Ordered short-range vehicle radar

Abstract

This invention provides a sequenced short-range vehicle radar. [Solution] Embodiments described herein relate to a technique for scheduling the activation of a dual-frequency radar transceiver. The device acquires a first received radar signal using a plurality of first radar transceivers. The device generates first radar data based on the first received radar signal to detect at least one radar target in a first detection area and a second detection area. The device acquires a second received radar signal using a second radar transceiver. The device generates second radar data based on the second received radar signal to detect at least one radar target in a third detection area. In response to generating the first and second radar data, the device processes the first and second radar data simultaneously to obtain radar target information associated with the radar target.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to automotive radar systems, and more particularly to a system and method for sequential sensing that utilizes a combination of 60 gigahertz (GHz) and 77 GHz radar transceivers to improve distance measurement and simultaneous transceiver operation.

[0002] Background Art Ultrasonic sensors are widely applied in automotive systems, especially for parking assistance. Although ultrasonic sensors are effective for specific applications, they have significant limitations when used as corner sensors in automobiles. Ultrasonic sensors typically have a limited field of view (FoV) due to their narrow beam width (e.g., 30°). Another drawback is that ultrasonic sensors are susceptible to non-detection regions or blind spots. Due to the nature of ultrasonic propagation, it is difficult for ultrasonic sensors to detect objects located approximately 15 - 20 cm from the ultrasonic sensor within the limited FoV. This limitation can significantly impair the ability of ultrasonic sensors to provide early warnings against potential hazards such as parked vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, or walls very close to the corners of the vehicle.

[0003] Furthermore, since the effectiveness of ultrasonic sensors requires a line of sight (LOS), ultrasonic sensors need to be placed on the bumpers of vehicles. Ultrasonic sensors placed on the bumpers of vehicles may affect the aesthetics of the vehicle. Additionally, it is often difficult to achieve a perfect color match between the ultrasonic sensors and the vehicle's paint, resulting in an unsightly appearance. These aesthetic concerns can potentially reduce the overall customer satisfaction with the vehicle.

[0004] This disclosure is illustrated, not limitedly, by way of example in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0005] [Figure 1A]This is a block diagram of an example of an automotive radar system utilizing automotive radar sensors of various frequencies, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] A device block according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] This disclosure presents implementation scenarios for embodiments of automotive radar systems that utilize automotive radar sensors of various frequencies, according to several embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 2B] This disclosure presents implementation scenarios for embodiments of automotive radar systems that utilize automotive radar sensors of various frequencies, according to several embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 3] This disclosure presents implementation scenarios for embodiments of automotive radar systems that utilize automotive radar sensors of various frequencies, according to several embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 4] This disclosure presents implementation scenarios for embodiments of automotive radar systems that utilize automotive radar sensors of various frequencies, according to several embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram of an embodiment of a microcontroller unit (MCU) system architecture according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram of an implementation configuration of an automotive radar sensor circuit combining 58-62 GHz and 76-81 GHz, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of an implementation scenario for an embodiment of a 60GHz radar sensor system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] This disclosure presents an example of a time-division multiplexing (TDM) based radar scanning method using an embodiment of a 60 GHz radar sensor system, according to several embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 9] This is a block diagram of a computing system for a 60 GHz radar sensor according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10]This disclosure presents some examples of system architectures for streaming raw radar data over Controller Area Network Flexible Data Rate (CAN-FD) central computation, according to several embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 11] This disclosure presents an example of a system architecture for streaming raw radar data via CAN-FD central computation, according to several embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 12] This is a block diagram of a parking control module that receives raw radar data via CAN-FD, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] This is a block diagram of a computing system for a 60 GHz radar sensor according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] This disclosure presents an example of a parking control module that receives raw radar data via SERDES, according to several embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 15] This is a block diagram of a computing system for a 60 GHz radar sensor as an edge computing node sensor that transmits radar target data to a parking control module via CAN-FD, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] This block diagram shows an exemplary data processing method for object detection using 60 GHz and 77 GHz radar sensors, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 17] This block diagram shows an exemplary data processing method for object detection using a 60 GHz radar sensor, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 18] This is a block diagram of a device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 19] This is a block diagram of a device deployed in an automobile, configured to receive radar signals, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0006] Modes for carrying out the invention The following description includes numerous specific details for illustrative purposes to provide a complete understanding of this embodiment. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this embodiment can be carried out without these specific details. In other examples, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques are not shown in detail, but rather in block diagrams to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the understanding of this description.

[0007] References to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” in the description mean that certain features, structures, or characteristics described in relation to that embodiment are included in at least one embodiment. The phrase “in one embodiment” found in various parts of this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0008] Short-range sensing is primarily used for parking assistance and low-speed maneuvering. Short-range sensing typically employs an ultrasonic sensing system consisting of six ultrasonic sensors as forward sensors and six ultrasonic sensors as rear sensors. These ultrasonic sensors are often integrated into the vehicle's bumper or grille and accurately measure the distance to nearby objects. These ultrasonic sensors in the employed ultrasonic sensing system receive ultrasonic signals and generate data for processing. The generated data is formatted and transmitted to a parking control module via a daisy-chain connection. The parking control module includes a microcontroller unit (MCU) that processes the data to acquire distance information within the ultrasonic sensors' field of view (FoV).

[0009] Aspects of this disclosure address the above and other drawbacks by replacing the ultrasonic sensor with multiple radar transceivers operating in different frequency bands and routing the digitized intermediate frequency (IF) radar signals to a single MCU for simultaneous processing of the radar signals. Embodiments described herein cover techniques that utilize time-division multiplexing (TDM) to minimize interference between radar transceivers operating in the same frequency band.

[0010] In some examples, embodiments of the present disclosure use an automotive radar sensor module that includes an integrated MCU dedicated to radar signal processing. The automotive radar sensor module includes a 60 (gigahertz) GHz radar sensor and a 77 GHz radar sensor having TDM-based radar sequencing for acquiring received radar signals. The received radar signals are processed using a dedicated radar signal processing unit (SPU) contained within a single MCU. Signal processing for the received 60 GHz and 77 GHz radar signals can be processed simultaneously using a single MCU. Integrating a single MCU into the automotive radar sensor module can reduce costs and simplify the system architecture. By having separate transceivers for the 60 GHz and 77 GHz radar sensors, both signals can be transmitted simultaneously from the 60 GHz and 77 GHz radar transceivers without causing harmful interference to either.

[0011] Automotive radar sensor modules equipped with an integrated MCU dedicated to radar signal processing can improve the reliability of radar functions in adverse weather conditions. Improved radio frequency (RF) performance is a prerequisite for the successful deployment of reliable driver assistance and autonomous driving functions at all levels up to SAE Level 4.

