Process for determining the intermediate frequency deviation in frequency pulsed radar systems

• US 5,864,313 A
• Filed: 08/29/1997
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ADC Automotive Distance Control Systems GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Dornier GmbH (Government of France)
• Inventors: Kaiser, Bruno, Flacke, Joachim, Speck, Ralph
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B.
• Application Number:
  US08/750,373
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 342/21, 342/98, 342/99, 342/100, 342/101, 342/175, 342/194, 342/197, 342/189
• US Class Current: 342/98
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/288 Coherent receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4004 of parts of a radar system

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for determining the deviation of the intermediate frequency from a given reference frequency (f_R) in the case of a frequency-pulse radar system, characterized by

the time-related scanning of the echo signal such that, from an echo pulse of an individual target, several scanning values are obtained at different, preferably equidistant points in time within the echo pulse,

the Doppler filtering by way of the thus obtained scanning values of an individual target so that several Doppler signals of the same frequency are obtained from the same target from whose phase differences the intermediate-frequency deviation is determined.

Claims

1. For use in a frequency-pulse radar system wherein echo signals from transmitted pulses are mixed with an intermediate frequency which is based on a reference frequency, a method for determining a deviation of said intermediate frequency relative to said reference frequency, said method comprising the steps of:

sampling echo pulses contained in an echo signal reflected from an individual target object, at a plurality of phase staggered points within one of a single echo pulse and successive echo pulses of said echo signal, to obtain sampled values thereof;

Doppler filtering said sampled values whereby a plurality of Doppler signals having the same frequency are generated; and

determining said deviation of said intermediate frequency as a function of phase differences of said Doppler signals.

2. Method according to claim 1 wherein said sampling is performed at regular periodic time intervals within a single echo pulse of said echo signal.

3. Method according to claim 1 wherein said step of sampling echo pulses contained in said echo signal at a plurality of phase staggered points comprises:

maintaining a waveform of a transmitted signal constant; and

maintaining a waveform of a transmitted signal constant; and

increasing a sample rate of said sampling.

4. Method according to claim 1 wherein said step of sampling echo pulses contained in said echo signal at a plurality of phase staggered points comprises:

maintaining a waveform of a transmitted signal constant; and

offsetting scanning points timewise from one echo pulse to a next succeeding echo pulse by a time delay which is equal to a pulse width of said pulses divided by a number of sampling values therein.

5. Method according to claim 1 wherein said step of sampling said echo signal at a plurality of points comprises:

lengthening a pulse width of a transmitted pulse so that it extends over a plurality of sampling points.

6. Method according to claim 1 wherein said step of determining said deviation comprises performing an FFT based on a phase of Doppler spectral lines after said Doppler filtering step.

7. Method of controlling a frequency shift of a frequency-pulse radar system wherein echo signals from transmitted pulses are mixed with an intermediate frequency which is based on a reference frequency, a method for determining a deviation of said intermediate frequency relative to said reference frequency, said method comprising the steps of:

sampling echo pulses contained in an echo signal reflected from an individual target object, at a plurality of phase staggered points within one of a single echo pulse and successive echo pulses of said echo signal, to obtain sampled values thereof;

Doppler filtering said sampled values whereby a plurality of Doppler signals having the same frequency are generated;

determining said deviation of said intermediate frequency as a function of phase differences of said Doppler signals; and

controlling said intermediate frequency by means of a closed loop control, based on said deviation as determined in said determining step.