Receiver processing circuit for motion detection, and related systems, methods, and apparatus.

Abstract

Motion detection using a channel impulse response signal, and related systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus includes an analog input terminal of a receiver processing circuit, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit, and a processor. The analog input terminal receives a reflected predetermined pattern signal provided by a receiver antenna. The ADC circuit samples the reflected predetermined pattern signal received by the analog input terminal to generate reflected predetermined pattern samples. The processor determines an average of the total magnitude of a set of reflected predetermined pattern samples and determines whether a moving object has been detected in response to the determined average and a predetermined threshold.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - reference to Related Applications) This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 198,948, filed on November 24, 2020, entitled "SHORT RANGE RADAR USING CHANNEL IMPULSE RESPONSE INFORMATION AND RELATED SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND DEVICES", the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] (Technical Field) The present disclosure generally relates to the detection of moving objects in response to the average magnitude of the sum of a set of reflected predetermined pattern samples and a predetermined threshold.

Background Art

[0003] Some radar systems can detect moving objects based on the Doppler effect. Specifically, a continuous - wave radio - frequency (RF) signal can be transmitted, and the transmitted and received RF signals can be mixed to generate a Doppler signal. The Doppler frequency of the Doppler signal can be proportional to the speed of the detected moving object relative to a stationary transmitter and receiver, enabling the radar system to detect the speed of the moving object in the direction of the radar system. In addition to continuous - wave signals, pulse signals and frequency - modulated signals can also be used to measure the distance between the radar antenna and the detected object.

[0004] Short-range radar devices may often include a transmitter and receiver implemented in a single device, and the transmitter and receiver operate synchronously in substantially 24 gigahertz (24 GHz) or 77 gigahertz (77 GHz) frequency ranges, in non-limiting embodiments. These devices may use analog RF signals for the transmitter and receiver, and the received and amplified signal is multiplied with the transmitted RF signal to generate a Doppler signal. As previously mentioned, the velocity of a moving object may be detected in response to the frequency of the Doppler signal, which may require a combination of one transmitter and one receiver in a single device, and that the transmitter and receiver operate synchronously. The use of such a Doppler signal for velocity detection may be limited to velocity detection in the direction of the short-range radar device.

[0005] This disclosure concludes with claims that specifically identify and explicitly claim certain embodiments, but the various features and advantages of the embodiments within the scope of this disclosure can be more readily confirmed from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram of a radar system based on several embodiments. [Figure 2A] This is a data telegram that can be transmitted by the transmitter shown in Figure 1, according to several embodiments. [Figure 2B] This plot illustrates the "1" symbol frequency component and the "0" symbol frequency component of the data telegram preamble in Figure 2A, based on several examples. [Figure 2C] Figure 2A is a plot of an example of a pulse train of the preamble signal PR. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram of a receiver processing circuit according to several embodiments. [Figure 4] This is a side view of a motion detection system according to several embodiments. [Figure 5] This is another motion detection system based on several embodiments. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram of 600 industrial automation systems, based on several examples. [Figure 7A] The magnitude of the CIR signal that may occur when there are no objects within the receiver's reception range or when there are stationary objects (but no moving objects) is illustrated below. [Figure 7B] The magnitude of the CIR signal that may occur when there are no objects within the receiver's reception range or when there are stationary objects (but no moving objects) is illustrated below. [Figure 8A] The magnitude of the CIR signal that may be generated by a moving object within the receiver's reception range is illustrated. [Figure 8B] The magnitude of the CIR signal that may be generated by a moving object within the receiver's reception range is illustrated. [Figure 9A] This is a plot of an example of the average total size when no moving objects are present. [Figure 9B] This is an example plot of the average total size when moving objects are present. [Figure 10] This flowchart illustrates how to operate a receiver processing circuit using several embodiments. [Figure 11] This flowchart illustrates how to operate a radar system using several examples. [Figure 12] In some embodiments, these are block diagrams of circuits that may be used to implement various functions, operations, actions, processes, and / or methods disclosed herein. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification and illustrate specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be carried out. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to carry out the disclosure. However, other embodiments made possible herein may be utilized without departing from the scope of the disclosure, and modifications of structure, materials, and processes may be made.

[0008] The figures presented herein are not intended to be actual diagrams of any particular method, system, device, or structure, but are merely idealized representations used to illustrate embodiments of the disclosure. In some cases, similar structures or components in various drawings may retain the same or similar numbering for the convenience of the reader. However, similarity in numbering does not necessarily mean that the structures or components are identical in size, composition, configuration, or any other characteristics.

[0009] The following description may include examples to help enable those skilled in the art to carry out the disclosed examples. The use of the terms “exemplary,” “as an example,” and “for example” means that the relevant description is descriptive, and the scope of this disclosure is intended to encompass examples and legal equivalents, and the use of such terms is not intended to limit the examples or the scope of this disclosure to any particular component, step, feature, function, etc.

[0010] It will be readily apparent that the components of the embodiments generally described herein and illustrated in the drawings can be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Therefore, the following descriptions of various embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure, but merely to represent various embodiments. Various aspects of the embodiments may be presented in the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specifically indicated.

[0011] Furthermore, the specific implementations illustrated and described are merely examples and should not be construed as the only way to implement this disclosure unless otherwise specified herein. Elements, circuits, and functions may be shown in the form of block diagrams to avoid unnecessarily detailing and obscuring this disclosure. Conversely, the specific implementations illustrated and described are merely illustrative and should not be construed as the only way to implement this disclosure unless otherwise specified herein. Furthermore, the block definitions and partitioning of logic between various blocks are illustrative specific implementations. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that this disclosure can be implemented by numerous other partitioning solutions. For the most part, details regarding timing considerations and other such details are omitted, as such details are not necessary for a full understanding of this disclosure and are within the scope of the skills of those skilled in the art.

[0012] Those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and methods. Some drawings may illustrate a signal as a single signal for clarity of representation and explanation. Those skilled in the art will understand that a signal can represent a bus of signals, which may have varying bit widths, and that this disclosure can be implemented with any number of data signals, including a single data signal.

[0013] The various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed using general-purpose processors, dedicated processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), integrated circuits (ICs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, separate gate or transistor logic, separate hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor (which may be referred to herein as a host processor or simply a host) may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. A general-purpose computer including a processor is considered a dedicated computer when that general-purpose computer is executing computing instructions (e.g., software code) related to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0014] An embodiment may be described with respect to a process shown as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a structural diagram, or a block diagram. A flowchart may describe operational acts as a sequential process, but many of these acts may be executed in a different order, in parallel, or substantially simultaneously. In addition, the order of the acts may be rearranged. The process may correspond to a method, a thread, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, other structures, or combinations thereof. Further, the methods disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, software, or both. When implemented in software, the functionality may be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium includes both a computer storage medium and a communication medium including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another.

[0015] The use of the designations "first", "second", etc. in this specification to any reference to elements herein does not limit the quantity or order of those elements, unless such limitations are explicitly stated. Rather, these designations may be used herein as a convenient way to distinguish two or more elements or instances of elements. Thus, a reference to a first element and a second element does not mean that only two elements may be used or that the first element must precede the second element in any manner. In addition, unless otherwise specified, a set of elements may include one or more elements.

[0016] As used herein, the term "substantially" in reference to a given parameter, characteristic, or condition means and includes that the given parameter, characteristic, or condition meets the degree of variation that would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, such as within acceptable manufacturing tolerances, for example. As an example, depending on the particular parameter, characteristic, or condition being substantially met, the parameter, characteristic, or condition may be met at least 90%, at least 95%, or even at least 99%.

[0017] Ultra-wideband (UWB) is an example of a technology that can be used for short-range, high-bandwidth communication and radar applications. A UWB radar device that utilizes a bandwidth of >500 MHz can be used to identify the position of an object by using a receiver synchronized with a transmitter to determine the time separation between the pulses in the transmitted signal and the pulses in the received signal. Because relatively short pulses are used, UWB can enable relatively accurate distance and position detection. A UWB radar device that detects the position of an object may be able to detect movement by monitoring the change in distance over time to detect speed.

