Automotive radar transmitter architecture
First Claim
1. A digital beam forming (DBF) radar transmitter, comprising:
- a signal generator configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) input signal at an output node;
a plurality of independent transmission chains coupled to the output node and configured to receive the RF input signal, wherein respective independent transmission chains comprise a vector modulator configured to independently introduce an amplitude adjustment or a phase adjustment to the RF input signal; and
a control unit configured to independently activate and deactivate the plurality of independent transmission chains, such that a subset of the plurality of transmission chains is activated to concurrently operate to generate a transmitted radar beam.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a radar transmitter comprised within a single integrated chip substrate, which is capable of continuous beam steering of a transmitted radar beam as well as an option to change the physical position of the origin of the transmit radar beam. The radar transmitter has a signal generator that generates an RF signal. The RF signal is provided to a plurality of independent transmission chains, which contain independently operated vector modulators configured to introduce an individual phase adjustment to the high frequency input signal to generate separate RF output signals. A control unit is configured to selectively activate a subset of (e.g., two or more) the independent transmission chains. By activating the subset of independent transmission chains to generate RF output signals with separate phases, a beam steering functionality is enabled. Furthermore, the subset defines a changeable position of the transmitted radar beam.
-
Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A digital beam forming (DBF) radar transmitter, comprising:
-
a signal generator configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) input signal at an output node; a plurality of independent transmission chains coupled to the output node and configured to receive the RF input signal, wherein respective independent transmission chains comprise a vector modulator configured to independently introduce an amplitude adjustment or a phase adjustment to the RF input signal; and a control unit configured to independently activate and deactivate the plurality of independent transmission chains, such that a subset of the plurality of transmission chains is activated to concurrently operate to generate a transmitted radar beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A digital beam forming (DBF) radar transmitter, comprising:
-
a single integrated chip comprising; a signal generator configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) input signal; a plurality of independent transmission chains configured to receive the RF input signal, wherein respective independent transmission chains comprise; one or more IQ mixers configured to introduce an amplitude adjustment or a phase adjustment to the RF input signal; a power amplifier configured to adjust the amplitude of an RF output signal generated by the vector modulator; a power supply configured to selectively provide a bias voltage to the power amplifier, wherein each independent transmission chain is activated or deactivated by controlling the bias to voltage provided to the power amplifier; and a control unit configured to independently activate and deactivate the plurality of independent transmission chains, such that a subset of the plurality of independent transmission chains are concurrently activated to generate a transmitted radar beam having a beam steering functionality; wherein the subset of the plurality of independent transmission chains define a location of an origin of the transmitted radar beam. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for generating a transmitted radar beam, comprising:
-
generating a radio frequency (RF) input signal; providing the RF input signal to plurality of transmission chains, wherein respective transmission chains have a vector modulator; activating a subset of the plurality of transmission chains to define a location of a transmitted radar beam, introducing separate phase adjustments to the RF input signal provided to the subset of the plurality of transmission chains to generate a plurality of RF output signals by; operating a first activated transmission chain to introduce a first amplitude adjustment or a first phase adjustment into the RF input signal; and operating a second activated transmission chain to introduce a second amplitude adjustment, different than the first amplitude adjustment, or a second phase adjustment, different than the first phase adjustment, into the RF input signal; and transmitting the plurality of RF output signals from antennas corresponding to the subset of the plurality of transmission chains. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
-
Specification