Method, device and system for processing radar signals

• US 9,841,497 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2014
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Roger, Andre, Ygnace, Romain, Addison, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Barker, Matthew M
• Application Number:
  US14/296,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20150355319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/02 Systems using reflection of radio waves, e.g. primary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/343 using sawtooth modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/352 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/356 involving particularities of FFT processing

Abstract

A device is suggested for processing input data received by several antennas, the device including a processing unit including a buffer and at least one multiplier, wherein the processing unit is configured to calculate a second stage FFT result based on input data received by a first antenna, multiply the second stage FFT result for the first antenna with a first compensation value, and store the result in the buffer. The processing unit is further configured to calculate a second stage FFT result based on input data received by a second antenna, multiply the second stage FFT for the second antenna with a second compensation value, and add the result to the value stored in the buffer.

Claims

1. A radar device for processing input data based on signals received by a plurality of antennas, the radar device comprising:

a processing circuit of the radar device comprising a buffer memory circuit and at least one multiplier circuit, wherein the processing circuit is configured to, for each of at least two of the plurality of antennas;

calculate a second stage FFT result based on input data that is based on signals received by the respective antenna, wherein each second stage FFT result is based on a first stage FFT result, and

multiply the second stage FFT result for the respective antenna with a respective compensation value,

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to;

store the multiplication result of a first of the at least two antennas in the buffer memory circuit as an initial result, and subsequently add and store the multiplication results of each of the other of the at least two antennas consecutively to the initial result to form a running summation result in the buffer memory circuit,

calculate a third stage FFT result based on a final summation result stored in the buffer, and

determine an azimuth angle based on the third stage FFT result.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the compensation value is 1.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the compensation value is a complex value.

4. A method for processing input data based on signals received by a plurality of antennas of a radar device, the method comprising:

for at least two antennas of the plurality of antennas;

calculating a second stage FFT result based on input data that is based on signals received by the respective antenna using a processing circuit of the radar device, wherein each second stage FFT result is based on a first stage FFT result, and

the method further comprising;

multiplying the second stage FFT result for the respective antenna with a respective compensation value using the processing circuit;

storing the multiplication result of a first of the at least two antennas in a buffer memory circuit as an initial result, and subsequently adding and storing the multiplication results of each of the other of the at least two antennas consecutively to the initial result to form a running summation result in the buffer memory circuit;

calculating, using the processing circuit, a third stage FFT result based on a final summation result stored in the buffer; and

determining, using the processing circuit, an azimuth angle based on the third stage FFT result.

5. A non-transitory storage medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processing circuit in conjunction with a buffer memory circuit and at least one multiplier circuit within a radar device having a plurality of antennas, that when executed by the processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to:

for each of at least two of the plurality of antennas;

calculate a second stage FFT result based on input data that is based on signals received by the respective antenna, wherein each second stage FFT result is based on a first stage FFT result,

multiply the second stage FFT result for the respective antenna with a respective compensation value, and

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to;

store the multiplication result of a first of the plurality of antennas in the buffer memory circuit as an initial result, and subsequently add and store the multiplication results of each of the other of the plurality of antennas consecutively to the initial result to form a running summation result in the buffer memory circuit,

calculate a third stage FFT result based on a final summation result stored in the buffer memory circuit, and

determine an azimuth angle based on the third stage FFT result.