[0018] The examples disclosed herein utilize a channel impulse response (CIR) to detect movement. As used herein, the term "CIR signal" refers to the sum of multiple sets of samples (which may also be referred to herein as "reflected predetermined pattern samples") obtained from the reflected predetermined pattern signal provided by the receiver antenna at the receiver in response to a predetermined pattern signal that drives the transmitter antenna of the transmitter. Each set of the multiple sets corresponds to a predetermined time window. Each sample represents the value of the received wave. Thus, the magnitude of the CIR signal represents the total energy of the samples over a predetermined time window. The CIR signal can describe the behavior of the transmission channel between the transmitter and the receiver.

[0019] In a non-limiting embodiment, a first set of reflected predetermined pattern samples (e.g., 256 samples) may be acquired over a predetermined time window (e.g., a predetermined time window of 256 nanoseconds, one sample per nanosecond). The length of the predetermined time window may be selected in the transmitter to fit a predetermined pattern signal (e.g., the predetermined pattern signal may be pulsed every 256 nanoseconds). Next, a second set of reflected predetermined pattern samples may be acquired and added to the first set of reflected predetermined pattern samples. Then, subsequent sets of reflected predetermined pattern signals may be summed over a time span (e.g., 40 microseconds corresponding to 156 predetermined time windows of 256 ns each) to generate a CIR signal which may be the sum of multiple sets (e.g., 156 sets for a predetermined time window of 256 nanoseconds and a time span of 40 microseconds). The average magnitude of the values ​​of the CIR signal may be taken and compared to a predetermined threshold to determine whether a moving object is present (e.g., the presence of a moving object may be determined in response to the average magnitude of the values ​​of the CIR signal exceeding a predetermined threshold).

[0020] The motion detection capabilities disclosed herein can be added to position-detecting radar systems (e.g., via software or firmware updates or upgrades) in addition to existing capabilities that provide motion detection capabilities to position-detecting radar systems (e.g., radar systems including, but not limited to, one or more UWB radar devices). For example, an existing radar device coupled to the rear of a vehicle, originally intended for detecting the distance between the rear of the vehicle and an object behind it, can be updated with the motion detection capabilities disclosed herein to detect a gesture (e.g., a kicking motion) to trigger the opening of the vehicle's trunk. Also, UWB devices for distance bounding for automotive access and short-range radar applications (e.g., 6-8 GHz UWB devices) can be adapted for motion detection according to the examples disclosed herein. The examples disclosed herein can also be used to detect seat occupancy, to trigger passive entry systems in a vehicle, to control devices and machines via gestures, and to perform other functions, as will become apparent to those skilled in the art based on this disclosure.

[0021] The examples disclosed herein do not necessarily require analysis of the received RF signal itself, nor do they necessarily require synchronous operation between the transmitter and receiver. Instead, implementations may use a predetermined pattern signal (e.g., a predetermined pulse sequence of data signals) that is accumulated over time to form a CIR signal in the transmission path between the transmitter and receiver. Such a CIR signal may be processed by calculating the average magnitude of the sum of a predetermined number of reflected pattern samples, which represents the distribution of the CIR signal over a predetermined time interval, the predetermined time interval being 256 nanoseconds (given by the pulse interval of the data telegram, which will be further described below).

[0022] To suppress noise in the captured CIR signal, the gain control (GC) is set to a fixed level above the noise level, and only reflected signal components with the correct data telegram pattern (e.g., alternating "0" and "1" symbols with a fixed distance of a given time interval) are captured by the receiver. The receiver front end (e.g., the front-end analog-to-digital converter (ADC)) may have a limited input range. The dynamic range of the signal provided to the receiver front end should be adjusted to match the limited input range of the receiver front end. A GC with a fixed gain level may be used to define a pulse energy detection window for the receiver's limited dynamic range (e.g., the sensitivity of a radar system). If the gain setting is too low, the RF signal may not be detected (e.g., the RF signal may be below the noise floor at the receiver front end). If the gain is set too high, the noise in the signal provided to the receiver may be amplified to the limited input range, and the dynamic range of the signal provided to the receiver may not be outside the receiver's limited dynamic range and therefore may not be detected. Gain control can enable the use of multiple receivers to capture CIR signals from different directions, cover specific areas and ranges, and detect moving objects. This setting can also be influenced by the antennas and antenna patterns of the transmitter and receiver. These antenna patterns can define the area and range covered for detecting moving objects.

[0023] In one or more examples, prior knowledge of the structure of the transmitted data signal (e.g., a fixed pattern of the preamble, but not limited to this) may be used by a receiver device (also referred to herein as “receiver”). Such a receiver may “lock” to this signal pattern (of the RF frequencies of 0 and 1 symbols, and the time intervals between these symbols) and detect changes in the timing of the captured pattern. The respective gains (GC) in the receiver are adjusted to recognize only the reflected data signal and suppress noise.

[0024] Examples disclosed herein use the digital data pattern of an acquired CIR signal to determine changes in the CIR signal that characterize a moving object. The device may operate asynchronously instead of using a synchronous receiver and transmitter. Examples disclosed herein may also function as described even when the receiver and transmitter are synchronous. However, when asynchronous, multiple receivers may be used to determine the area to be covered for detecting a moving object. These multiple receivers may be located in different spatial positions without wired connections to a transmitter or other receivers.

[0025] The examples disclosed herein, but not limited to, enable the use of devices such as UWB devices for additional applications other than distance measurement, including proximity detection, gesture recognition, and detection of moving objects. The examples disclosed herein may utilize the built-in test modes and debug features of existing UWB devices, with or without any hardware modifications to them. Examples of UWB devices that can be modified based on the examples disclosed herein include the ATA5350, ATA5352, ATA8350, and ATA8352 UWB devices manufactured by Microchip Technology Inc., headquartered in Chandler, Arizona. Non-limiting examples of use cases for the examples disclosed herein may include automotive applications (e.g., detection of foot kicking motion to open a trunk, passenger detection on a car seat), consumer electronics applications (e.g., proximity detection to open a door), industrial automation control (e.g., one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional gesture detection), home security applications, and any application that uses proximity detection or gesture recognition.

[0026] In contrast to short-range radar devices that use 24 GHz or 77 GHz analog RF signals to determine the Doppler frequency of a moving object and may require a combination of one transmitter and one receiver operating synchronously in a single device, some examples disclosed herein may use CIR signals captured by a 7 GHz receiver to detect moving objects. In some embodiments, the CIR signals may be captured by the receiver at 6-8 GHz or other frequencies (e.g., 24 GHz or 77 GHz). The receiver or multiple receivers may operate asynchronously or synchronously with respect to the transmitter. The use of some receiver devices enables recognition of the direction of motion for gesture recognition or coverage of a predefined area.

[0027] The examples disclosed herein do not necessarily have to measure the distance or velocity of a moving object. However, the examples disclosed herein can detect the motion of an object in any direction within the detection range. The use of some receiver devices may enable the detection of moving objects in an extended area, or the detection of gestures and proximity.

[0028] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a radar system 100 according to several embodiments. The radar system 100 includes at least two UWB devices, namely a transmitter 102 and at least one receiver 104a, 104b. The transmitter 102 and at least one receiver 104a, 104b may be used together to detect a moving object 114. In some embodiments, the transmitter 102 and one or more of the at least one receiver 104a, 104b may be implemented together in the same device. In some embodiments, the transmitter 102 is implemented separately from one or more receivers 104a, 104b. The transmitter 102 includes a transmitter processing circuit 106 and a transmitting antenna 110. The transmitter processing circuit 106 generates a predetermined pattern signal 116 (for example, in the preamble (PR) of the data telegram 200 in Figure 2A) and provides the predetermined pattern signal 116 to the transmitting antenna 110. The transmitting antenna 110 may provide a predetermined pattern wave 120 that is transmitted continuously during the test mode of the transmitter 102, or as part of a data telegram (e.g., the data telegram 200 in Figure 2A). In a non-limiting embodiment, during the test mode of the transmitter 102, the transmitted predetermined pattern wave 120 may be repeatedly broadcast until the end of the test mode of the transmitter 102. In some embodiments, the transmitted predetermined pattern wave 120 may be continuously broadcast in operating modes other than the test mode.

