antenna scanning timing mapping table includes:

[0074] Step S31, configuring the current working state of the i-th transmitting antenna to be an on mode, so that the i-th transmitting antenna transmits a scanning signal;

[0075] Step S32, when it is determined that i<n, wait timing is executed;

[0076] Step S33, after the first control waiting time is completed, configure the current working state of the i-th transmitting antenna to be a shutdown mode; and

[0077] Step S34, after the second control waiting time is completed, the working state of the (i+1)th transmitting antenna is configured to be an on mode;

[0078] Step S35, repeat the above steps until all n transmitting antennas transmit scanning signals.

[0079] Exemplarily, at the same time when the i-th transmitting antenna completes the off mode, the (i+1)-th transmitting antenna completes the on mode.

[0080] For example, a radar system includes n transmitting antennas, where n is a positive integer. The radar system starts to work in TDM mode and controls the working timing of each transmitting antenna based on the antenna scanning timing mapping table. Figure 3 As shown, the timing control of the transmitting antenna may specifically include:

[0081] Step 1), configure the working state of the first transmitting antenna to be the on mode, and the corresponding time duration is t1.

[0082] After a time period of t1, the first transmitting antenna responds to the control of the current start-up mode. After a time period of t2, the first transmitting antenna is turned on and starts working, emitting a radar scanning signal.

[0083] Step 2), after the i-th transmitting antenna is turned on and starts working, it can be determined whether i<n currently holds.

[0084] Step 3), if it is determined that i<n is established at present, two timing tasks are started respectively, and the timing waiting time is t6 and t5 respectively.

[0085] Step 3a), after waiting for a period of t6, configure the working state of the current i-th transmitting antenna to switch to the off mode, and the control operation takes t3; after t3, the i-th transmitting antenna responds to the off mode, and the response takes t4.

[0086] Step 3b), after waiting for a period of t5, configure the working state of the i+1th transmitting antenna to the on mode, and the control takes time t1; after a period of t1, the i+1th transmitting antenna responds to the on mode, and the response takes time t2.

[0087] Among them, in step 3a), after the i-th transmitting antenna takes time t4, it completes the shutdown mode and ends the work; at the same moment, in step 3b), after the i+1-th transmitting antenna takes time t2 to complete the response, the i+1-th transmitting antenna is turned on and starts working, and transmits a scanning signal; that is, at the same moment when the i-th transmitting antenna ends its work, the i+1-th transmitting antenna starts working.

[0088] Step 4), let \(i = i + 1\), and determine whether \(i < n\) holds; if the determination result is yes, repeat Steps 3) and 4) above.

[0089] Alternatively, if the determination result is no, then the current is the \(n\)th transmitting antenna, configure the operating state of the current \(n\)th transmitting antenna to the off mode, and control the time-consuming duration to be \(t3\). After the \(t3\) duration, the current \(n\)th transmitting antenna responds to the off mode, and the response time-consuming duration is \(t4\); after the \(t4\) duration, the \(n\)th transmitting antenna is turned off and the operation ends; the scanning of all the transmitting antennas in the TDM mode is completed.

[0090] For the time utilization rate of the transmitting antenna, the calculation formula can include:

[0091]

[0092] Based on the timing control of the transmitting antenna by this method, the idle time is reduced. Based on the above time utilization rate formula, it can be seen that the Idle_Time in this method can be shortened to zero, so that the time use efficiency in the TDM mode can theoretically reach 100%. Each transmitting antenna can work continuously and alternately, and each receiving antenna is always in the receiving state. All the data of the transmitting and receiving antennas can be obtained by one sequential scan. Such a design not only realizes the precise control of the system timing, but also improves the efficiency of configuring all the transmitting antennas of the system, and significantly improves the acquisition speed of the radar system.

