FMCW Radar Amplitude Modulation Interference Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Radar sensors in vehicles face interference issues due to overlapping radar signals from nearby vehicles, leading to impaired operation and false detection of 'ghost targets' when signals have similar frequency slopes and ranges.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an additional amplitude modulation on the chirp signals transmitted by radar sensors to encode unique information, allowing the sensors to distinguish between their own echoes and interfering signals, thereby identifying and discarding ghost targets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If radar sensors transmit frequency-modulated chirp signals in dense traffic environments, then the coverage and detection capability of the radar system is improved, but interference from other vehicles' radar signals increases, leading to false detection of ghost targets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies amplitude modulation to the transmitted chirp signals, creating distinct amplitude patterns that act as unique identifiers for each radar sensor. This allows receiving radar sensors to differentiate between signals from different transmitters by detecting these amplitude patterns, effectively resolving the interference and ghost target problems in dense traffic environments
2Loss of information
If radar sensors use standard FMCW chirp signals without additional modulation, then the system complexity is kept low, but the ability to distinguish between own echoes and interfering signals is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an amplitude modulation signal as an intermediary carrier that encodes identification information into the transmitted chirp signals. This intermediary modulation layer allows receiving sensors to extract source identification without fundamentally changing the core FMCW radar architecture, thus adding minimal complexity while enabling signal source differentiation
Data Source
AI summary
A method for use in a radar device is described herein. In accordance some implementations, the method includes generating an RF oscillator signal which includes frequency-modulated chirps, amplitude-modulating the RF oscillator signal by a modulation signal, and transmitting the amplitude-modulated RF oscillator signal via at least one antenna. In some implementations, the method may further include receiving an RF signal that includes frequency-modulated chirp echo signals from a target object, down-converting the received RF signal into a base band using the RF oscillator signal for providing a base band signal, and processing the base band signal to detect information included in the modulation signal.