[0029] In the example in Figure 1, one or more receivers 104a, 104b include multiple receivers 104a, 104b (i.e., two receivers). Although not shown, it will be understood that in some embodiments, more than two receivers may be used. Each of the multiple receivers 104a, 104b has its own individual detection area associated with a moving object (e.g., moving object 114) in which a moving object may be detected (receiver 104a has detection area 124a, receiver 104b has detection area 124b). In some embodiments, detection area 124a and detection area 124b may be the same detection area. In some embodiments, detection area 124a and detection area 124b may be different and substantially mutually exclusive. In some embodiments, detection area 124a and detection area 124b may be different but overlap. Multiple receivers 104a, 104b can be positioned relative to the entire detection area 126, and the individual detection areas 124a, 124b associated with the multiple receivers collectively substantially cover the entire detection area 126.

[0030] Each receiver 104a and 104b may include its own receiver processing circuit (for example, receiver 104a includes receiver processing circuit 108a, and receiver 104b includes receiver processing circuit 108b) and receiver antenna (for example, receiver 104a includes receiver antenna 112a, and receiver 104b includes receiver antenna 112b).

[0031] In response to the transmission of a predetermined pattern wave 120 by the transmitter 102, the receiver antennas 112a and 112b receive their respective reflected predetermined pattern waves 122a and 122b and can provide their respective reflected predetermined pattern signals 118a and 118b to their respective receiver processing circuits 108a and 108b. The receiver processing circuits 108a and 108b can each accumulate a set of samples of their respective reflected predetermined pattern signals 118a and 118b while in receiving mode. Specifically, each receiver processing circuit 108a, 108b samples the reflected predetermined pattern signals 118a, 118b (for example, over a time span of substantially 40 microseconds), determines the sum of the set of samples of the reflected predetermined pattern signals 118a, 118b (for example, a set of substantially 156) (SUM1 from receiver processing circuit 108a and SUM2 from receiver processing circuit 108b), each set of samples is acquired over a predetermined time window (for example, not limited to, but substantially 256 nanoseconds), and can determine whether a moving object has been detected in response to the average magnitude of the sum of the sets of samples of the reflected predetermined pattern signals 118a, 118b (SUM1 and SUM2) and a predetermined threshold. Each sample of the reflected predetermined pattern signals 118a and 118b represents a value of the received wave, and therefore the sum of the magnitudes (absolute values) of the sets of reflected predetermined pattern signal samples 118a and 118b over a predetermined time window represents the total energy of the samples over the predetermined time window.

[0032] Due to the asynchronous operation of the transmitter 102 and at least one receiver 104a, 104b, and the motion of the reflecting object (e.g., a person), the magnitude of the CIR signal exhibits a different distribution with a saturation effect in the case of a stationary object compared to the case of a moving object. In the case of a stationary object, only a small portion of the magnitude of the CIR signal exhibits a signal level substantially greater than zero. In the case of a moving object, compared to the case of a stationary object and the case where there is no object, the majority of the magnitude of the CIR signal exhibits a signal level substantially greater than zero. The magnitude of the CIR signal can be averaged to produce a mean, which is the average of the magnitudes of the CIR signal values ​​(e.g., the average of the sum of the magnitudes of multiple sets of a given reflected pattern signals). By producing a mean in this way, the moving object can be detected by comparing the mean to a predetermined threshold.

[0033] A first sum signal SUM1 (first CIR signal), which is the sum of each sample in the set, may be related to the motion of a moving object 114 within the detection area 124a of receiver 104a. This first sum signal SUM1 may be generated by receiver 104a, which can operate asynchronously and independently of transmitter 102 (Figure 1) and other receivers (e.g., receiver 104b).

[0034] The positions, antenna patterns, and orientations of the transmitting antenna 110 and the receiving antennas 112a and 112b can determine the active area and range in which the motion of the moving object 114 is detected.

[0035] CIR signals (e.g., SUM1 or SUM2 over time) may be captured in the preamble PR of the data telegram 200 (see Figure 2A below). In some embodiments, the transmitter 102 may transmit the preamble continuously rather than transmitting it within the data telegram 200. Receivers 104a, 104b may be in search mode, locking onto the preamble signal PR and collecting data about the CIR signals, i.e., reflected predetermined pattern samples. Generating a CIR signal, i.e., the sum of a set of sample values ​​of reflected predetermined pattern signals 118a, 118b over a time span, where each set is acquired over a predetermined time window, and comparing the average of the sums to a predetermined threshold, may enable the detection of motion (e.g., by a moving object 114).

[0036] Figure 2A shows a data telegram 200 that may be transmitted by the transmitter 102 of Figure 1, according to several embodiments. The data telegram 200 may include a predetermined pattern signal 116 in Figure 1. For example, the data telegram 200 includes a preamble PR, a synchronization word S, and a data payload DATA. The preamble PR may include a predetermined pattern signal (e.g., the predetermined pattern signal 116 in Figure 1), such as a pulse train (e.g., 10101010) corresponding to a known predetermined pattern (e.g., known in receivers 104a and 104b). Therefore, when the transmitter processing circuit (e.g., the transmitter processing circuit 106 in Figure 1) generates a data telegram 200, the transmitter processing circuit 106 generates a predetermined pattern signal to provide a predetermined pattern signal (e.g., the reflected predetermined pattern signals 118a, 118b in Figure 1) that has been reflected by one or more objects (e.g., a moving object 114 as illustrated in Figure 1) of a predetermined transmitted pattern wave 120 (Figure 1). The synchronization word S may include a fixed pattern of 127 symbols. The data payload DATA may include "0" and "1" bits encoded in symbols. The synchronization word S and the data payload DATA do not need to be analyzed for motion detection purposes and may be used for other purposes such as data communication. As previously discussed, in receivers 104a and 104b, a time span of substantially 40 microseconds (40 μs), which may include 156 predetermined time windows of 256 nanoseconds, may be used to generate CIRs such as SUM1 or SUM2, which may then be used to generate an average sum (e.g., the average of the sums of multiple sets of predetermined reflected pattern samples).

[0037] The data telegram 200 may be a binary frequency-shift keying (BFSK) signal. Therefore, in some embodiments, when the preamble signal PR indicates "1", the preamble signal PR (and a given pattern signal 116 in Figure 1) may oscillate at a first frequency f0-m (where "f0" is the center frequency and "m" is a constant value). Also, when the preamble signal PR (and a given pattern signal 116 in Figure 1) indicates "0", the preamble signal PR may oscillate at a second frequency f0+m, as illustrated in Figure 2B. In non-limiting embodiments, the center frequency f0 may be substantially 6.5 GHz and m may be substantially 145 megahertz (MHz).

[0038] Figure 2B is a BFSK signal frequency plot 202 illustrating the "1" symbol frequency component 204 and the "0" symbol frequency component 206 of the preamble PR of the data telegram 200 in Figure 2A, in several embodiments. Other parts of the data telegram 200 (e.g., the synchronization word S and the data payload DATA) may also be transmitted using BFSK (e.g., the entire data telegram 200 may be transmitted using BFSK). As shown in Figure 2B, the "1" symbol frequency component 204 is centered on a first frequency f0-m, and the "0" symbol frequency component 206 is centered on a second frequency f0+m.

[0039] Figure 2C is a plot of an example pulse train of the preamble signal PR in Figure 2A. The pulse train contains pulses separated by a predetermined time interval. In one example, the predetermined time interval is 256 nanoseconds (ns), and the predetermined time interval is defined between subsequent signal peaks. In some embodiments, the value of a predetermined time window for each set of samples used to determine the sum of the sets (e.g., SUM1, SUM2 in Figure 1, but not limited to) may be equal to the predetermined time interval (256 ns in the example in Figure 2C).

[0040] Figure 3 is a block diagram of the receiver processing circuit 300 according to several embodiments. The receiver processing circuit 300 is an example of the receiver processing circuits 108a and 108b in Figure 1. In some embodiments, the receiver processing circuit 300 may operate asynchronously with the transmitter processing circuit (e.g., transmitter 106 in Figure 1) of the transmitter (e.g., transmitter 102 in Figure 1). For example, at least one of the receivers 104a and 104b in Figure 1 may operate asynchronously with the transmitter processing circuit 106 in Figure 1.