[0012] In some embodiments, the automotive radar sensor module may include a radar transceiver for transmitting and receiving radar signals. The automotive radar sensor module includes an MCU that performs radar processing on the received radar signals to generate radar data. The radar data is distributed to modules within the vehicle using a data bus and a protocol such as Controller Area Network Flexible Data Rate (CAN-FD) or Ethernet®.

[0013] In one embodiment, an apparatus is disclosed that includes a device that repeatedly performs the following steps until each 60 GHz radar sensor is activated. The device may perform 60 GHz radar sensing operations. The device may activate a first group of 60 GHz radar sensors to transmit and receive 60 GHz radar signals to detect radar targets within a first group of 60 GHz detection regions. Then, the device may activate a second group of 60 GHz radar sensors, transmit and receive 60 GHz radar signals, and detect radar targets within a second group of 60 GHz detection regions. The activation of the first and second groups of 60 GHz radar sensors may be repeated. The device may simultaneously process 60 GHz radar data associated with the first and second groups of 60 GHz radar sensors. The terms "sensor and transceiver" are used interchangeably herein.

[0014] In one embodiment, the device may simultaneously perform 60 GHz and 77 GHz radar sensing operations. As described above, the device may activate a first group of 60 GHz radar sensors, transmit and receive 60 GHz radar signals, and detect radar targets within a first group of 60 GHz detection regions. Then, the device may activate a second group of 60 GHz radar sensors, transmit and receive 60 GHz radar signals, and detect radar targets within a second group of 60 GHz detection regions. While the first and second groups of 60 GHz radar sensors are operating, the device may activate a 77 GHz radar sensor, transmit and receive 77 GHz radar signals, and detect radar targets within a 77 GHz detection region. The device may repeat the 60 GHz and 77 GHz radar sensing operations. The device may simultaneously process 60 GHz radar data associated with the 60 GHz radar sensors and 77 GHz radar data associated with the 77 GHz radar sensors.

[0015] Figure 1A is an example of scenario 100 in which a vehicle utilizes a device including automotive radar sensors of various frequencies during a parallel parking procedure. As shown in Figure 1A, scenario 100 shows a moving vehicle 101 and an object 112 (e.g., a parked vehicle). Vehicle 101 may include device 102. For example, vehicle 101 assisted by device 102 is navigating a narrow parking space without contacting object 112 (the parked vehicle) during the parallel parking procedure. As will be described below with reference to Figure 6, device 102 includes an automotive radar transceiver. Device 102 also includes an MCU (shown as MCU 500 in Figure 5) that controls the operation of device 102. As described in connection with Figure 6, the MCU performs various radar signal processing operations on the data generated by device 102. As will be described later in Figure 2A, device 102 may be integrated onto the surface of the vehicle's bumper or attached behind it.

[0016] During operation, device 102 transmits RF signal 106 into the environment via an antenna. The environment may be the sensing area where object 112 is located. The environment may also be any area adjacent to the vehicle's bumper within the field of view of device 102.

[0017] The transmitted RF signal 106 may be reflected by an object 112 (e.g., a parked vehicle) existing in the environment in the direction of RF signal 106. Object 112 may be stationary or moving. Although object 112 is shown as a parked vehicle, object 112 may also include, for example, a person, an animal, a building, some furniture, a plant, or a wall.

[0018] The received RF signal 108 may be attenuated due to various phenomena (e.g., propagation, diffraction, scattering, multipath fading, etc.). Object 112 may change the characteristics (e.g., amplitude, phase shift) of signal 108. Object 112 may also affect signal 108 to reflect, diffract, or scatter it, causing the signal to propagate along multiple propagation paths.

[0019] The received RF signal 108, reflected by object 112, may be received by device 102. Device 102 may downconvert the received RF signal to generate a baseband signal. The baseband signal may be processed (filtered, decoded, digitized, etc.) by a receiving chain within device 102 (shown as receiving chain 118B in Figure 1B). For example, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) included in the MCU of device 102 downconverts the received RF signal 108 into a digital signal. The MCU processes the digital signal of the received RF signal 108 to determine the presence of object 112 (e.g., a vehicle) in the area. This processing results in various data that may indicate the presence of object 112 in the area, such data may be used by a parking control module to help the driver safely navigate a narrow parking space or other environmental features around the vehicle 101.

[0020] In some embodiments, device 102 may operate as a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar sensor having multiple transmit and receive channels. However, other types of radar circuits may be used to realize device 102, such as continuous-wave radar circuits, fixed-beam radar circuits, pulse radar circuits, wave Monte Carlo prediction (MCFW) radar circuits, and nonlinear frequency-modulated (NLFM) radar circuits.

[0021] In some embodiments, the presence, position, and / or movement of object 112 in the environment can be determined by performing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on the baseband radar signal generated by the FMCW radar sensor. The movement of the object can be determined by performing a further FFT to determine the velocity of the object, for example, using Doppler analysis techniques. In embodiments in which device 102 includes a receiving antenna array, it is also possible to use a further FFT to determine the orientation of object 112 relative to device 102.

[0022] Figure 1B is a block diagram showing a device 102 that may be a communication circuit including a transceiver operating using a communication protocol. Device 102 may represent a device 102 as described in Figure 1A. In the example of Figure 1B, device 102 may include a radar transceiver 115. In addition, device 102 may be implemented on a single die, or using multiple dies in a single package or multiple packages. Device 102 may also be implemented on a module. The radar transceiver 115 may comprise a transmit chain 118A and a receive chain 118B, both of which may include signal processing components such as a low-noise amplifier (LNA), a mixer, a variable-gain amplifier (VGA), and a low-pass filter (LPF, not shown). The radar transceiver 115 may further comprise a Tx / Rx switch 118C for switching between the transmitter (Tx) chain 118A and the receiver (Rx) chain 118B. More specifically, the Tx / Rx switch 118C may selectively couple port 131 to the Tx chain 118A to enable transmission of a signal via antenna 119, or couple port 131 to the Rx chain 118B to enable reception of a signal via antenna 119. A transmission line 120 may be coupled to port 131 and antenna 119. The transmission line 120 may be any suitable type of medium, such as wire, cable, waveguide, or microstrip transmission line. The Rx chain 118B may also be coupled to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 117A, which may be used to digitize the received signal and output the digitized signal to a digital demodulator (also called a digital detector), which may extract any information content from the received digitized signal (for example, by extracting an information transmission signal from the carrier wave). A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 117B may be used to convert the digitized signal and output an analog signal for the Tx chain 118A.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1B, device 102 further includes a processing device 105 and a memory 109. Memory 109 may include a radar sensing module 107 containing instructions that can be executed by the processing device 105 to implement the TDM-based radar sensing techniques described herein. While shown as an example as a software module stored in memory 109 and accessed / executed by the processing device 105, the functionality of the radar sensing module 107 can also be implemented using dedicated hardware (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)). The radar sensing module 107 may include a radar activation module 107A, a signal processing module 107B, and a machine learning module 107C. The functionality of the radar sensing module 107 (i.e., the method shown in Figures 2A to 17) may be distributed among the radar activation module 107A, the signal processing module 107B, and the machine learning module 107C, as will be described in more detail herein.

