US 12,189,025 B2
CFAR phased array pre-processing using noncoherent and coherent integration in automotive radar systems
Filip Alexandru Rosu, Bucharest (RO); and Daniel Silion, Bucharest (RO)
Assigned to NXP USA, Inc., Austin, TX (US)
Filed by NXP USA, Inc., Austin, TX (US)
Filed on Jun. 16, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/807,279.
Claims priority of application No. a 2021 00722 (RO), filed on Nov. 26, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0168367 A1, Jun. 1, 2023
Int. Cl. G01S 13/931 (2020.01); H04B 7/0413 (2017.01)
CPC G01S 13/931 (2013.01) [H04B 7/0413 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A radar system, comprising:
a radio-frequency (RF) transmitter unit and first plurality of transmit antennas which are connected to transmit MIMO (multiple input multiple output radar signals;
an RF receiver unit and a first plurality of receive antennas which are connected to generate digital output signals from MIMO radar signal returns received in response to the MIMO radar signals; and
a radar control processing unit connected and configured to control the RF transmitter unit and the RF receiver unit;
wherein the radar control processing unit is configured as a constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detector to generate, from the digital output signals, compressed radar data signals that are applied in parallel as an n dimensional matrix, with n having a value of at least 3, to:
a coherent integrator which generates an n−1 dimensional matrix of coherently integrated image data from the compressed radar data signals, and
a non-coherent integrator which generates an n−1 dimensional matrix of non-coherently integrated image data from the compressed radar data signals;
wherein the radar control processing unit is further configured to generate a CFAR threshold from the n−1 dimensional matrix of non-coherently integrated image data; and
wherein the radar control processing unit is further configured to detect one or more targets in the MIMO radar signal returns by applying the CFAR threshold to the n−1 dimensional matrix of coherently integrated image data to detect sample values from the n−1 dimensional matrix of coherently integrated image data that exceed the CFAR threshold.