[0041] The receiver processing circuit 300 includes an analog input terminal 304 for receiving a reflected predetermined pattern signal 302 (e.g., one of the reflected predetermined pattern signals 118a, 118b in Figure 1) received via a receiver antenna (e.g., one of the receiver antennas 112a, 112b in Figure 1). The receiver processing circuit 300 includes an adjustable gain amplifier 326 electrically connected to the analog input terminal 304. The adjustable gain amplifier 326 may have an adjustable gain A that is adjustable in response to a GC signal 328. The adjustable gain amplifier 326 amplifies the received reflected predetermined pattern signal 302 by the adjustable gain A. Adjusting the adjustable gain A of the adjustable gain amplifier 326 may allow the sensitivity of the receiver processing circuit 300 to be adjusted.

[0042] The receiver processing circuit 300 also includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit 306 for sampling an amplified reflected predetermined pattern signal 302, which is received by the analog input terminal 304 and amplified by an adjustable gain amplifier 326, to generate a reflected predetermined pattern sample 308. In a non-limiting embodiment, the adjustable gain amplifier 326 may amplify the reflected predetermined pattern signal 302 to the operating input range of the ADC circuit 306, which may be the dynamic range of the receiver including the receiver processing circuit 300.

[0043] The receiver processing circuit 300 includes a processor 310 (for example, one or more processing cores). The processor 310 can adjust the adjustable gain A of the adjustable gain amplifier 326 by providing a GC signal 328 to the adjustable gain amplifier 326. In other words, the processor 310 adjusts the gain of the receiver processing circuit 300.

[0044] The processor 310 implements an integrator 324 (e.g., implemented in hardware and / or software) that integrates a predetermined set of reflected pattern samples 308 over a time span (e.g., 40 μs), each of which is acquired over a predetermined time window (e.g., 256 ns). The integrator 324 can accumulate the set of reflected pattern samples 308 over the time span (e.g., 40 μs) to provide a sum 332 of the set of reflected pattern samples 308. The processor 310 can then use the sum 332 to determine the average 312 of the sum 332 of the reflected pattern samples 308 (e.g., the average of the size of one of SUM1 or SUM2 in Figure 1). Thus, the average 332 may include the average of the sizes of the sum 332 of multiple sets of the reflected pattern samples 308. The processor 310 can also, in operation 316, determine whether a moving object has been detected in response to the determined average 312 and a predetermined threshold 314.

[0045] In some embodiments, operation 316 (determining whether a moving object has been detected) includes operations 318 and 320. In such embodiments, in operation 318, the processor 310 generates a normalized average sum by dividing the average 312 by the number of predetermined pattern samples reflected within a predetermined time window. In operation 320, the processor 310 determines that a moving object has been detected in response that the normalized average exceeds a predetermined threshold 314.

[0046] In some embodiments, operation 316 (determining whether a moving object has been detected) includes operation 322. In such embodiments, in operation 322, the processor 310 determines that a moving object has been detected in response that the determined average 312 exceeds a predetermined threshold 314. In some embodiments, determining whether a moving object has been detected may include determining the direction of motion of the moving object in response to the magnitude of the total 332 and another total (not shown) from another receiver (not shown). In a non-limiting embodiment, the time shift of the total magnitude from one receiver compared to the total magnitude from another receiver may be analyzed to determine the direction of motion of the moving object.

[0047] In some embodiments, the processor 310 may output a trigger signal 330 in response to a decision that a moving object has been detected during operation 316. A receiver including a receiver processing circuit 300 (for example, receivers 104a and 104b in Figure 1) may output this trigger signal 330 in response to a decision that a moving object has been detected in order to trigger other operations. In non-limiting embodiments, at least one of a vehicle trunk opening mechanism, a door opening mechanism, and an industrial automation controller may be triggered in response to the trigger signal 330.

[0048] Figure 4 is a side view of a motion detection system 400 according to several embodiments. The motion detection system 400 includes a vehicle 402 which includes a transmitter 408 similar to the transmitter 102 in Figure 1 and one or more receivers 410 similar to the receivers 104a and 104b in Figure 1. Although not shown, each of the one or more receivers 410 includes a receiver processing circuit similar to the receiver processing circuit 300 in Figure 3. Thus, one or more receivers 410 may output a trigger signal 412 similar to the trigger signal 330 in Figure 3 in response to a determination that a moving object has been detected within the entire detection area of ​​one or more receivers 410 (e.g., the entire detection area 126 in Figure 1).

[0049] Vehicle 402 also includes a trunk 404 and a vehicle trunk opening mechanism 406, such as an electronically controllable latch that opens the trunk 404 in response to a trigger signal 412. Thus, in response to a determination that a moving object has been detected within the full detection area of ​​one or more receivers 410, one or more receivers 410 may provide a trigger signal 412 to the vehicle trunk opening mechanism 406, triggering the vehicle trunk opening mechanism 406 to open the trunk 404. In a non-limiting embodiment, the motion detection system 400 may trigger the opening of the trunk 404 in response to the detection of a person's kicking motion within the full detection area. As a result, a person carrying luggage to be placed in the trunk, or otherwise not having a free hand to manually open the trunk 404, may use a motion gesture to open the trunk 404.

[0050] Figure 5 shows another motion detection system 500 according to several embodiments. The motion detection system 500 includes an automatic door 502, a door opening mechanism 508 that opens the automatic door 502 such as an electronically controllable swing door or sliding door, a transmitter 504 similar to the transmitter 102 in Figure 1, and one or more receivers 506 similar to the receivers 104a and 104b in Figure 1. Although not shown, each of the one or more receivers 506 includes a receiver processing circuit similar to the receiver processing circuit 300 in Figure 3. Thus, one or more receivers 506 may output a trigger signal 510 similar to the trigger signal 330 in Figure 3 in response to a determination that a moving object has been detected within the entire detection area of ​​one or more receivers 506 (e.g., the entire detection area 126 in Figure 1).

[0051] The trigger signal 510 can trigger the door opening mechanism 508 to open the automatic door 502. Thus, in response to one or more receivers 506 detecting movement such as a person 512 moving within the entire detection area of ​​one or more receivers 506 (for example, the entire detection area 126 in Figure 1), one or more receivers 506 may provide the trigger signal 510 to the door opening mechanism 508, and the door opening mechanism 508 may open the automatic door 502 in response to the trigger signal 510.

[0052] Figure 6 is a block diagram of an industrial automation system 600 according to several embodiments. The industrial automation system 600 includes one or more motion detection systems 602, an industrial automation controller 608, and one or more actuators 610 operably coupled to the industrial automation controller 608. The industrial automation controller 608 can control various actuators 610 of the industrial automation system 600 to perform various industrial automation tasks.

[0053] Each of the one or more motion detection systems 602 may include a transmitter 604 similar to the transmitter 102 in Figure 1 and one or more receivers 606 similar to the receivers 104a and 104b in Figure 1. Although not shown, each of the one or more receivers 606 includes a receiver processing circuit similar to the receiver processing circuit 300 in Figure 3. Thus, each of the one or more receivers 606 may output a trigger signal 612 similar to the trigger signal 330 in Figure 3 in response to a determination that a moving object has been detected within the entire detection area of ​​one or more receivers 606 (e.g., the entire detection area 126 in Figure 1).

[0054] The trigger signal 612 can trigger the industrial automation controller 608 to control the actuator 610 to perform or stop performing any of a variety of different functions. In a non-limiting embodiment, if one of one or more motion detection systems 602 provides the industrial automation controller 608 with a trigger signal 612 in response to motion detected near a moving part of the industrial automation system 600, the industrial automation controller 608 may stop those moving parts from moving. In such an example, detected human motion can trigger the industrial automation controller 608 to stop the movement of a moving part, so that a moving person or a moving limb of a person (e.g., arm, leg, hand) may not be injured or crushed by the moving part.