[0093] The method provided by the embodiment of the present invention provides the radar system with a flexible switching capability of the scanning sequence of the transmitting antenna in the TDM mode. Thanks to this design, the radar system can dynamically adjust its scanning strategy according to different large-scale array scanning requirements. Specifically, the host computer sends customized transmitting antenna scanning sequence parameters through the TCP link according to the specific needs of the radar system, and the FPGA receives and parses these parameters to generate a transmitting antenna scanning timing mapping table, and accurately controls the "on" and "off" of each transmitting antenna according to the mapping table, ensuring that the entire scanning process is carried out in an orderly manner, with high flexibility. In addition, this scheme achieves excellent time utilization efficiency in the TDM mode, which can theoretically reach 100%. The FPGA of the radar system accurately manages the switching of the transmitting antenna through a multi-stage pipeline parallel control strategy. By configuring the transmitting antenna working mode and the delay lag caused by the response of the filtering, amplifier and other modules in the analog circuit, the FPGA converts these gaps that may originally cause time waste into an efficient control process. In this way, the Idle_Time can be reduced to zero in theory, so that the time utilization efficiency in the TDM mode reaches 100%. There is almost no time loss during the operation of the radar system, which significantly improves the acquisition speed of the radar system. In this solution, since the antenna array is not equipped with an independent main control unit, the operating mode and real-time status of the radar chip are completely dependent on the specific numerical settings of its internal registers. These settings are configured by an external FPGA through a series of specific communication protocols to achieve precise control of the radar chip functions. This design allows the FPGA to flexibly adjust the operating parameters of the radar chip to adapt to different detection tasks and environmental conditions. At present, some radar chips on the market have integrated independent main controllers. These chips with integrated main control functions no longer rely on external FPGA control and can achieve autonomous control. For this type of radar chip with autonomous control capabilities, the purpose of the invention can also be achieved.

[0094] 4D imaging millimeter wave radars usually use large-scale MIMO technology and TDM mode to improve spatial resolution and target detection capabilities through multiple transmission and receiving channels. In TDM mode, the radar has a long pulse repetition period, which limits the detection capability of high-speed moving targets and may cause Doppler ambiguity. Since the Doppler frequency shift of the target may overlap, the radar cannot distinguish between approaching and distant high-speed targets. The present invention can be applied to 4D imaging millimeter wave radar systems to reduce the impact of pulse repetition period on Doppler ambiguity and improve the radar system's detection capability for high-speed moving targets. With the development of autonomous driving technology, the requirements for vehicle-mounted sensors are also getting higher and higher. Although traditional millimeter wave radars can provide distance and speed information, they have limited ability to accurately identify and locate targets in complex scenarios, such as urban traffic environments. Therefore, 4D imaging millimeter wave radars have emerged as the times require, which can provide richer environmental perception information. 4D imaging millimeter wave radars can accurately measure the three-dimensional spatial position and speed of targets through high-resolution antenna arrays and advanced signal processing technology. The present invention is applicable to 4D imaging millimeter wave radars and has broad market prospects.

[0095] In addition, the MIMO-SAR millimeter wave human body security imaging system is a radar system that combines millimeter waves, MIMO arrays, TDM modes and SAR imaging technology. Utilizing the characteristics of the millimeter wave band, the radar system can penetrate materials of a certain thickness, effectively detect dangerous items hidden in clothing or packages, and is used for close-range human body safety detection imaging. The target scene is observed in multiple dimensions through transceiver array elements at different positions, and high-resolution reconstruction of the target scene is achieved using SAR imaging technology. For the MIMO-SAR millimeter wave human body security imaging system, data acquisition speed, imaging speed and imaging quality are key performance indicators. Among them, the data acquisition speed is more important than the imaging speed because it is directly related to whether the error caused by the tiny motion of the target can be effectively reduced, thereby reducing the complexity of the algorithm for motion compensation. Therefore, the present invention can currently be used in the MIMO-SAR millimeter wave human body security imaging system to improve the acquisition speed of the system and reduce the error caused by the tiny motion of the target.

[0096] With the development of autonomous driving technology, the requirements for vehicle-mounted sensors are getting higher and higher. Although traditional millimeter-wave radars can provide distance and speed information, their ability to accurately identify and locate targets in complex scenarios, such as urban traffic environments, is limited. Therefore, 4D imaging millimeter-wave radars have emerged to provide richer environmental perception information. 4D imaging millimeter-wave radars can accurately measure the three-dimensional spatial position and speed of targets through high-resolution antenna arrays and advanced signal processing technology. The present invention is applicable to 4D imaging millimeter-wave radars and has broad market prospects.

