Automotive radar transmitter architecture
First Claim
1. A transmitter, comprising:
- a plurality of independent transmission chains configured to receive an 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 signal;
wherein the plurality of independent transmission chains comprise;
a first transmission chain comprising a first vector modulator configured to introduce a first amplitude adjustment or a first phase adjustment into the RF input signal; and
a second transmission chain comprising a second vector modulator configured 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.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a transmitter 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 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.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A transmitter, comprising:
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a plurality of independent transmission chains configured to receive an 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 signal; wherein the plurality of independent transmission chains comprise; a first transmission chain comprising a first vector modulator configured to introduce a first amplitude adjustment or a first phase adjustment into the RF input signal; and a second transmission chain comprising a second vector modulator configured 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A transmitter, comprising:
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a single integrated chip comprising; a plurality of independent transmission chains configured to receive an RF input signal, wherein respective independent transmission chains comprise; a vector modulator including one or more IQ mixers configured to 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 independent transmission chains are concurrently activated to generate a transmitted signal; wherein the subset of the plurality of independent transmission chains define a location of an origin of the transmitted signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for generating a transmitted signal, comprising:
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providing an RF input signal to a 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 (17, 18, 19)
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Specification