[0055] Figures 7A and 7B illustrate the magnitude (absolute value of the CIR signal) that may occur when there are no objects within the receiving range of receivers 104a and 104b (Figure 1) or when there are stationary objects (but no moving objects). The magnitude of the CIR signal illustrated in Figures 7A and 7B represents the signal energy of a set of reflected pattern samples accumulated over a time span of 40 μs for each sampling interval of the set (a predetermined time window of 256 ns) at a sample rate of 1 ns. As a result, the index of the reflected predetermined sample in each set ranges from [0...255]. The 40 μs time span includes 156 sets of reflected predetermined pattern samples, and the sets are continuous. Therefore, the magnitude of the CIR signal in Figures 7A and 7B includes 256 values, each of which is the magnitude of the sum of similarly indexed values ​​from each set of reflected predetermined pattern samples. For example, the magnitude value of the CIR signal indexed as [0] is the sum of the reflected predetermined pattern samples indexed as [0] in the set. Furthermore, the magnitude value of the CIR signal indexed as [n] is the sum of the magnitudes of the predetermined reflected pattern samples indexed as [n] in the set.

[0056] Figure 7A illustrates the magnitude 702 of a CIR signal, which may be the magnitude E(t) (vertical axis) of the sum of a set of predetermined reflected pattern samples (e.g., SUM1 in Figure 1, SUM2 in Figure 1) plotted against time when no object is present (horizontal axis). Since each set of predetermined reflected samples contains 256 samples, the magnitude 702 of the CIR signal, which is the sum of the sets, also contains 256 samples. The magnitude 702 of the CIR signal includes a peak 704, as illustrated in Figure 7A. The magnitude 702 of the CIR signal is relatively small except for the peak 704, and the magnitude and width of the peak 704 are relatively small because the magnitude 702 of the CIR signal essentially represents only background reflection due to the absence of an object.

[0057] Figure 7B illustrates another example of CIR signal magnitude 706, where E(t) (vertical axis) can be the magnitude of a given set of reflected pattern samples plotted against time (horizontal axis) with a stationary object present (e.g., SUM1 in Figure 1, SUM2 in Figure 1). CIR signal magnitude 706 includes a peak 708, as illustrated in Figure 7B. Similar to CIR signal magnitude 702 in Figure 7A, CIR signal magnitude 706 is relatively small except for peak 708. Peak 708 is slightly higher in magnitude and slightly wider than peak 704 when no object is present, but since the object is stationary, the magnitude and width of peak 708 are still relatively low.

[0058] Figures 8A and 8B illustrate the magnitude (absolute value of the CIR signal) that may occur from a moving object within the receiving range of receivers 104a and 104b (Figure 1). Similar to the magnitude of the CIR signal illustrated in Figures 7A and 7B, the magnitude of the CIR signal illustrated in Figures 8A and 8B represents a set of reflected predetermined pattern samples accumulated over a time span of 40 μs for each sampling interval of the set (a predetermined time window of 256 ns) at a sample rate of 1 ns. As a result, the index of the reflected predetermined sample in each set ranges from [0...255]. The 40 μs time span includes 156 sets of reflected predetermined pattern samples, and the sets are continuous. Therefore, the magnitude of the CIR signal in Figures 8A and 8B includes 256 values, each of which is the magnitude of the sum of similarly indexed values ​​from each set of reflected predetermined pattern samples.

[0059] Figure 8A illustrates the magnitude 802 of a CIR signal, which can be the magnitude (vertical axis) of the sum of a given set of reflected pattern samples plotted against time (horizontal axis) with respect to the presence of a moving object (e.g., SUM1 in Figure 1, SUM2 in Figure 1). The magnitude 802 of the CIR signal includes a peak 804, as illustrated in Figure 8A. The magnitude and width of peak 804 are greater than those of peaks 704 and 708 in Figures 7A and 7B. In fact, the magnitude 802 of the CIR signal is substantially saturated at a magnitude of 1500 at peak 804. Saturation of the magnitude of a CIR signal, such as that of the CIR signal 802, can be a characteristic of a moving object due to the overall cumulative pulse energy from the reflected pulses due to changes in reflection.

[0060] Figure 8B illustrates another example of CIR signal magnitude 806, which can be the magnitude (vertical axis) of the sum of a given set of reflected pattern samples plotted against time (horizontal axis) with respect to a moving object (e.g., SUM1 in Figure 1, SUM2 in Figure 1). CIR signal magnitude 806 includes peaks 808 and 810, as illustrated in Figure 8B. Similar to peak 804 in Figure 8A, the magnitude and width of peak 810 are greater than those of peaks 704 and 708 in Figures 7A and 7B. Also, CIR signal magnitude 806 saturates at magnitude 1500 at peak 810. Therefore, as illustrated in Figures 7A to 8B, higher and wider peaks in the CIR signal magnitude can be expected when a moving object is within the detection area compared to scenarios with a stationary object or no object. As a result, the average CIR signal (e.g., average 312 in Figure 3) will be higher when a moving object is present than when no moving object is present, and a predetermined threshold (e.g., predetermined threshold 314 in Figure 3) can be selected to be higher than expected for the average CIR signal when no moving object is present, but lower than expected for the average sum of CIR signals when a moving object is present.

[0061] Figure 9A is a plot of an example of the average total magnitude 902 (e.g., the average magnitude of SUM1 or SUM2 in Figure 1, the average magnitudes of CIR signals 702, 706, 802, and 806 in Figures 7A-8B) acquired at various time points t (horizontal axis) where no moving object is present (indicated as s(t) in Figure 9A). For example, the average total magnitude 902 in Figure 9 is acquired every 6 milliseconds (6 ms) from time t=0 to time t=1. In a non-limiting embodiment, a predetermined pattern signal in the transmitter may be provided to the transmitter antenna. The predetermined pattern signal may include pulses spaced 256 ns apart, as illustrated in Figure 2C. Since no moving object is present, the reflected predetermined pattern signal in the receiver may include pulses of relatively low magnitude (e.g., undetectable pulses). If no detectable pulses are present, antenna noise may accumulate, which on average may result in a mean value of zero, assuming white noise. Therefore, the average size of the sum of a given set of reflected pattern samples may be smaller than a given threshold 906 (for example, threshold = 400 in Figure 9A), and thus, the moving object may not be detected at each time point t illustrated in Figure 9A.

[0062] A moving object may be identified, or the motion itself may be analyzed to detect the direction of motion, using a predetermined threshold 906 applied to the average sum magnitude 902 (e.g., threshold = 400 in Figure 9A). For example, the direction of motion may be identified by detecting the shift in peak position between the magnitudes of the CIR signals, thereby obtaining the sum of a predetermined set of reflected pattern samples from one or more receivers (or equivalently the magnitude of the CIR signal, i.e., E(t)). Gain control (GC) in the receivers (e.g., receivers 104a, 104b in Figure 1) may be set to a fixed level (e.g., via the GC signal 328 in Figure 3) to suppress noise signals in the reflected pattern samples.

[0063] The average sum s(t) (for example, the average sum of 902) can be determined as follows:

[0064]

number

[0065] Figure 9B is a plot of an example of the average sum 904 over time when a moving object is present. When a predetermined threshold 906 is applied to the average sum 904, the moving object can be identified. For example, the average sum 904 exceeds the predetermined threshold 906 in a time of substantially 0.82 seconds in the plot of Figure 9B. As a result, the moving object is detected in 0.82 seconds (for example, a trigger signal 330 in Figure 3 may be provided).

[0066] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method 1000 for operating a receiver processing circuit according to several embodiments. In operation 1002, method 1000 includes the step of sampling a predetermined reflected pattern signal to generate a predetermined reflected pattern sample.

[0067] In operation 1004, method 1000 includes determining the average of the sum of a given set of reflected pattern samples over time, where each set of multiple sets corresponds to a given time window. In some embodiments, determining the average includes, in operation 1006, integrating the values ​​of the given set of reflected pattern samples over time (for example, using the integrator 324 in Figure 3).

[0068] In operation 1008, method 1000 includes determining that a moving object has been detected in response to the sum of determined averages and a predetermined threshold.

