Distributed Radar Echo Preprocessing for Large Antenna Arrays
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing scale of antenna arrays in radar sensors for automated driving leads to challenges in data processing capabilities, including computing power bottlenecks, cache limitations, and reduced data throughput, which are exacerbated by the constraints of vehicle installation space.
Innovation Solution
A radar system with a microprocessor and data combination module preprocesses echo data from radar sensors, distributing the processing load across multiple radar monolithic chips and a central processing unit, allowing for efficient task division and reduced computational burden.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the antenna array scale of the radar sensor is increased to improve measurement capability, then the capability of measuring environment and distinguishing target angles is enhanced, but the computing power requirement, data throughput requirement, and storage requirement increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the data processing function into two segments: the microprocessor in the radar sensor performs preprocessing (range FFT, magnitude calculation, threshold comparison) to generate target candidate information, while the central processing unit performs postprocessing (angle FFT, target confirmation). This segmentation reduces the computing power burden on any single processor while maintaining the enhanced measurement capability provided by the large-scale antenna array.
2Ease of operation
If all radar sensor data is uniformly processed by a central processing unit, then data processing is centralized, but the computing power of the central processing unit becomes a great challenge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized processing task by having the microprocessor handle preprocessing operations (range FFT, magnitude calculation, threshold comparison) locally at the radar sensor, and the central processing unit handle postprocessing operations (angle FFT, target confirmation). This maintains the benefits of centralized architecture while distributing the computational burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The microprocessor performs preliminary processing actions (range FFT, magnitude calculation, threshold comparison) on the raw radar data before transmitting it to the central processing unit. This preliminary action reduces the data volume and complexity that the central processing unit must handle, thereby reducing its computing power requirements.
3Power
If data is processed by a processor at one end of the radar sensor and then sent to the central processing unit, then processing is distributed, but the processor at the end of the radar sensor quickly enters a bottleneck of processing capability, cache capability, and data throughput capability
Solution Approach 1:
The microprocessor performs only the necessary preprocessing operations (range FFT, magnitude calculation, threshold comparison) required to extract target candidate information, rather than performing complete data processing. This partial action approach avoids overloading the microprocessor while still achieving the goal of reducing the central processing unit's burden.
4Measurement precision
If a large-scale antenna array is used to enhance target angle distinction capability, then angular resolution is improved, but the data throughput requirement and storage requirement increase
Solution Approach 1:
The microprocessor extracts only the essential target candidate information (range, magnitude, threshold-compliant data) from the raw radar data through preprocessing operations, and transmits this extracted information to the central processing unit. This extraction approach reduces the data throughput requirement while preserving the angular resolution capability provided by the large-scale antenna array.
Data Source
AI summary
A radar system includes a first radar sensor comprising a data combination system and a plurality of radar monolithic chips, wherein each radar monolithic chip includes a first radio frequency front end and a first microprocessor. The first microprocessor is configured to preprocess echo data obtained by the first radio frequency front end. The data combination system is configured to combine and transmit the preprocessed echo data, wherein a processor performs post-processing on the preprocessed echo data to generate point cloud data of the radar system.