[0024] In some embodiments, the radar sensor system 200 in Figure 2A may use a startup module 107A to control the startup of radar sensors according to TDM technology. The startup module 107A can control which radar sensors are started in a predefined time slot. The startup module 107A can also control the startup sequence of multiple radar sensors. In some embodiments, a signal processing module 107B may be used by the radar sensor system 200 to process 60 GHz radar data and 77 GHz radar data simultaneously, as will be described in detail below. A machine learning module 107C may be used to perform neural network processing in relation to radar processing for object detection as described herein.

[0025] Figure 2A shows implementation scenarios of embodiments of an automotive radar system 200 utilizing automotive radar sensors of various frequencies, according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 2A, the automotive radar system 200 in vehicle 201 includes a 60GHz radar sensor 202A, a 77GHz radar sensor 202B, an MCU (not shown), a vehicle Ethernet bus 216, and a zone control module 218. Note that radar frequencies other than 60GHz and 77GHz may be used. The MCU may be included within the 60GHz radar sensor 202A and the 77GHz radar sensor 202B. In some embodiments, for aesthetic purposes, the 60GHz radar sensor may be located behind the vehicle bumper. This overcomes the challenge of achieving a perfect color match between the sensor and the vehicle's paint, resulting in improved customer satisfaction with the vehicle's aesthetics. Note that in other embodiments, other locations on the vehicle's bumper may be possible for the radar sensor.

[0026] The 60GHz radar sensor 202A receives 60GHz radar signals, and the 77GHz radar sensor 202B receives 77GHz radar signals. The 60GHz radar sensor 202A may be used for very short-range applications, and the 77GHz radar sensor 202B may be used for long-range 4D applications. In some embodiments, the 60GHz radar sensor 202A can be combined with the 77GHz radar sensor 202B as a corner radar sensor module. Unlike ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors have a longer range and a wider FoV. For example, a radar sensor may have a range of up to 10 meters and an FoV of up to 120°.

[0027] As described above, the MCU processes the digital signal of the received RF signal to determine the presence of an object within the sensing area. The vehicle Ethernet bus 216 is an Ethernet-based communication network that enables the transmission of data between different electronic modules within the vehicle. The vehicle Ethernet bus 216 can provide support for large-volume data transfers between in-vehicle electronic modules. In some embodiments, the vehicle Ethernet bus 216 may be 1000Base-T1 Ethernet. In some embodiments, the vehicle Ethernet bus 216 transmits data from the 60GHz radar sensor to an in-vehicle electronic module such as the zone control module 218. The zone control module 218 controls the operation of the 60GHz radar sensor and the 77GHz radar sensor. Note that other data buses and communication protocols, such as CAN, may be used.

[0028] Referring further to Figure 2A, the 60GHz radar transceiver can generate eight beams 220A, 222A, 220B, 222B, 220C, 222C, 220D, and 222D. Beams 220A and 220B can form odd beam pairs. Similarly, beams 220C and 220D can form odd beam pairs. Beams 222A and 222B can form even beam pairs. Similarly, beams 222C and 222D can form even beam pairs.

[0029] Four 60GHz radar sensors located in front of vehicle 101 and four 60GHz radar sensors located behind vehicle 101 can provide multiple coverages in front of and behind the vehicle. Overlapping beams of the 60GHz radar sensors provide redundant coverage. For example, the overlap of beam 220A and beam 220B provides redundant coverage 224.

[0030] In some embodiments, the overlap of beams from two of a plurality of first radar transceivers falls below a predefined threshold to minimize signal interference. For example, the overlap of beams 220A and 220B falls below a predefined threshold to minimize signal interference.

[0031] Figure 2B shows implementation scenarios of embodiments of an automotive radar system 200 utilizing automotive radar sensors of various frequencies, according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 2B, as shown, the 60 GHz radar sensor 202A and the 77 GHz radar sensor 202B can be positioned at the front right corner of the vehicle 201. The automotive radar system can be installed at all four corners of the vehicle 201.

[0032] As shown in the figure, the automotive radar system located in the front right corner of the vehicle may include a main radar module 230 and a satellite radar module 232. The main radar module 230 may include a combination of a 60 GHz radar sensor and a 77 GHz radar sensor. The satellite radar module 232 may include a 60 GHz radar sensor. The main radar module 230 can connect to and communicate with the satellite radar module 232 via a wire harness 214. The main radar module 230 may supply power to the satellite radar module 232 via the wire harness 214.

[0033] Figure 3 shows implementation scenarios of embodiments of an automotive radar system 300 utilizing automotive radar sensors of various frequencies, according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. The automotive radar system 300 may be an automotive radar system 200 as described in Figure 2A.

[0034] In some embodiments, the operation of a 60GHz radar sensor may be based on TDM (Time Delay Monitoring) technology to minimize interference from adjacent 60GHz radar sensors. TDM technology allows multiple transmit and receive radar signals to share a single communication channel. TDM technology divides the single communication channel into multiple time slots so that each transmitted and received radar signal can use a single communication channel. TDM technology allocates time slots for activating radar sensors or groups of radar sensors fewer than the total number of radar sensors in the system. During this activation, the transmitter of the radar sensor transmits radar signals. For example, referring to Figure 3, the zone control module 218 allocates a first time slot for activating a first group of 60GHz radar sensors. The zone control module 218 first activates odd-numbered 60GHz radar sensors 202A to transmit 60GHz radar signals corresponding to beams 220A, 220B, 220C, and 220D, as shown in Figure 2A. The transmission of the 60GHz radar signal generates a multi-beam (e.g., 320A, 320B, 320C, and 320D) covering a first sensing area. Beam 320A may cover the area surrounding the front left corner of the vehicle 201, while beam 320B may cover the area surrounding the front left side of the vehicle 201. Beam 320C may cover the area surrounding the rear right corner of the vehicle 201, while beam 320D may cover the area surrounding the rear left side of the vehicle 201. Referring further to Figure 3, the zone control module 218 allocates a second time slot for activating a second group of 60GHz radar sensors. The zone control module 218 activates the even-numbered 60GHz radar sensors 202A to transmit 60GHz radar signals corresponding to beams 222A, 222B, 222C, and 222D in Figure 2A. The transmission of the 60GHz radar signal generates a multibeam (e.g., 322A, 322B, 322C, and 322D) that covers a second sensing area. Beam 322B may cover an area surrounding the front right corner of the vehicle 201, while beam 322A may cover an area surrounding the front left side of the vehicle 201.Beam 322D may cover an area surrounding the rear left corner of the vehicle 201, while beam 322C may cover an area surrounding the rear right side of the vehicle 201. Although the above embodiment describes the activation of a 60 GHz radar sensor, the zone control module 218 may perform a similar procedure using a 77 GHz radar sensor.

