Radar coherent processing interval scheduling via ad hoc network

• US 8,730,088 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2011
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon BBN Technologies Corp. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon BBN Technologies Corp. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Milligan, Stephen D., Redi, Jason, Sumorok, Daniel, Weeks, Steven W., Fisher, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): BYTHROW, PETER M
• Application Number:
  US12/984,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20120032833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 342/52, 342/57, 342/59, 342/73, 342/82, 342/88, 342/89, 342/175
• US Class Current: 342/57
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/006 using shared front-end circuitry, e.g. antennas G01S13/765, G01S13/825 take precedence

Abstract

Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for accurately scheduling radar and radio events against each other. Specifically, a scheduling manager can schedule radar events based on scheduled radio events (wireless network communication events). A given radio schedule for a compact radar sensor can be a relatively complicated schedule, especially when the compact radar sensor operates as part of an ad hoc network. In certain embodiments, the scheduling manager identifies a radio transmission schedule of neighboring radar nodes or compact radar sensor units. Such a radio transmission schedule of neighboring nodes can include information on when neighboring nodes will be receiving or transmitting data. The scheduling manager then schedules radar events to be executed by the radar device at available times, or at times that do not overlap with scheduled radio events.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of scheduling radar events, the computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a radar device including a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing predetermined instructions to control operations of the radar device, the radar device further including radar circuitry that executes radar events, the radar events including transmitting radio waves and receiving reflected radio waves to detect external objects, the radar device further including radio communication circuitry that executes wireless network communication events including communication transmissions with peer radar devices, the radar device having a corresponding schedule of wireless network communication events; and

executing, by the processor, the predetermined instructions stored in the memory to cause the radar device to perform the operations of;

receiving radar configuration parameters that include instructions to execute radar events at the radar device;

analyzing the schedule of wireless network communication events that corresponds to the radar device;

identifying time slots in the schedule as either scheduled for execute of wireless network communication events or available time slots;

scheduling radar events to be executed by the radar device during available time slots within the schedule; and

executing the radar events according to the schedule and radar configuration parameters.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving radar configuration parameters that include instructions to execute radar events at a radar device includes receiving instructions to execute radar events at a predetermined time interval.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein analyzing the schedule of wireless network communication events includes analyzing wireless network communication events scheduled at pseudorandom time slots.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein scheduling radar events to be executed by the radar device during available time slots within the schedule includes scheduling radar events at time intervals that approximate the predetermined time interval from the radar configuration parameters.

5. A computer-implemented method of scheduling radar events, the computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a radar device including a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing predetermined instructions to control operations of the radar device, the radar device further including radar circuitry that executes radar events, the radar events including transmitting radio waves and receiving reflected radio waves to detect external objects, the radar device further including radio communication circuitry that executes wireless network communication events including communication transmissions with peer radar devices; and

executing by the processor the predetermind instructions stored in the memory to cause the radar device to perform the operations of;

receiving radar configuration parameters that include instructions to execute radar events at a radar device;

analyzing a schedule of wireless network communication events that corresponds to the radar device;

identifying time slots in the schedule as either scheduled for execution of wireless network communication events or available time slots;

scheduling radar events to be executed by the radar device during available time slots within the schedule;

executing the radar events according to the schedule and radar configuration parameters;

analyzing schedules of wireless network communication events that correspond to peer radar devices;

identifying time slots in the schedules, that correspond to peer radar devices, as either scheduled for execution of wireless network communication events or available time slots; and

scheduling radar events to be executed by the radar device during available time slots within the schedules that correspond to peer radar devices in addition to the schedule of the radar device.

6. The computer-implemented method of 5, further comprising:

turning off a radio transmitter of the radar device between scheduled events; and

turning off a radio receiver of the radar device between scheduled events.

7. A computer-implemented method of scheduling radar events, the computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a radar device including a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing predetermined instruction to control operations of the radar device,the radar device further including radar circuitry that executes radar events, the radar events including transmitting radio waves and receiving reflected radio waves to detect external objects, the radar device further including radio communication circuitry that executes wireless network communication events including communication transmissions with peer radar devices; and

executing, by the processor, the predetermined instructions stored in the memory to cause the radar device to perform the operations of;

receiving radar configuration parameters that include instructions to execute radar events at a radar device;

analyzing a schedule of wireless network communication events that corresponds to the radar device;

identifying time slots in the schedule as either scheduled for execution of wireless network communication events or available time slots;

scheduling radar events to be executed by the radar device during available time slots within the schedule;

executing the radar events according to the schedule and radar configuration parameters; and

exchanging, with a peer radar device, scheduling information that corresponds to scheduled wireless network communication events, wherein scheduling information is exchanged via a wireless ad hoc network.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

wherein analyzing a schedule of wireless network communication events that corresponds to the radar device includes a specific scheduled time for receiving a wireless transmission from a peer radar device;

powering-on a radio receiver to receive the wireless transmission from the peer radar device; and

in response to failing to receive the wireless transmission within a predetermined threshold amount of time, powering-off the radio receiver.

