Method and device for radar applications

• US 9,279,883 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2013
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Ygnace, Romain, Roger, Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr
• Application Number:
  US13/770,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20140232586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 708/100, 708/200, 708/400, 708/403, 708/404, 708/405, 708/401, 708/402, 708406-410, 708/490, 708/495, 708/508, 342/27, 342/28, 342 70- 75, 342/118, 342128-133, 342/175, 342192-197, 342/59, 342/29, 342/80, 342120-122, 455/130, 455/132
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/02 Systems using reflection of radio waves, e.g. primary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/02 of systems according to group G01S13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/2883 using FFT processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/354 Extracting wanted echo-signals Doppler systems G01S13/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/356 involving particularities of FFT processing

Abstract

A device for radar applications includes a computing engine, a radar acquisition unit connected to the computing engine, a timer unit connected to the computing engine, a cascade input port, and a cascade output port. The cascade input port is configured to convey an input signal to the computing engine and the cascade output port is configured to convey an output signal from the computing engine. Further, an according system, a radar system, a vehicle with such radar system and a method are provided.

Claims

1. A system for processing radar signals comprising a first device and a second device,

wherein the first device comprises:

a first computing engine;

a first radar acquisition unit connected to the first computing engine;

a first timer unit connected to the first computing engine;

a first cascade input port; and

a first cascade output port,

wherein the first cascade input port is configured to convey an input signal to the first computing engine, and

wherein the first cascade output port is configured to convey an output signal from the first computing engine; and

wherein the second device comprises;

a second computing engine;

a second radar acquisition unit connected to the second computing engine;

a second timer unit connected to the second computing engine;

a second cascade input port; and

a second cascade output port,

wherein the second cascade input port is configured to convey an input signal to the second computing engine, and

wherein the second cascade output port is configured to convey an output signal from the second computing engine, and

wherein the first cascade output port of the first device is connected to the second cascade input port of the second device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first timer unit of the first device is connected with the second timer unit of the second device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first timer unit of the first device is synchronized with the second timer unit of the second device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second cascade output port of the second device is connected to the first cascade input port of the first device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a radio frequency signal from a radar radio frequency unit is fed to the first radar acquisition unit of the first device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a radio frequency signal from a radar radio frequency unit is fed to the second radar acquisition unit of the second device.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a communication unit connected to the computing engine.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the communication unit is configured to supply management data or configuration data to the computing engine.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein a radio frequency signal from a radar radio frequency unit is fed to the radar acquisition unit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the radar acquisition unit comprises a radar radio frequency unit configured to receive a radar signal and provide a signal related thereto to the computing engine.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the radar acquisition unit comprises a radio frequency signal processing means.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the radar acquisition unit comprises an analog-to-digital converter.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein FFT results are determined by the computing engine based on data from the radar acquisition unit, and are forwarded via the cascade output port.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the cascade output port is configured to convey tracking or monitoring information.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the cascade output port is connected to a CAN bus interface.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to be externally booted via a network.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is configured, in a slave mode, to obtain data in a time domain and output data in a frequency domain.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is configured, in a master mode, to obtain data in a time domain or frequency domain and output data as FFT data or in in a frequency domain.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is configured, in a single-chip mode, to obtain data in a time domain and output data as FFT data or in a frequency domain.

20. A vehicle comprising a radar system for processing radar signals, said system comprising a first device and a second device,

wherein the first device comprises:

a first computing engine;

a first radar acquisition unit connected to the first computing engine;

a first timer unit connected to the first computing engine;

a first cascade input port; and

a first cascade output port,

wherein the first cascade input port is configured to convey an input signal to the first computing engine, and

wherein the first cascade output port is configured to convey an output signal from the first computing engine; and

wherein the second device comprises;

a second computing engine;

a second radar acquisition unit connected to the second computing engine;

a second timer unit connected to the second computing engine;

a second cascade input port; and

a second cascade output port,

wherein the second cascade input port is configured to convey an input signal to the second computing engine, and

wherein the second cascade output port is configured to convey an output signal from the second computing engine, and

wherein the first cascade output port of the first device is connected to the second cascade input port of the second device.

21. A method for processing a radar signal comprising:

converting a radio frequency signal into a first digital signal by a first physical radar acquisition unit of a first device;

processing the first digital signal by a first physical computing engine of the first device;

,

providing the processed first digital signal via a first physical cascade output port of the first device to a second physical cascade input port of a second, different device

converting a second radio frequency signal into a second digital signal by a second physical radar acquisition unit of the second device; and

processing the processed first digital signal from an input of the second physical cascade input port of the second device and the second digital signal from the second physical radar acquisition unit of the second device by a second physical computing engine of the second device,

wherein an output of the second physical computing engine of the second device is conveyed via a second physical cascade output port of the second device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first device and the second device are each operable in one of the following modes:

in a slave mode configured to obtain data in a time domain and output data in a frequency domain,

in a master mode configured to obtain data in a time domain or frequency domain and output data as FFT data or in in a frequency domain,

in a single-chip mode configured to obtain data in a time domain and output data as FFT data or in a frequency domain.

23. A system for processing radar signals comprising:

a first device comprising;

first computing means;

first radar acquisition means connected to the computing means;

first means for receiving input; and

first means for sending output,

wherein the first means for receiving input is configured to convey a first input signal to the first computing means, and

wherein the first means for sending output is configured to convey a first output signal from the first computing means; and

a second device comprising;

second computing means;

second radar acquisition means connected to the second computing means;

second means for receiving input; and

second means for sending output,

wherein the second means for receiving input is configured to convey a second input signal to the second computing means, and

wherein the second means for sending output is configured to convey a second output signal from the second computing means,

wherein the first means for sending output of the first device is connected to the second means for receiving input of the second device.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the means for sending output is configured to convey the output signal from the computing engine to a means for receiving input of a subsequent device.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein the radar acquisition means comprises at least one analog-to-digital converter configured to convert a radio frequency signal from a radio frequency unit of a radar component to a digital signal.

26. The device of claim 23, wherein the computing means is configured to conduct FFT processing and convey FFT data via the means for sending output.