[0035] Figure 4 shows implementation scenarios of embodiments of an automotive radar system 400 utilizing automotive radar sensors of various frequencies, according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 4, the automotive radar system 400 includes a plurality of 60 GHz radar sensors and a plurality of 77 GHz radar sensors, as described above.

[0036] In some embodiments, the transmitter of the 60GHz radar transceiver 202A transmits a 60GHz radar signal. The receiver of the 60GHz radar transceiver 202A receives a 77GHz radar signal. The 60GHz radar signal received by the receiver of the 60GHz radar transceiver 202A is a reflected version of the RF signal transmitted by the transmitter of the 60GHz radar transceiver 202A. The 60GHz radar transceiver 202A generates 60GHz radar data based on the 60GHz radar signal received by the receiver of the 60GHz radar transceiver 202A and detects radar targets in a first detection region (corresponding, for example, beams 420A, 420B, 420C, 420D) and a second detection region (corresponding, for example, beams 422A, 422B, 422C, 422D).

[0037] Together with the 60GHz radar transceiver 202A, the 77GHz radar transceiver 202B iteratively acquires 77GHz radar signals. The transmitter of the 77GHz radar transceiver 202B transmits 77GHz radar signals. The receiver of the 77GHz radar transceiver 202B receives 77GHz radar signals. The 77GHz radar signal received by the receiver of the 77GHz radar transceiver 202B is a reflected version of the RF signal transmitted by the transmitter of the 77GHz radar transceiver. Based on the 77GHz radar signal received by the receiver of the 77GHz radar transceiver 202B, the 77GHz radar transceiver 202B generates 77GHz radar data to detect radar targets within the 77GHz detection area. The 77GHz area is the area covered by beams 430A, 430B, 430C, and 430D.

[0038] In response to generating the first and second radar data, two SPUs within the MCU 500 (e.g., 542 and 544 shown in Figure 5) simultaneously process the 66GHz and 77GHz radar data to obtain radar target information associated with the radar target. As will be described later in relation to Figure 5, the first SPU 542 processes the 60GHz radar data (e.g., filtering, decoding, and digitizing), and the second SPU 544 processes the 77GHz radar data. The first SPU 542 and the second SPU 544 perform simultaneous signal processing of the 60GHz and 77GHz radar data.

[0039] In some embodiments, both the 60GHz radar sensor and the 77GHz radar sensor can be operated simultaneously. The 60GHz radar transceiver generates eight beams 420A, 422A, 420B, 422B, 420C, 422C, 420D, and 422D. Simultaneously, the 77GHz radar transceiver generates four beams 430A, 430B, 430C, and 430D.

[0040] In some embodiments, as shown by four beams 430A, 430B, 430C, and 430D, the 77GHz radar sensor has a larger detection range compared to the 60GHz radar sensor. The wider detection range enables reliable object isolation and detection, which is necessary to protect vulnerable road users, including motorcyclists, cyclists, or pedestrians.

[0041] Figure 5 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the MCU500 system architecture according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 5, the MCU500 represents the AURIX® TC35xTA microcontroller in embedded flash 40nm technology.

[0042] The RF signals received by the 60GHz radar sensor 202A and the 77GHz radar sensor 202B can be processed separately by dedicated SPUs. The first SPU 542 processes the received RF signal received by the 60GHz radar sensor 202A, and the second SPU 544 processes the received RF signal received by the 77GHz radar sensor 202B. As described above, the MCU 500 has two SPUs (e.g., 542, 544) that enable simultaneous radar signal processing of two separate radar signal paths. Thus, radar data from both the 60GHz radar sensor 202A and the 77GHz radar sensor 202B can be processed simultaneously by these dedicated SPUs (e.g., 542, 544). In this way, data acquired by multiple radar sensors within a single radar module can be processed using a single MCU 500. In some embodiments, radar data obtained by different groups of radar sensors can be processed simultaneously. As an example, referring to Figure 4, 60GHz radar data obtained by a group of 60GHz radar sensors 202A located in front of the vehicle 201 (corresponding to beams 420A, 422A, 420B, and 422B) can be processed by SPU 542, and 60GHz radar data obtained by a group of 60GHz radar sensors 202A located behind the vehicle 201 (corresponding to beams 420C, 422C, 420D, and 422D) can be processed by SPU 544. In another example, radar data obtained by a group of 60GHz radar sensors 202A and a group of 77GHz radar sensors 202B located in front of vehicle 201 (corresponding to beams 420A, 422A, 420B, 422B, 430A, and 430B) can be processed by SPU 542, and radar data obtained by a group of 60GHz radar sensors 202A and a group of 77GHz radar sensors 202B located behind vehicle 201 (corresponding to beams 420C, 422C, 420D, 422D, 430C, and 430D) can also be processed by SPU 542.In some embodiments, radar data associated with non-overlapping detection regions of the 60GHz radar sensor 202A and the 77GHz radar sensor 202B can be processed simultaneously. For example, 60GHz radar data associated with the 60GHz detection region (corresponding to beam 422A) and 77GHz radar data associated with the 77GHz detection region (corresponding to beam 430B) can be processed by SPU 542, while 60GHz radar data associated with the 60GHz detection region (corresponding to beam 420B) and 77GHz radar data associated with the 77GHz detection region (corresponding to beam 430A) can be processed by SPU 544.

[0043] Figure 6 shows a block diagram of an implementation configuration of an automotive radar sensor system 600 combining 58-62 GHz and 76-81 GHz, according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 6, the MCU 500 communicates with three radar sensors 202A-1, 202A-2, and 202B. The 58-62 GHz radar sensors 202A-1 and 202A-2 transmit a 60 GHz radar signal via one of two transmit channels (Tx1-2) and can receive a 60 GHz radar signal from an object via four receive channels (Rx1-4). Similarly, the 76-81 GHz radar sensor 202B transmits a 77 GHz radar signal via one of four transmit channels (Tx1-4) and can receive a 77 GHz radar signal from an object via four receive channels (Rx1-4). The MCU500 can process radar signals from three separate radar sensors 202A-1, 202A-2, and 202B. The MCU500 may include a dedicated SPU542 for processing 60GHz radar signals obtained by 58-62GHz radar sensors 202A-1 and 202A-2, and a dedicated SPU544 for processing 77GHz radar signals obtained by 76-81GHz radar sensor 202B. Radar sensors 202A-1 and 202A-2 form a compact 60GHz radar sensor 202A and may be equipped with an antenna-in-package (AiP).

