Automotive Radar Fusion via IF Phase Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automotive radar systems face challenges in increasing angular resolution while reducing hardware costs and the number of radar transceivers, especially at higher frequency bands like 77 GHz, where distributing coherent radio frequency reference signals is technically challenging.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an automotive radar system comprising multiple radar sensors and a processor that enables coherent processing of radar signals by converting range differences to intermediate frequency phase values, allowing the sensors to be jointly processed as a single large array, thereby increasing angular resolution without the need for a common RF source.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If radar systems use large antenna arrays to improve angular resolution, then angular resolution is improved, but device complexity and cost increase due to the challenge of distributing coherent radio frequency reference signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the radar system into multiple independent radar transceivers, each with its own antenna array. Instead of requiring a single large antenna array with distributed coherent RF references, the system uses multiple smaller, independent transceivers that can be processed jointly. This segmentation eliminates the complex RF distribution infrastructure while achieving similar or better angular resolution through virtual aperture formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing stage that receives data from multiple independent radar transceivers and performs coherent processing to form a virtual large aperture. This intermediary processing layer enables the system to achieve large aperture benefits without the physical complexity of distributing coherent RF signals across a large antenna array.
2Measurement precision
If the number of radar transceivers on vehicles is increased to improve system performance, then radar coverage and resolution are improved, but hardware cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the data from multiple radar transceivers through coherent processing to form a virtual large aperture. By combining the information from multiple independent transceivers, the system achieves the performance benefits of having more transceivers without the linear increase in hardware cost, as the transceivers share computational resources for joint processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables multiple radar transceivers to serve multiple functions simultaneously. Instead of each transceiver being dedicated to a specific function, all transceivers contribute to forming a virtual aperture for improved angular resolution, while also maintaining individual transceiver functionality for coverage. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional dedicated hardware.
Data Source
AI summary
An automotive radar system (100) including first and second radar sensors (110, 120) transmitting a radar signal, and a processor (130). Each radar sensor (110, 120) determines ranges to one or more targets (140), where each determined range is associated with a complex value (Vmn) in a range vector. The processor (130) determines a difference in the ranges determined by the first and second radar sensors (110, 120). The processor (130) converts the difference in ranges to an intermediate frequency, IF, phase value ( IF) by relating the difference in ranges to the radar bandwidth (BW). The processor (130) adjusts the complex values (Vmn) in the range vectors by the IF phase value (ϕIF) and determines an angle (a) to at least one of the targets (140) based on the adjusted complex values in the range vectors from each radar sensor (110, 120).