9. A radar device comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

power circuitry configured to receive a supply of power from at least one battery;

a radar signal transmitter configured to transmit radar signals;

a radar signal receiver configured to receive reflected radar signals;

the processor configured to compute radar data from received reflected radar signals, computed radar data including a distance to an external object; and

radio circuitry configured to execute wireless network communication events including communication transmissions with peer radar devices functioning as a network node,

wherein the radar device has a corresponding schedule of wireless network communication events, and

wherein the memory is configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the radar device to perform the operations of;

receiving radar configuration parameters that include instructions to execute radar events;

analyzing the schedule of wireless network communication events that corresponds to the radar device;

identifying time slots in the schedule as scheduled for execution of wireless network communication events;

scheduling radar events to be executed by the radar device during time slots within the schedule that do not overlap with scheduled wireless network communication events; and

executing the radar events according to the schedule and radar configuration parameters.

10. The radar device of claim 9, wherein receiving radar configuration parameters that include instructions to execute radar events includes receiving instructions to execute radar events at a predetermined time interval.

11. The radar device of claim 10, wherein analyzing the schedule of wireless network communication events includes analyzing wireless network communication events scheduled at pseudorandom time slots.

12. The radar device of claim 11, wherein scheduling radar events to be executed by the radar device during time slots that do not overlap with scheduled wireless network communication events includes scheduling radar events at time intervals that approximate the predetermined time interval from the radar configuration parameters.

13. The radar device of claim 9, the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the radar device to perform the operation of:

turning off a radio transmitter of the radar device between scheduled events.

14. The radar device of claim 13, the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the radar device to perform the operation of:

further comprising turning off a radio receiver of the radar device between scheduled events.

15. A radar device comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

power circuitry configured to receive a supply of power from at least one battery;

a radar signal transmitter configured to transmit radar signals;

a radar signal receiver configured to receive reflected radar signals;

the processor configured to compute radar data from received reflected radar signals, computed radar data including a distance to an external object; and

radio circuitry configured to execute wireless network communication events including communication transmissions with peer radar devices functioning as a network node,

wherein the memory is configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the radar device to perform the operations of;

receiving radar configuration parameters that include instructions to execute radar events;

analyzing a schedule of wireless network communication events that corresponds to the radar device;

identifying time slots in the schedule as scheduled for execution of wireless network communication events;

scheduling radar events to be executed by the radar device during time slots within the schedule that do not overlap with scheduled wireless network communication events;

executing the radar events according to the schedule and radar configuration parameters; and

exchanging, with a peer radar device, scheduling information that corresponds to scheduled wireless network communication events, wherein scheduling information is exchanged via a wireless ad hoc network.

16. The radar device of claim 15, the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the radar device to perform the operations of:

wherein analyzing a schedule of wireless network communication events that corresponds to the radar device includes a specific scheduled time for receiving a wireless transmission from a peer radar device;

powering-on a radio receiver to receive the wireless transmission from the peer radar device; and

in response to failing to receive the wireless transmission within a predetermined threshold amount of time, powering-off the radio receiver.

17. A computer-implemented method of scheduling wireless network communication events, the computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a radar device including a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing predetermined instructions to control operations of the radar device, the radar device further including radar circuitry that executes radar events, the radar events including transmitting radio waves and receiving reflected radio waves to detect external objects, the radar device further including radio communication circuitry that executes wireless network communication events including communication transmissions with peer radar devices, the radar device having a corresponding schedule of radar events; and

executing, by the processor, the predetermined instructions stored in the memory to cause the radar device to perform the operations of;

receiving radar configuration parameters that include instructions to Execute radar events at a radar device;

analyzing the schedule of radar events that corresponds to the radar device;

identifying time slots in the schedule as scheduled for execution of radar events;

scheduling wireless network communication events to be executed by the radar device during time slots within the schedule that are free from scheduled wireless network communication events; and

executing the wireless network communication events and radar events according to the schedule and radar configuration parameters.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein receiving radar configuration parameters that include instructions to execute radar events at a radar device includes receiving instructions to execute radar events at a predetermined time interval.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein scheduling wireless network communication events to be executed by the radar device during time slots within the schedule that are free from scheduled wireless network communication events includes scheduling wireless network communication events at pseudorandom time slots.

20. A computer-implemented method of scheduling wireless network communication events, the computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a radar device including a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing predetermined instructions to control operations of the radar device, the radar device further including radar circuitry that executes radar events, the radar events including transmitting radio waves and receiving reflected radio waves to detect external objects, the radar device further including radio communication circuitry that executes wireless network communication events including communication transmissions with peer radar devices; and

executing, by the processor, the predetermined instructions stored in the memory to cause the radar device to perform the operations of;

receiving radar configuration parameters that include instructions to Execute radar events at a radar device;

analyzing the schedule of radar events that corresponds to the radar device;

identifying time slots in the schedule as scheduled for execution of radar events;

scheduling wireless network communication events to be executed by the radar device during time slots within the schedule that are free from scheduled wireless network communication events;

executing the wireless network communication events and radar events according to the schedule and radar configuration parameters;

turning off a radio transmitter of the radar device between scheduled events;

turning off a radio receiver of the radar device between scheduled events; and

exchanging, with a peer radar device, scheduling information that corresponds to scheduled wireless network communication events, wherein scheduling information is exchanged via a wireless ad hoc network.