[0097] It should be noted that the above figures are only schematic illustrations of the processes included in the method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and are not intended to be limiting. It is easy to understand that the processes shown in the above figures do not indicate or limit the time sequence of these processes. In addition, it is also easy to understand that these processes can be performed synchronously or asynchronously, for example, in multiple modules.

[0098] For further reference, Figure 4 As shown, in the embodiment of this example, a scanning control device 40 for a MIMO array radar is also provided, comprising:

[0099] The parameter acquisition module 401 is used to obtain the transmit antenna scanning configuration parameters corresponding to the target antenna;

[0100] A parameter parsing module 402 is used to parse the transmit antenna scanning configuration parameters using a field programmable logic gate array and generate a corresponding antenna scanning timing mapping table; wherein the antenna scanning timing mapping table is used to configure the working timing corresponding to each transmit antenna;

[0101] The antenna configuration module 403 is used to configure the scanning sequence of each transmitting antenna according to the antenna scanning timing mapping table.

[0102] It should be noted that, although several modules or units of the equipment for action execution are mentioned in the above detailed description, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. On the contrary, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided into being embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0103] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an electronic device suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0104] It should be noted that Figure 5 The electronic device 1000 shown is only an example and should not bring any limitation to the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0105] like Figure 5As shown, the electronic device 1000 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 1001, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to the program stored in the read-only memory (ROM) 1002 or the program loaded from the storage part 1008 to the random access memory (RAM) 1003. In the RAM 1003, various programs and data required for system operation are also stored. The CPU 1001, ROM 1002 and RAM 1003 are connected to each other through a bus 1004. An input / output (I / O) interface 1005 is also connected to the bus 1004.

[0106] The following components are connected to the I / O interface 1005: an input section 1006 including a keyboard, a mouse, etc.; an output section 1007 including a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), etc., and a speaker, etc.; a storage section 1008 including a hard disk, etc.; and a communication section 1009 including a network interface card such as a LAN (Local Area Network) card, a modem, etc. The communication section 1009 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet. A drive 1010 is also connected to the I / O interface 1005 as needed. A removable medium 1011, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, etc., is installed on the drive 1010 as needed, so that a computer program read therefrom is installed into the storage section 1008 as needed.

[0107] In particular, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the process described below with reference to the flowchart can be implemented as a computer software program. For example, an embodiment of the present invention includes a computer program product, which includes a computer program carried on a storage medium, and the computer program includes a program code for executing the method shown in the flowchart. In such an embodiment, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network through a communication part 1009, and / or installed from a removable medium 1011. When the computer program is executed by a central processing unit (CPU) 1001, various functions defined in the system of the present application are executed.

[0108] Specifically, the electronic device may be a smart mobile electronic device such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer or a laptop computer, or may be a smart electronic device such as a desktop computer, or a smart wearable device.

[0109] It should be noted that the storage medium shown in the embodiment of the present invention may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium or any combination of the above two. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device or device, or any combination of the above. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a flash memory, an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program, which may be used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, device or device. In the present invention, a computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagated in a baseband or as part of a carrier wave, which carries a computer-readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. Computer-readable signal media may also be any storage medium other than computer-readable storage media, which may send, propagate, or transmit programs for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The program code contained on the storage medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to: wireless, wired, etc., or any suitable combination of the above.

[0110] The flow chart and block diagram in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architecture, function and operation of the system, method and computer program product according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each box in the flow chart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment, or a part of a code, and the above-mentioned module, program segment, or a part of a code contains one or more executable instructions for realizing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the box can also occur in a different order from the order marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two boxes represented in succession can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each box in the block diagram or flow chart, and the combination of the boxes in the block diagram or flow chart can be implemented with a dedicated hardware-based system that performs a specified function or operation, or can be implemented with a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0111] The units involved in the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by software or hardware, and the units described may also be arranged in a processor. The names of these units do not, in some cases, limit the units themselves.