[0069] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method 1100 for operating a radar system in several embodiments. In operation 1102, method 1100 includes generating a predetermined pattern signal (e.g., the preamble PR of the data telegram 200 in Figure 2A) including a binary frequency shift keying signal by the transmitter processing circuit of the transmitter. In operation 1104, method 1100 includes providing the predetermined pattern signal to the transmitting antenna of the transmitter.

[0070] In operation 1106, method 1100 includes receiving a predetermined pattern wave reflected in response to a predetermined pattern signal provided to a transmitting antenna by the receiver antenna of the receiver. In operation 1108, method 1100 includes generating a predetermined reflected pattern sample by the receiver processing circuit of the receiver by sampling the predetermined pattern signal reflected in response to the reflected predetermined pattern wave.

[0071] In operation 1110, method 1100 includes determining the average of the sum of a predetermined set of reflected pattern samples, where each set of a plurality of sets corresponds to a predetermined time window. In operation 1112, method 1100 includes determining that a moving object has been detected in response to the determined average and a predetermined threshold. In some embodiments, determining that a moving object has been detected includes determining in operation 1114 that a moving object has been detected in response to the determined average exceeding a predetermined threshold.

[0072] Those skilled in the art will understand that the functional elements (e.g., functions, operations, actions, processes, and / or methods) of the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof. Figure 12 illustrates non-limiting embodiments of implementations of the functional elements disclosed herein. In some embodiments, some or all of the functional elements disclosed herein may be implemented by hardware specifically for performing the functional elements.

[0073] Figure 12 is a block diagram of circuit 1200, which in some embodiments may be used to implement various functions, operations, actions, processes, and / or methods disclosed herein. Circuit 1200 includes one or more processors 1202 (which may be referred to herein as "processor 1202") operably coupled to one or more data storage devices (which may be referred to herein as "storage device 1204"). The storage device 1204 includes machine-executable code 1206 stored therein, and the processors 1202 include logic circuits 1208. The machine-executable code 1206 includes information describing functional elements that can be implemented (e.g., executed) by the logic circuits 1208. The logic circuits 1208 are adapted to implement (e.g., execute) the functional elements described by the machine-executable code 1206. When the circuit 1200 executes the functional elements described by the machine-executable code 1206, it should be considered dedicated hardware for executing the functional elements disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the processor 1202 may execute the functional elements described by the machine-executable code 1206 sequentially, simultaneously (for example, on one or more different hardware platforms), or in one or more parallel processing streams.

[0074] When implemented by the logic circuit 1208 of processor 1202, machine executable code 1206 adapts processor 1202 to perform the operations of the embodiments disclosed herein. For example, machine executable code 1206 may adapt processor 1202 to perform at least part or all of method 1000 of Figure 10 and / or method 1100 of Figure 11. In another embodiment, machine executable code 1206 may adapt processor 1202 to perform at least part or all of the operations considered for transmitter processing circuit 106 of Figure 1, receiver processing circuits 108a, 108b of Figure 1, receiver processing circuit 300 of Figure 3, or a combination thereof. In a particular non-limiting embodiment, machine executable code 1206 may adapt processor 1202 to determine the average of the sum of a given set of reflected pattern samples over a given time window. In another specific, non-limiting embodiment, machine executable code 1206 may adapt processor 1202 to determine whether a moving object has been detected in response to a determined average of the sum of a given set of reflected pattern samples and a predetermined threshold.

[0075] The processor 1202 may include a general-purpose processor, a dedicated processor, a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, other programmable devices, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions disclosed herein. A general-purpose computer including a processor is considered a dedicated computer when the general-purpose computer executes functional elements corresponding to machine-executable code 1206 (e.g., software code, firmware code, hardware description) related to embodiments of this disclosure. The general-purpose processor (which may also be referred to herein as a host processor or simply a host) may be a microprocessor, but it should be noted that the processor 1202 may include any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. Processor 1202 can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other combination of such configurations.

[0076] In some embodiments, the storage device 1204 includes volatile data storage devices (e.g., random-access memory (RAM)) and non-volatile data storage devices (e.g., flash memory, hard disk drives, solid-state drives, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), etc.). In some embodiments, the processor 1202 and the storage device 1204 may be implemented in a single device (e.g., a semiconductor device product, a system on a chip (SOC), etc.). In some embodiments, the processor 1202 and the storage device 1204 may be implemented in multiple separate devices.

[0077] In some embodiments, the machine-executable code 1206 may include computer-readable instructions (e.g., software code, firmware code). In a non-limiting embodiment, the computer-readable instructions may be stored in the memory device 1204, directly accessed by the processor 1202, and executed by the processor 1202 using at least the logic circuit 1208. Also in a non-limiting embodiment, the computer-readable instructions may be stored in the memory device 1204, transferred to a memory device (not shown) for execution, and executed by the processor 1202 using at least the logic circuit 1208. Thus, in some embodiments, the logic circuit 1208 includes an electrically configurable logic circuit 1208.

[0078] In some embodiments, machine-executable code 1206 may describe hardware (e.g., circuits) implemented within logic circuits 1208 to execute functional elements. This hardware may be described at any of the various levels of abstraction, from low-level transistor layouts to high-level description languages. At high levels of abstraction, a hardware description language (HDL), such as the IEEE Standard Hardware Description Language (HDL), may be used. In non-limiting embodiments, VERILOG®, SYSTEMVERILOG®, or Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Hardware Description Language (VHDL®) may be used.

[0079] The HDL description can be converted to a description in any of a number of other levels of abstraction, as desired. In a non-limiting embodiment, the high-level description can be converted to a logic-level description such as register-transfer language (RTL), gate-level (GL) description, layout-level description, or mask-level description. In a non-limiting embodiment, the microoperations performed by the hardware logic circuits of logic circuit 1208 (e.g., gates, flip-flops, registers, but not limited to these) can be described in RTL and then converted to a GL description by a synthesis tool, the GL description can be converted to a layout-level description by a setup and routing tool, this layout-level description corresponds to the physical layout of an integrated circuit of programmable logic devices, individual gate or transistor logic, individual hardware components, or combinations thereof. Thus, in some embodiments, the machine-executable code 1206 may include HDL, RTL, GL descriptions, mask-level descriptions, other hardware descriptions, or any combination thereof.

[0080] In embodiments where the machine-executable code 1206 includes a hardware description (at any level of abstraction), the system (including a storage device 1204, not shown) may implement the hardware description described by the machine-executable code 1206. In non-limiting embodiments, the processor 1202 may include a programmable logic device (e.g., an FPGA or PLC), and the logic circuit 1208 may be electrically controlled to implement circuits corresponding to the hardware description in the logic circuit 1208. Also in non-limiting embodiments, the logic circuit 1208 may include hardwired logic manufactured by a manufacturing system (including a storage device 1204, not shown) according to the hardware description of the machine-executable code 1206.

[0081] Regardless of whether the machine-executable code 1206 includes computer-readable instructions or hardware descriptions, the logic circuit 1208 is adapted to execute the functional elements described by the machine-executable code 1206 when implementing the functional elements of the machine-executable code 1206. Note that while hardware descriptions do not have to directly describe functional elements, they indirectly describe the functional elements that the hardware elements described by them can execute. [Examples]

[0082] A non-exclusive and non-restrictive list of examples is as follows. It is not explicitly indicated that each of the examples listed below is combinatorial with all of the other examples listed below and above. However, these examples are intended to be combinatorial with all other examples unless it is obvious to those skilled in the art that an example is not combinatorial.

[0083] Example 1: An apparatus comprising: an analog input terminal of a receiver processing circuit that receives a predetermined reflected pattern signal provided by a receiver antenna; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit that samples the predetermined reflected pattern signal received by the analog input terminal to generate a predetermined reflected pattern sample; and a processor, wherein the processor takes in a plurality of sets of predetermined reflected pattern samples, each set of the plurality of sets containing a predetermined number of predetermined reflected pattern samples corresponding to a predetermined time window of the predetermined reflected pattern signal; determines the average of the sum of the plurality of sets of predetermined reflected pattern samples; and determines whether a moving object has been detected in response to the determined average and a predetermined threshold.