[0044] Figure 7 shows an example of an implementation scenario of an embodiment of the 60GHz radar sensor system 700 according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 7, the 60GHz radar sensor system 700 may include multiple 60GHz radar sensors 202A positioned at various locations on the vehicle 201, but only a single 60GHz radar sensor 202A is shown for clarity of explanation. For example, six 60GHz radar sensors 202A are positioned at the front, rear, and four corners of the vehicle 201. The six 60GHz radar sensors 202A can generate multibeams. For example, the front 60GHz radar sensor 202A generates beam 740B. The rear 60GHz radar sensor 202A generates beam 740E. The corner 60GHz radar sensors 202A generate beams 740A, 740C, 740D, and 740F. In some embodiments, the 60GHz radar sensors 202A may be integrated into the surface of the bumper of the vehicle 201 or mounted behind it.

[0045] Due to its wide FoV (e.g., 120°), a single 60GHz radar sensor 202A can replace two ultrasonic sensors to generate the same beam. For example, six 60GHz radar sensors 202A can replace twelve ultrasonic sensors integrated at the front, rear, and corners of a vehicle 201. The 60GHz radar sensor 202A can generate high-density datasets including three-dimensional point clouds. The 60GHz radar sensor system 700 can use the 3D point cloud to detect multiple (stationary or moving) targets and determine the speed and direction of moving targets.

[0046] Figure 8 shows an example of a TDM-based radar scanning method 800 using an embodiment of a 60GHz radar sensor system according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, in step 1 801, the TDM-based radar scanning method is initiated by activating the forward 60GHz radar sensor to generate beam 840B and the rear 60GHz radar sensor to generate beam 840E. This allows the front and rear areas of the vehicle 201 to be simultaneously and directly sensed. Next, as described in Figure 5, the MCU 500 performs radar signal processing for both radar channels via two SPUs 542, 544 within the device.

[0047] In some embodiments, in step 2 802, after activating the front 60GHz radar sensor to generate beam 840B and activating the rear 60GHz radar sensor to generate beam 840E, the TDM-based radar scanning method 800 then activates the front right corner 60GHz radar sensor to generate beam 840C and the rear left corner 60GHz radar sensor to generate beam 840F. At this time, the sensing area moves diagonally across the vehicle 201 to reduce interference from simultaneous signals.

[0048] In some embodiments, in step 3 803, the TDM-based radar scanning method 800 continues by activating the 60GHz radar sensor at the front left corner to generate beam 840A, and activating the 60GHz radar sensor at the rear right corner to generate beam 840D. Here, the sensing area switches to the other two opposing corners of the vehicle 201. The three steps 801, 802, and 803 complete a series of TDM-based radar scanning methods 800. After the completion of the three steps 801, 802, and 803 described above, the TDM-based radar scanning method 800 can be repeated based on a round-robin scheme.

[0049] Figure 9 shows a block diagram of a computing system 900 for a 60 GHz radar sensor according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 9, the computing system 900 for a 60 GHz radar sensor includes a 58-62 GHz radar transceiver 902A.

[0050] The 58-62GHz radar transceiver 902A can transmit 60GHz radar signals and receive 60GHz radar signals from objects. The 58-62GHz radar transceiver 902A communicates with the MCU 500. The MCU 500 can process the radar signals obtained from the 58-62GHz radar transceiver 902A. The output of the MCU 500 can be forwarded to the vehicle CAN FD network 999 via CAN-FD 998 for radar signal processing.

[0051] Figure 10 shows an example of a system architecture 1000 for streaming raw radar data via a CAN-FD central computing unit, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, raw data from a 60 GHz radar sensor 1002A is streamed via CAN-FD to a parking control module 1018, and the MCU can perform radar signal processing simultaneously for two active radar sensors.

[0052] The front CAN-FD bus 1016A of vehicle 201 performs point-to-point 5Mbps data transmission from the operating radar sensor to the parking control module 1018.

[0053] Figure 11 shows an example of a system architecture 1100 for streaming raw radar data via a CAN-FD central computing system, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0054] In some embodiments, raw data from the 60GHz radar sensor 1102A may be streamed to the parking control module 1118 of the vehicle 201 using serializer / deserializer (SERDES) integrated circuits 1494A, 1494B. The SERDES integrated circuits can convert parallel raw data to serial raw data and vice versa. The SERDES integrated circuit 1494A located on the 60GHz radar sensor 1102A converts the serial raw data to parallel raw data. The parallel raw data may be streamed to the parking control module 1118 of the vehicle 201. The SERDES integrated circuit 1494B located on the parking control module 1118 converts the parallel raw data to serial raw data. The parking control module 1118 includes an MCU that performs signal processing simultaneously for two radar sensors in operation.

[0055] Figure 12 shows a block diagram of a parking control module 1200 that receives raw radar data via CAN-FD, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0056] In some embodiments, raw radar data may be streamed from the 60GHz radar sensor to the parking control module 1200 via CAN-FD nodes. Referring to Figure 12, six CAN-FD nodes (e.g., 1290A, 1290B, 1290C, 1290D, 1290E, 1290F) receive the raw radar data. The CAN-FD nodes then stream the raw radar data to the MCU 500, which processes two channels of radar data simultaneously.

[0057] Figure 13 shows a block diagram of a computing system 1300 for streaming raw radar data via a SERDES integrated circuit, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 13, the SERDES integrated circuit 1394 can communicate with a 60 GHz radar sensor 1302A. The SERDES integrated circuit 1394 can convert serial raw data to parallel raw data. The parallel raw data can be streamed via a twisted pair 1395 to a parking control module 1118 of a vehicle 201.

[0058] Figure 14 shows an example of a parking control module 1400 that receives raw radar data via a SERDES integrated circuit, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 14, six SERDES integrated circuits (1494A, 1494B, 1494C, 1494D, 1494E, 1494F) can receive raw radar data from a 60GHz radar sensor via twisted pairs (1495A, 1495B, 1495C, 1495D, 1495E, 1495F). For example, SERDES integrated circuit 1494A can receive 60GHz radar data from a 60GHz radar sensor via twisted pair 1495A. Thus, each 60GHz radar sensor has its own dedicated SERDES integrated circuit. SERDES integrated circuit 1494A can convert parallel raw data to serial raw data before the MCU 500 receives the raw radar data, for example.

