| CPC G01S 7/4026 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4017 (2013.01); G01S 7/403 (2021.05)] | 12 Claims |
|
9. A method for phase calibrating a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) radar sensor for a motor vehicle, the method comprising:
at least one calibration routine, including the following:
prior to initial operation of the MIMO radar sensor, wherein the MIMO radar sensor includes an array having a plurality of antenna domains, each of the plurality of the antenna domains having subarrays of transmitting antennae, made from transmitting antenna elements, and receiving antennae, made from receiving antenna elements, which are offset from each other in at least one direction, and a plurality of high-frequency modules, each of which is assigned to one of the plurality of the antenna domains of the array, wherein the subarrays include transmitting subarrays and receiving subarrays, wherein one of the transmitting subarrays and one of the receiving subarrays is assigned to exactly one of the high-frequency modules, and wherein at least two transmitting subarrays, which are assigned to different ones of the high-frequency modules, are offset from each other in the at least one direction and are aligned with each other in a direction perpendicular to the at least one direction, performing the following:
storing a directional diagram, which assigns each of a plurality of angles a respective control vector, which includes a transmitting control vector and a receiving control vector, the transmitting control vector and the receiving control vector each including at least one component for each of the transmitting subarrays and receiving subarrays, respectively;
after initial operation, performing a sub-method by performing the following:
executing a radar measurement for tracking an object;
checking whether the tracked object is a single target or multiple targets; and
when the tracked object is a single target, performing the following:
carrying out a single-input-multiple-output (SIMO) measurement, using each of the transmitting subarrays;
estimating an angle of the tracked object using the SIMO measurement results;
computing a first comparison variable for each of the at least two transmitting subarrays, the first comparison variable being a function of the at least one component of the transmitting control vector;
computing a second comparison variable for each of the at least two transmitting subarrays, the second comparison variable being a function of the results of the SIMO measurements; and
correcting the transmitting control vector using a known relationship between the first comparison variable and the second comparison variable for the respective transmitting subarrays;
wherein the plurality of the antenna domains are situated on a circuit board,
wherein each of the plurality of the antenna domains, which is situated on the circuit board, includes one of the high-frequency modules, one of the transmitting subarrays, and one of the receiving subarrays, and
wherein the sub-method provides that interference effects, which are produced upon installation of the radar sensor in the motor vehicle and which are not measurable during a factory calibration, are subsequently compensatable.
|