[0112] It should be noted that, as another aspect, the present application also provides a storage medium, which can be included in an electronic device; or it can exist independently without being installed in the electronic device. The above storage medium carries one or more programs, and when the above one or more programs are executed by an electronic device, the electronic device implements the method described in the following embodiments. For example, the electronic device can implement the following Figure 1 The individual steps of the method are shown.

[0113] In one embodiment, the present application provides a computer program product, including a computer program, which implements the steps in the above-mentioned method embodiments when executed by a processor.

[0114] In addition, the above-mentioned figures are only schematic illustrations of the processes included in the method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and are not intended to be limiting. It is easy to understand that the processes shown in the above-mentioned figures do not indicate or limit the time sequence of these processes. In addition, it is also easy to understand that these processes can be performed synchronously or asynchronously, for example, in multiple modules.

[0115] Other embodiments of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and practicing the invention herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention that follow the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed by the present invention. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are indicated by the claims.

[0116] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exact construction that has been described above and shown in the drawings and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A scanning control method for MIMO array radar, characterized in that: The method comprises: Obtain the transmit antenna scanning configuration parameters corresponding to the target antenna; Utilizing a field programmable logic gate array to parse the transmit antenna scanning configuration parameters and generate a corresponding antenna scanning timing mapping table; wherein the antenna scanning timing mapping table is used to configure the corresponding working timing of each transmit antenna; The scanning order of each transmitting antenna is configured according to the antenna scanning timing mapping table.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The obtaining of the transmit antenna scanning configuration parameters corresponding to the target antenna includes: The transmitting antenna scanning configuration parameters sent by the host computer are received based on the TCP link.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The transmit antenna scanning configuration parameters are used to describe the scanning order corresponding to each transmit antenna.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When the working state of the transmitting antenna is configured to execute the on mode, the corresponding first control time is t1, and the corresponding first circuit response time is t2; When the working state of the transmitting antenna is configured to execute the shutdown mode, the corresponding second control time is t3, and the corresponding second circuit response time is t4; Based on the control time and circuit response time of the transmitting antenna, a first control waiting time and a second control waiting time between the transmitting antennas in adjacent order are configured; wherein the first control waiting time is used to configure the transmitting antenna in the current on mode to switch the working state; and the second control waiting time is used to configure the transmitting antenna in the next off mode in the adjacent order corresponding to the transmitting antenna in the current on mode to switch the working state; The working timing of each transmitting antenna is configured based on the control time consumption, circuit response time consumption and waiting time consumption of each transmitting antenna.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The configuring the scanning order of each transmitting antenna according to the antenna scanning timing mapping table includes: Configure the current working state of the i-th transmitting antenna to be an on mode, so that the i-th transmitting antenna transmits a scanning signal; When it is judged that i<n, wait timing is executed; After the first control waiting time is completed, the working state of the current i-th transmitting antenna is configured to be a shutdown mode; and After the second control waiting time is completed, the working state of the (i+1)th transmitting antenna is configured to be in the on mode; Repeat the above steps until all n transmitting antennas transmit scanning signals.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that At the same time when the i-th transmitting antenna completes the off mode, the (i+1)-th transmitting antenna completes the on mode.

7. A scanning control device for a MIMO array radar, characterized in that: The device comprises: A parameter acquisition module is used to obtain the transmit antenna scanning configuration parameters corresponding to the target antenna; A parameter parsing module, used to parse the transmit antenna scanning configuration parameters using a field programmable logic gate array, and generate a corresponding antenna scanning timing mapping table; wherein the antenna scanning timing mapping table is used to configure the corresponding working timing of each transmit antenna; The antenna configuration module is used to configure the scanning order of each transmitting antenna according to the antenna scanning timing mapping table.

8. A storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the scanning control method for a MIMO array radar according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is implemented.

9. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that When the computer program is executed by a processor, the scanning control method for a MIMO array radar according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is implemented.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: processor; as well as A memory, configured to store executable instructions of the processor; The processor is configured to execute the scanning control method for MIMO array radar according to any one of claims 1 to 6 by executing the executable instructions.

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