[0059] Figure 15 shows a block diagram of a computing system 1500 for a 60 GHz radar sensor operating as an edge computing node sensor, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 15, the computing system 1500 for the 60 GHz radar sensor includes a 58-62 GHz radar transceiver 1502A. For example, the 58-62 GHz radar transceiver 1502A represents a 60 GHz FMCW radar sensor module. Raw 60 GHz radar data can be streamed to a CAN-FD network 1599 via an interface CAN bus network 1598.

[0060] Figure 16 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary data processing method 1600 for object detection according to one embodiment. Method 1600 may be implemented by processing logic which may include hardware (e.g., circuit configuration, dedicated logic, programmable logic, processor, processing device, central processing device (CPU), system-on-a-chip (SoC), etc.), software (e.g., instructions to be invoked / executed on the processing device), firmware (e.g., microcode), or a combination thereof. For example, Method 1600 may be implemented by a processing device 105 executing a radar sensing module 107.

[0061] Referring to Figure 16, the data processing method relates to the 60GHz and 77GHz radar sensors that perform radar sensing.

[0062] See also Figure 4, in block 1602, 60 GHz and 77 GHz radar sensing operations can be performed simultaneously. The 60 GHz radar sensing operation may include a series of two examples.

[0063] In block 1604, the 60GHz radar sensor 202A can be activated to transmit and receive 60GHz radar signals and detect radar targets (corresponding to beams 420A, 420B, 420C, and 420D) within the 60GHz detection area. Referring to Figure 4, for example, in a first example of the 60GHz radar sensing sequence, the 60GHz radar sensors 202A located at the front left corner of vehicle 201 (corresponding to beam 420A), the front right side of vehicle 201 (corresponding to beam 420B), the rear right corner of vehicle 201 (corresponding to beam 420C), and the rear left side of vehicle 201 (corresponding to beam 420D) receive 60GHz radar signals and detect the 60GHz detection area (corresponding to beams 420A, 420B, 420C, and 420D). In the second example of the 60GHz radar sensing sequence, 60GHz radar sensors 202A located at the front left side of vehicle 201 (corresponding to beam 422A), the front right corner of vehicle 201 (corresponding to beam 422B), the rear right side of vehicle 201 (corresponding to beam 422C), and the rear left corner of vehicle 201 (corresponding to beam 422D) receive 60GHz radar signals and detect 60GHz detection areas (corresponding to beams 422A, 422B, 422C, and 422D).

[0064] In block 1606, while the 60GHz radar sensor 202A is operating, the 77GHz radar sensors 202B located at the four corners of the vehicle may be activated to transmit and receive 77GHz radar signals to detect radar targets within the 77GHz detection area (corresponding to beams 430A, 430B, 430C, and 430D). In some other embodiments, for example, the 77GHz radar sensing operation may include a set of two examples. For example, in a first example of the 77GHz radar sensing sequence, the 77GHz radar sensors 202B located at both front corners of the vehicle may be activated to transmit and receive 77GHz radar signals to detect radar targets within the 77GHz detection area corresponding to beams 430A and 430B. In a second example of the 77GHz radar sensing sequence, the 77GHz radar sensors 202B located at the rear corners of the vehicle may be activated to transmit and receive 77GHz radar signals to detect radar targets within the 77GHz detection area corresponding to beams 430C and 430D. In some other embodiments, a first example of the 77GHz radar sensing sequence may activate 77GHz radar sensors 202B located at the front left and rear right corners of the vehicle 201 to transmit and receive 77GHz radar signals to detect radar targets in the 77GHz detection area corresponding to beams 430A and 430C. A second example of the 77GHz radar sensing sequence may activate 77GHz radar sensors 202B located at the front right and rear left corners of the vehicle to transmit and receive 77GHz radar signals to detect radar targets in the 77GHz detection area corresponding to beams 430B and 430D.

[0065] Block 1608 can generate 60GHz and 77GHz radar data simultaneously.

[0066] In block 1610, in response to generating 60GHz and 77GHz radar data, the 60GHz and 77GHz radar data can be processed simultaneously by the MCU 500 to obtain radar target information associated with the radar target. For example, referring to Figure 6, the 60GHz radar data from radar sensor 202A-1 can be processed by the SPU 542.

[0067] Figure 17 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary data processing method 1700 for object detection according to one embodiment. Method 1700 may be implemented by processing logic which may include hardware (e.g., circuit configuration, dedicated logic, programmable logic, processor, processing device, central processing device (CPU), system on a chip (SoC), etc.), software (e.g., instructions to be invoked / executed on the processing device), firmware (e.g., microcode), or a combination thereof. For example, Method 1700 may be implemented by a processing device 105 executing a radar sensing module 107.

[0068] Referring to Figure 17, the data processing method is associated with the 60GHz radar sensor that performs radar sensing.

[0069] Similarly, referring to Figure 3, in block 1702, a first group of 60GHz radar sensors can be activated to transmit and receive 60GHz radar signals and detect radar targets within the first group of 60GHz detection areas. For example, odd-numbered groups of 60GHz radar sensors 202A transmit 60GHz radar signals to detect radar targets within the 60GHz detection areas corresponding to beams 320A, 320B, 320C, and 320D. Beam 320A may cover an area surrounding the front left corner of the vehicle 201, while beam 320B may cover an area surrounding the front left side of the vehicle 201. Beam 320C may cover an area surrounding the rear right corner of the vehicle 201, while beam 320D may cover an area surrounding the rear left side of the vehicle 201.

[0070] In block 1704, a second group of 60GHz radar sensors can be activated to transmit and receive 60GHz radar signals to detect radar targets within the second group of 60GHz detection areas. For example, a group of even-numbered 60GHz radar sensors 202A transmit 60GHz radar signals to detect radar targets within the 60GHz detection areas corresponding to beams 322A, 322B, 322C, and 322D. Beam 322B may cover an area surrounding the front right corner of the vehicle 201, while beam 322A may cover an area surrounding the front left side of the vehicle 201. Beam 322D may cover an area surrounding the rear left corner of the vehicle 201, while beam 322C may cover an area surrounding the rear right side of the vehicle 201.

[0071] In block 1706, the activation of the first group of 60GHz radar sensors and the second group of 60GHz radar sensors may be repeated.

[0072] See also Figure 5, in block 1708, the 60GHz radar data associated with the first and second groups of 60GHz radar sensors is processed simultaneously by the MCU 500. For example, SPU 542 processes the 60GHz radar data associated with the first group of 60GHz radar sensors, while SPU 544 processes the 60GHz radar data associated with the second group of 60GHz radar sensors.