[0084] Example 2: The apparatus according to Example 1, wherein the processor divides the determined average by a predetermined number of reflected pattern samples corresponding to a predetermined time window to generate a normalized average, and determines that a moving object has been detected in response to the normalized average exceeding a predetermined threshold.

[0085] Example 3: The apparatus according to Example 1, wherein the processor determines that a moving object has been detected in response to the determined average exceeding a predetermined threshold.

[0086] Example 4: The apparatus according to any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the receiver processing circuit operates asynchronously with the transmitter processing circuit of the transmitter, and the transmitter processing circuit generates a predetermined pattern signal and provides the reflected predetermined pattern signal in response to the reflection of a predetermined pattern wave corresponding to the predetermined pattern signal by one or more objects.

[0087] Example 5: The apparatus according to any one of Examples 1 to 4, wherein the processor adjusts the gain of the receiver processing circuit.

[0088] Example 6: The apparatus according to any one of Examples 1 to 5, wherein the processor determines the mean determined by integrating the values ​​of a predetermined set of reflected pattern samples over time.

[0089] Example 7: The apparatus according to any one of Examples 1 to 6, wherein the reflected predetermined pattern signal includes a binary frequency shift keying signal.

[0090] Example 8: A system comprising a transmitter including a transmitter processing circuit for generating a predetermined pattern signal, and one or more receivers, each including its own receiver processing circuit, wherein each receiver processing circuit samples a reflected predetermined pattern signal to generate a reflected predetermined pattern sample, determines the average of the sum

[0091] Example 9: The system according to Example 8, wherein the predetermined pattern signal includes a binary frequency shift keying signal.

[0092] Example 10: The system according to either Example 8 or 9, wherein at least one of the one or more receivers operates asynchronously with respect to the transmitter processing circuit.

[0093] Example 11: The system according to any one of Examples 8 to 10, wherein one or more receivers comprises a plurality of receivers, each of which has its own individual detection area associated with it.

[0094] Example 12: The system according to Example 11, wherein the multiple receivers are positioned relative to the entire detection area, and the individual detection areas associated with each of the multiple receivers collectively substantially cover the entire detection area.

[0095] Example 13: The system according to any one of Examples 8 to 12, wherein each receiver processing circuit determines that a moving object has been detected in response to the determined average exceeding a predetermined threshold.

[0096] Example 14: The system according to any one of Examples 8 to 13, wherein one or more receivers output a trigger signal in response to a determination that a moving object has been detected.

[0097] Example 15: The system according to Example 14, comprising at least one of a vehicle trunk opening mechanism, a door opening mechanism, and an industrial automation controller, which are triggered in response to a trigger signal.

[0098] Example 16: A method for operating a receiver processing circuit, comprising the steps of: sampling a predetermined reflected pattern signal to generate a predetermined reflected pattern sample; determining the average of the sum of sets of predetermined reflected pattern samples over time, wherein each set of a plurality of sets corresponds to a predetermined time window; and determining that a moving object has been detected in response to the determined average and a predetermined threshold.

[0099] Example 17: The method according to Example 16, wherein the step of determining the mean includes the step of integrating the values ​​of a given set of reflected pattern samples.

[0100] Example 18: A method for operating a radar system, comprising: generating a predetermined pattern signal including a binary frequency shift keying signal using a transmitter processing circuit of a transmitter; providing the predetermined pattern signal to a transmitting antenna of a transmitter; receiving a predetermined pattern wave reflected in response to the predetermined pattern signal provided to the transmitting antenna using a receiver antenna of a receiver; sampling the predetermined pattern signal reflected in response to the reflected predetermined pattern wave using a receiver processing circuit of a receiver to generate a predetermined reflected pattern sample; determining the average of the sum of the sum of a plurality of sets over time, wherein each set corresponds to a predetermined time window; and determining that a moving object has been detected in response to the determined average and a predetermined threshold.

[0101] Example 19: The method according to Example 18, wherein the step of determining that a moving object has been detected is the step of determining that a moving object has been detected in response to the determined average exceeding a predetermined threshold.

[0102] Example 20: A receiver processing circuit comprising: an analog input terminal configured to receive a reflected test pattern signal received via a receiver antenna; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit configured to sample the reflected test pattern signal received by the analog input terminal to generate a reflected test pattern sample; and a processor configured to determine the sum of channel impulse response values ​​over a predetermined time window in response to the reflected test pattern sample, and to determine whether a moving object has been detected in response to the determined sum of channel impulse response values ​​and a predetermined threshold.

[0103] Example 21: The receiver processing circuit according to Example 20, wherein the processing core is configured to determine whether a moving object has been detected in response to the determined sum of channel impulse response values ​​and a predetermined threshold, by dividing the sum of channel impulse response values ​​by the number of test pattern samples corresponding to a predetermined time window to generate a normalized sum, and determining that a moving object has been detected in response to the normalized sum exceeding a predetermined threshold.

[0104] Example 22: The receiver processing circuit according to Example 20, wherein the processing core is configured to determine whether a moving object has been detected in response to a determined sum of channel impulse response values ​​and a predetermined threshold, by determining that a moving object has been detected in response to a determined sum of channel impulse response values ​​that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0105] Example 23: The receiver processing circuit according to any one of Examples 20 to 22, wherein the receiver processing circuit is configured to operate asynchronously with the transmitter processing circuit of the transmitter, and the transmitter processing circuit is configured to generate a test pattern signal and provide a reflected test pattern signal in response to the reflection of the test pattern signal by one or more objects.

[0106] Example 24: A receiver processing circuit according to any one of Examples 20-23, wherein the processing core is configured to adjust the gain of the receiver.

[0107] Example 25: A receiver processing circuit according to any one of Examples 20 to 24, wherein the processing core is configured to determine the sum of the channel impulse response values ​​by integrating the channel impulse response values ​​over a predetermined time window.

[0108] Example 26: A receiver processing circuit according to any one of Examples 20-25, wherein the test pattern signal includes a binary frequency shift keying signal.

[0109] Example 27: A radar system comprising a transmitter including a transmitter processing circuit configured to generate a test pattern signal, and one or more receivers including a receiver processing circuit, wherein the receiver processing circuit is configured to sample a reflected test pattern signal to generate a reflected test pattern sample, to determine the sum of channel impulse response values ​​over a predetermined time window in response to the reflected test pattern sample, and to determine that a moving object has been detected in response to the sum of channel impulse response values ​​and a predetermined threshold.

[0110] Example 28: The radar system according to Example 27, wherein the test pattern signal includes a binary frequency shift keying signal.

[0111] Example 29: The radar system according to any one of Examples 27 and 28, wherein at least one of the one or more receivers is configured to operate asynchronously with respect to the transmitter processing circuit.

[0112] Example 30: A radar system according to any one of Examples 27 to 29, wherein one or more receivers comprises multiple receivers, each of which has an associated separate detection area.

[0113] Example 31: The radar system according to Example 30, wherein the multiple receivers are positioned relative to the entire detection area, and the individual detection areas associated with the multiple receivers substantially cover the entire detection area.

[0114] Example 32: The radar system according to any one of Examples 27 to 31, wherein the receiver processing circuit is configured to determine that a moving object has been detected by determining the average of the channel impulse response values ​​in response to the sum of the channel impulse response values, and determining that a moving object has been detected in response to the average of the channel impulse response values ​​exceeding a predetermined threshold.

[0115] Example 33: The radar system according to any one of Examples 27 to 32, wherein the receiver processing circuit is configured to determine that a moving object has been detected in response to the sum of the channel impulse response values ​​exceeding a predetermined threshold.

[0116] Example 34: The radar system according to any one of Examples 27-33, further comprising a mechanism configured to trigger in response to a determination that a moving object has been detected.

[0117] Example 35: The radar system according to Example 34, wherein the mechanism comprises a mechanism selected from the group consisting of a vehicle trunk opening mechanism, a door opening mechanism, and an industrial automation controller.

[0118] Example 36: A method for operating a receiver processing circuit, comprising the steps of: sampling a reflected test pattern signal to generate a reflected test pattern sample; determining the sum of channel impulse response values ​​over a predetermined time window in response to the reflected test pattern sample; and determining that a moving object has been detected in response to the sum of channel impulse response values ​​and a predetermined threshold.

