US 12,392,867 B2
Time-continuous power monitoring for radar applications
Yi Yin, Munich (DE); Birama Goumballa, Larra (FR); Olivier Vincent Doare, La Salvetat St Gilles (FR); and Julien Orlando, Toulouse (FR)
Assigned to NXP B.V., Eindhoven (NL)
Filed by NXP B.V., Eindhoven (NL)
Filed on Oct. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/045,486.
Claims priority of application No. 22306045 (EP), filed on Jul. 11, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0012107 A1, Jan. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. G01S 7/40 (2006.01); G01S 7/03 (2006.01); G01S 13/931 (2020.01)
CPC G01S 7/40 (2013.01) [G01S 7/03 (2013.01); G01S 13/931 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
a vehicle radar subsystem that includes an amplifier configured to generate a first output signal at an output terminal of the amplifier;
a coupler electrically connected to the output terminal of the amplifier, wherein the coupler is configured to output a second output signal, wherein the second output signal corresponds to the first output signal;
a digital-to-analog converter configured to:
receive, at an input terminal of the digital-to-analog converter, a digital threshold signal encoding a digital threshold value, and
generate, using the digital threshold value, an analog threshold signal at an output terminal of the digital-to-analog converter, wherein a first magnitude of the analog threshold signal is at least partially determined by the digital threshold value and represents a minimum threshold power output of the first output signal;
a comparator electrically connected to the digital-to-analog converter and the coupler, the comparator being configured to compare the second output signal to the analog threshold signal to generate a third output signal at an output terminal of the comparator; and
a flag generation module electrically connected to the comparator, the flag generation module being configured to:
receive the third output signal,
determine that the third output signal has a first value indicative of a potential vehicle radar subsystem fault, and
transmit a flag signal to a system controller, the flag signal indicating that a power level of the first output signal has fallen below a safety threshold value.