[0073] Figure 18 shows a block diagram of device 1800 according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 1800 shows a general-purpose platform and common components and functionalities that may be used to implement parts of the radar-based systems of the embodiments described herein. Device 1800 may include, for example, a processor 1802 connected to a bus system 1808 configured to carry out the processes described above, a memory system 1804, and a mass storage device 1806.

[0074] In embodiments, the processor 1802 may include a processing device 1805, such as a programmable system-on-chip (PSoC) processing device developed by Cypress Semiconductor Corporation, San Jose, California. Alternatively, the device 1800 may include one or more other processing devices well known to those skilled in the art, such as a microprocessor or central processing device, an application processor, a host controller, a controller, a special-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The bus system 1808 may include a communication block (not shown) for communicating with internal or external components such as an embedded controller or application processor via the network interface 1818 and / or the bus system 1808.

[0075] The components of device 1800 may reside on a common carrier substrate, such as an IC die substrate or a multi-chip module substrate. Alternatively, the components of device 1800 may be one or more distinct ICs and / or individual components.

[0076] The memory system 1804 may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory that can communicate with each other via the bus system 1808. The memory system 1804 may include, for example, random access memory (RAM) and program flash. The RAM may be static RAM (SRAM), and the program flash may be a non-volatile memory that can be used to store firmware (for example, control algorithms that can be executed by the processor 1802 to implement the operations described herein). The memory system 1804 may include instructions 1803 that, when executed, perform the methods described herein. Parts of the memory system 1804 may be dynamically allocated to provide caching, buffering, and / or other memory-based functionalities.

[0077] The memory system 1804 may include a drive unit that provides a machine-readable medium capable of storing one or more sets of instructions 1803 (e.g., software) that embody any one or more of the methods or functions described herein. The instructions 1803 may also, in some embodiments, reside entirely or at least partially in other memory devices of the memory system 1804 and / or in the processor 1802 while being executed by the device 1800 constituting the machine-readable medium. The instructions 1803 may further be transmitted and received by a network via a network interface 1818. The communication interface 1818 may be the location where the device 1800 discussed herein is implemented.

[0078] Device 1800 may further include a video adapter 1810 that provides connection to a local display 1812 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touchscreen, a cathode ray tube (CRT), and software and hardware support for display technology), and an input / output (I / O) adapter 1814 that provides input / output interfaces for one or more input / output devices 1816, such as a mouse, keyboard, printer, tape drive, CD drive, buttons, switches, touchpad, touchscreen, and software and hardware support for a user interface keyboard.

[0079] Device 1800 also includes a network interface 1818, which may be implemented using a network adapter configured to couple to a wired link such as an Ethernet cable or USB interface, and / or a wireless / cellular link for communication with network 1820. The network interface 1818 may also include a suitable receiver and transmitter for wireless communication. Note that device 1800 may include other components. For example, device 1800 may include a power supply, cables, a motherboard, removable storage media, a case, etc. These other components are not shown but are considered part of device 1800.

[0080] Figure 19 is a block diagram of a device 1911 deployed in a vehicle configured to receive radar signals, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, although only a single device 1911 is shown, the term “device” should also be interpreted to include any set of machines that individually or collectively perform a set (or set of) instructions for performing any one or more of the methods described herein.

[0081] Device 1911 may be a 60 GHz radar sensor 202A or a 77 GHz radar sensor 202B on a vehicle 101, 201, and may perform the operation of method 1600. Device 1911 may include one or more antennas 1922, hardware 1913, and a driver 1915. The driver 1915 may include a Tx / Rx controller 1917, radar activation logic 1919, and radar signal detection logic 1921. Hardware 1913 may be configured to send and receive radar signals on an operating channel via antenna 1922. Antenna 1922 may also be used to receive radar signals on a dedicated channel. In one embodiment, radar activation logic 1919 may be configured to control the activation of radar sensors by TDM technology. Radar activation logic 1919 may be configured to control which radar sensors are activated in a predefined time slot. Radar activation logic 1919 may be configured to control the activation sequence of radar sensors.

[0082] The Tx / Rx controller 1917 may be configured to demodulate and decode the received radar signal, and to encode and modulate the radar signal for transmission. The radar signal detection logic 1921 and radar activation logic 1919 may be configured to detect the radar signal. In one embodiment, the radar activation logic 1919 may implement a driver that reads the stored signal in hardware and processes the 60 GHz radar data and 77 GHz radar data disclosed herein simultaneously.

[0083] In one embodiment, device 1911 may include memory and processing devices. The memory may be synchronous dynamic random access memory (DRAM), read-only memory (ROM), or other types of memory that can be configured to store code for performing the functions of driver 1915. The processing devices may be provided by one or more general-purpose processing devices, such as a microprocessor or a central processing device. In exemplary cases, the processing devices may comprise a composite instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, or a processor that implements a processor or combination of instruction sets. The processing devices may also comprise one or more special-purpose processing devices, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), or a network processor. The processing devices may be configured to perform the operations described herein in accordance with one or more aspects of this disclosure in order to perform the operations and processes discussed herein.

[0084] In some embodiments, the machine-readable medium is a single medium, but the term “machine-readable medium” should be interpreted to include a single or multiple mediums (e.g., centralized or distributed databases, and / or associated caches and servers) that store one or more instruction sets. The term “machine-readable medium” should also be interpreted to include any medium that can store or encode instruction sets for machine execution and cause a machine to perform any one or more of the exemplary operations described herein. Thus, the term “machine-readable medium” should be interpreted to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memory, as well as optical and magnetic media.

[0085] The above description includes numerous details. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art who are interested in this disclosure that embodiments of the disclosure can be carried out without these specific details. In some examples, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form rather than in detail, in order to avoid obscuring the description.

[0086] Some parts of the detailed description are presented in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits in computer memory. These descriptions and representations of algorithms are means used by those skilled in data processing techniques to most effectively communicate the nature of the work to others skilled in the art. An algorithm is generally considered herein to be a self-consistent set of steps that produce a desired result. These steps require the physical manipulation of physical quantities. These quantities typically take the form of electrical or magnetic signals that can be stored, transferred, concatenated, compared, and other manipulated. Referring to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, etc., has sometimes proven convenient, primarily for reasons of common use.

[0087] However, it is important to keep in mind that all these terms and similar terms should be associated with appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to those physical quantities. As is evident from the above explanation, unless otherwise specifically stated, throughout the explanation, any use of terms such as “transmit,” “receive,” “compare,” “determine,” “detect,” and “classify” is understood to refer to the actions and processes of a computing system or similar electronic computing device that manipulate data represented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities in the registers and memory of the computing system and convert it into other data similarly represented as physical quantities in the memory or registers or other such information storage devices, transmitting devices, or display devices of the computing system.