[0119] Example 37: The method according to Example 36, wherein the step of determining the sum of channel impulse response values ​​over a predetermined time window includes the step of integrating a reflected test pattern sample over a predetermined time window.

[0120] Example 38: A method for operating a radar system, comprising: generating a test pattern signal including a binary frequency shift keying signal using a transmitter processing circuit of a transmitter; providing the test pattern signal to the transmitting antenna of the transmitter; receiving a test pattern signal reflected in response to the test pattern signal provided to the transmitting antenna using a receiving antenna of a receiver; sampling the reflected test pattern signal using a receiver processing circuit of the receiver to generate a reflected test pattern sample; determining the sum of channel impulse response values ​​over a predetermined time window in response to the reflected test pattern sample; and determining that a moving object has been detected in response to the sum of channel impulse response values ​​and a predetermined threshold.

[0121] Example 39: The method according to Example 38, wherein the step of determining that a moving object has been detected in response to the sum of channel impulse response values ​​and a predetermined threshold includes the steps of determining the average of the channel impulse response values ​​and determining that a moving object has been detected in response to the average exceeding a predetermined threshold.

[0122] In conclusion When used in this disclosure, the terms “module” or “component” may refer to a specific hardware implementation that performs actions of a module or component and / or software object or software routine that are stored in and / or executed by general-purpose hardware of a computing system (e.g., computer-readable media, processing devices, etc.). In some embodiments, different components, modules, engines, and services described in this disclosure may be implemented as objects or processes that run on a computing system (e.g., as separate threads). While some of the systems and methods described in this disclosure are generally described as being implemented in software (stored and / or executed in general-purpose hardware), specific hardware implementations, or combinations of software and specific hardware implementations, are also possible and intended.

[0123] When used in this disclosure, the term “combination” relating to multiple elements may include any combination of all elements or any different partial combinations of some of the elements. For example, the phrase “A, B, C, D, or any combination thereof” may refer to A, B, C, or D; any combination of A, B, C, and D; and any partial combination of A, B, C, or D, e.g., A, B, and C; A, B, and D; A, C, and D; B, C, and D; A and B; A and C; A and D; B and C; B and D; or any one of C and D.

[0124] The terms used in this disclosure, and in particular in the appended claims (e.g., the text of the appended claims), are generally intended to be “open” terms (for example, the term “including” should be interpreted as “including, but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “including, but not limited to,” and so on. Where used herein, the term “each” means some or all, and the term “each and every” means all).

[0125] Additionally, if a specific number of introduced claim enumerations are intended, such intent will be explicitly enumerated in the claims; if there is no such enumeration, such intent does not exist. For example, to aid understanding, the claims attached below may include the use of introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce a claim enumeration. However, the use of such phrases should not be interpreted as the introduction of a claim description by the indefinite article “one (a)” or “one (an)” limiting any particular claim containing such introduced claim description to embodiments containing only one such description (for example, “one (a)” and / or “one (an)” should be interpreted as meaning “at least one” or “one or more”). The same applies to the use of explicit articles used to introduce claim enumerations.

[0126] In addition, even if a specific number of claims introduced is explicitly listed, a person skilled in the art will recognize that such a list should be interpreted as meaning at least the number listed (for example, the explicit listing of “two lists” without other modifiers means at least two lists or two or more lists). Furthermore, where conventions similar to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” or “one or more of A, B, and C, etc.” are used, such structures are generally intended to include A only, B only, C only, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B, and C together.

[0127] Furthermore, any separate word or phrase that presents two or more alternative terms should be understood, whether in the specification, claims, or drawings, as construing the possibility of including one of the terms, either or both of the terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" should be understood as including the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B".

[0128] While this disclosure is described herein with respect to certain exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize and understand that the invention is not so limited. Rather, numerous additions, deletions, and modifications can be made to the exemplary and described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed below together with their legal equivalents. In addition, features of one embodiment can be combined with features of another disclosed embodiment, as conceivable by the inventors, but still remain within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. Apparatus, the apparatus, An analog input terminal of a receiver processing circuit, wherein the analog input terminal receives a predetermined pattern signal reflected by a receiver antenna, An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit that samples the reflected predetermined pattern signal received by the analog input terminal to generate a reflected predetermined pattern sample, A processor is provided, and the processor is A plurality of sets of the reflected predetermined pattern samples, each set of the plurality of sets includes a predetermined number of the reflected predetermined pattern samples corresponding to a predetermined time window of the reflected predetermined pattern signal, Determine the average of the sum of the sizes of the plurality of sets of the reflected predetermined pattern samples, and A device that determines whether a moving object has been detected in response to the determined average and a predetermined threshold.

2. The aforementioned processor, To generate a normalized mean, the determined mean is divided by the number of reflected pattern samples corresponding to the predetermined time window, and The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is determined that the moving object has been detected in response to the normalized mean exceeding a predetermined threshold.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines that the moving object has been detected in response to the determined average exceeding a predetermined threshold.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiver processing circuit operates asynchronously with the transmitter processing circuit of the transmitter, and the transmitter processing circuit generates a predetermined pattern signal and provides the reflected predetermined pattern signal in response to the reflection of a predetermined pattern wave corresponding to the predetermined pattern signal by one or more objects.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor adjusts the gain of the receiver processing circuit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines the determined average by integrating the values ​​of the set of predetermined pattern samples reflected over time.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reflected predetermined pattern signal includes a binary frequency shift keying signal.

8. A system, wherein the system is A transmitter including a transmitter processing circuit for generating a predetermined pattern signal, Each comprises one or more receivers, each of which includes its own receiver processing circuit, To generate a predetermined reflected pattern sample, the predetermined reflected pattern signal is sampled, The average of the sum of the set of the reflected predetermined pattern samples over time, wherein each of the plurality of sets determines the average of the sum of the sets corresponding to a predetermined time window, and A system that determines that a moving object has been detected in response to the determined average and a predetermined threshold.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined pattern signal includes a binary frequency shift keying signal.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the one or more receivers operates asynchronously with respect to the transmitter processing circuit.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the one or more receivers include a plurality of receivers, each of the plurality of receivers having its own individual detection area associated therewith.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of receivers are positioned with respect to the entire detection area, and the respective individual detection areas associated with each of the plurality of receivers collectively substantially cover the entire detection area.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein each of the receiver processing circuits determines that the moving object has been detected in response to the determined average exceeding a predetermined threshold.

14. The system according to claim 8, wherein one or more receivers output a trigger signal in response to a determination that the moving object has been detected.

15. The system according to claim 14, comprising at least one of a vehicle trunk opening mechanism, a door opening mechanism, and an industrial automation controller, which is triggered in response to the trigger signal.

16. A method for operating a receiver processing circuit, wherein the method is A step of sampling a predetermined pattern signal that has been reflected in order to generate a predetermined pattern sample of the reflected pattern, The steps include determining the average of the sum of the sum of the set of a plurality of set samples over time, where each set of the plurality of set samples corresponds to a predetermined time window, A method comprising the step of determining that a moving object has been detected in response to the determined average and a predetermined threshold.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of determining the mean includes the step of integrating the values ​​of the plurality of sets of the predetermined reflected pattern samples.

18. A method for operating a radar system, wherein the method is The transmitter's transmitter processing circuit generates a predetermined pattern signal including a binary frequency shift keying signal, The steps include providing the predetermined pattern signal to the transmitting antenna of the transmitter, The steps include: receiving a predetermined pattern wave reflected by the receiver antenna of the receiver in response to the predetermined pattern signal provided to the transmitting antenna; The receiver processing circuit of the receiver samples a predetermined pattern signal in response to the reflected predetermined pattern wave in order to generate a predetermined reflected pattern sample, The average of the sum of the sizes of the set of the reflected predetermined pattern samples over time, wherein each of the plurality of sets is the average of the sum of the sizes of the set corresponding to a predetermined time window, A method comprising the step of determining that a moving object has been detected in response to the determined average and a predetermined threshold.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step of determining that the moving object has been detected includes the step of determining that the moving object has been detected in response to the determined average exceeding a predetermined threshold.

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