[0088] In this specification, the terms “example” or “exemplary” are used to mean something that serves as an example, example, or illustration. An aspect or design described herein as “example” or “exemplary” should not necessarily be construed as being preferable or more advantageous than other aspects or designs. Rather, the use of the terms “example” or “exemplary” is intended to provide a concrete representation of the concept. As used in this application, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless otherwise specified or evident from the context, “X includes A or B” is intended to mean any of the obvious inclusive sortings. That is, if X includes A, if X includes B, or if X includes both A and B, then “X includes A or B” is satisfied in any of the aforementioned cases. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” used in this application and the attached claims should generally be interpreted as meaning “one or more” unless otherwise specified or unless the context makes it clear that they refer to a singular form. Furthermore, throughout this application, the use of the terms “an embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an implementation,” or “one implementation” is not intended to mean the same embodiment or implementation unless otherwise stated.

[0089] Embodiments described herein may also relate to apparatus for carrying out the operations described herein. Such apparatus may be specifically configured for a particular purpose, or may comprise a general-purpose computer that is selectively started or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. Such computer programs may be stored in non-temporary computer-readable storage media, including, but not limited to, any type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magneto-optical disks, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. The term “computer-readable storage media” should be interpreted to include a single or multiple mediums that store one or more instruction sets (e.g., a centralized or distributed database and / or associated caches and servers). The term “computer-readable storage media” should also be interpreted to include any medium that can store, encode, or carry instruction sets for execution by a machine, causing the machine to carry out any one or more of the methodologies of this embodiment. Accordingly, the term “computer-readable storage medium” shall be interpreted as including, but not limited to, solid-state memory, optical media, electromagnetic media, and any medium capable of storing a set of instructions for machine execution, which causes a machine to implement any one or more of the methodologies of this embodiment.

[0090] The algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other device. Various general-purpose systems may be used with the programs in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may be advantageous to construct specialized devices to carry out the necessary method processes. The structures required for various such systems will become apparent from the following description. In addition, these embodiments are not described with reference to any particular programming language. It will be understood that various programming languages ​​may be used to carry out the teachings of the embodiments described herein.

[0091] The above description includes numerous specific details, such as examples of particular systems, components, and methods, to enhance understanding of some embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that at least some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented without these specific details. In other examples, well-known components or methods are not described in detail or are presented in simple block diagram form to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the embodiments. Thus, the above specific details are merely illustrative. Specific implementations may differ from these illustrative details and are still intended to fall within the scope of these embodiments.

[0092] It should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art if they read and understand the above description. Therefore, the scope of this embodiment should be determined by referring to the appended claims and together with the entire scope of equivalents to which these claims are entitled.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling the activation of a dual-frequency radar transceiver to detect at least one radar target, Iteratively, until each of the multiple first radar transceivers and second radar transceivers is activated, The steps include acquiring a first received radar signal using the plurality of first radar transceivers, The steps include generating first radar data based on the first received radar signal and detecting at least one radar target within a first detection area and a second detection area, The steps include acquiring a second received radar signal using a second radar transceiver that is different from the plurality of first radar transceivers, The steps include generating second radar data based on the second received radar signal and detecting the at least one radar target within a third detection area. Methods that include...

2. In response to the step of generating the first radar data and the second radar data, the step of simultaneously processing the first radar data and the second radar data to obtain radar target information associated with the at least one radar target. The method according to claim 1, including the method described in claim 1.

3. The step of acquiring using the plurality of first radar transceivers is The steps include transmitting a first radar signal via the transmitters of the plurality of first radar transceivers, The steps include receiving the first received radar signal via the receivers of the plurality of first radar transceivers. The method according to claim 1, including the method described in claim 1.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first radar transceiver is a 60 gigahertz (GHz) radar transceiver.

5. The step obtained using the second radar transceiver is, The steps include transmitting the second radar signal in a second frequency band via a second radar transmitter, The steps of receiving the second received radar signal via the second radar receiver and The method according to claim 1, including the method described in claim 1.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second radar transceiver is a 77 GHz radar transceiver.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second radar transceiver is a 60 GHz radar transceiver.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first radar transceivers comprises 60 GHz radar transceivers and 77 GHz radar transceivers.

9. The step of processing the first radar data and the second radar data simultaneously is, The steps include processing the first radar data using a first signal processing unit, The steps of processing the second radar data using a second signal processing unit and The method according to claim 2, including the method described in claim 2.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the overlap of beam patterns from two of the plurality of first radar transceivers is below a predefined threshold to minimize interference.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first radar transceivers are arranged at opposing corners of the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first radar transceivers and the second radar transceivers are activated sequentially in a round-robin order.

13. It is a device, A device configured to acquire a first received radar signal and a second received radar signal, A processing device operably coupled to the aforementioned device, Iteratively, until each of the multiple first radar transceivers and second radar transceivers is activated, The plurality of first radar transceivers are used to acquire the first received radar signal. Based on the first received radar signal, first radar data is generated to detect at least one radar target within the first detection area and the second detection area. A second received radar signal is acquired using the second radar transceiver, which is different from the plurality of first radar transceivers. To detect the at least one radar target within the third detection area, second radar data is generated based on the second received radar signal. A processing device configured as follows A device equipped with the following features.

14. The processing device, In response to the step of generating the first radar data and the second radar data, the first radar data and the second radar data are processed simultaneously to obtain radar target information associated with the radar target. The apparatus according to claim 13, further configured as follows.

15. To acquire using the plurality of first radar transceivers, the processing device, The first radar signal is transmitted via the transmitters of the plurality of first radar transceivers. The first received radar signal is received via the receivers of the plurality of first radar transceivers. The apparatus according to claim 13, configured as follows.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first radar transceiver is a 60 GHz radar transceiver.

17. In order to acquire using the second radar transceiver, the processing device, The second radar signal in the second frequency band is transmitted via the second radar transmitter. The second radar signal received via the second radar receiver is received The apparatus according to claim 13, configured as follows.

18. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second radar transceiver is a 77 GHz radar transceiver.

19. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of first radar transceivers comprises 60 GHz radar transceivers and 77 GHz radar transceivers.

20. Non-temporary computer-readable media, When executed by one or more processors of the device, the device: Iteratively, until each of the multiple first radar transceivers and second radar transceivers is activated, The plurality of first radar transceivers are used to acquire the first received radar signal. Based on the first received radar signal, first radar data is generated to detect at least one radar target within the first detection area and the second detection area. The second received radar signal is acquired using the second radar transceiver, which is different from the plurality of first radar transceivers. To detect the at least one radar target within the third detection area, second radar data is generated based on the second received radar signal. A non-temporary, computer-readable medium for storing instructions.

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