Abstract: A radar method is described. According to one exemplary embodiment, the method includes generating a first RF oscillator signal in a first chip and supplying the first RF oscillator signal to a transmission (TX) channel of the first chip and transmitting the first RF oscillator signal from the TX channel of the first chip to the second chip via a transmission line.

Abstract: A radar system includes a first radar chip with a first RF contact, a second radar chip with a second RF contact, an RF signal path connecting the first RF contact to the second RF contact, and a local oscillator arranged in the first radar chip and configured to generate an RF oscillator signal, and which is coupled to the first RF contact to transmit the RF oscillator signal to the second radar chip. A feedback circuit arranged in the second radar chip is switchably connected to the second RF contact and is configured to reflect at least part of the RF oscillator signal arriving over the RFRF signal path as an RF feedback signal. A measurement circuit, arranged in the first radar chip, coupled to the first RF contact via a coupler receives the RF feedback signal and is configured to determine a signal that represents a phase shift.

Abstract: A method for a radar apparatus is described. According to one example implementation, the method involves receiving a multiplicity of chirp echoes from transmitted radar signals and generating a digital signal based on the multiplicity of chirp echoes. In this case, each chirp echo has an associated subsequence of the digital signal. The method further involves performing a filtering in the time domain for one or more subsequences. The filtering in this case involves the decomposition of the subsequence into a plurality of components (referred to as principal components), the selection of a subset of components from the plurality of components and the reconstruction of a modified subsequence based on the selected subset of the component.

Abstract: A method for use in a radar device is described herein. In accordance some implementations, the method includes generating an RF oscillator signal which includes frequency-modulated chirps, amplitude-modulating the RF oscillator signal by a modulation signal, and transmitting the amplitude-modulated RF oscillator signal via at least one antenna. In some implementations, the method may further include receiving an RF signal that includes frequency-modulated chirp echo signals from a target object, down-converting the received RF signal into a base band using the RF oscillator signal for providing a base band signal, and processing the base band signal to detect information included in the modulation signal.

Abstract: A radar system is described. In accordance with one example implementation, the radar system comprises a passive coupler arrangement and also a first radar chip, a second radar chip and a third radar chip. The radar chips each comprise at least one external RF contact and also a local oscillator designed to generate an RF oscillator signal at least in a switched-on state. The external RF contacts of the radar chips are coupled via the coupler arrangement in such a way that, in a first operating mode, the RF oscillator signal can be transferred from the first radar chip via the coupler arrangement to the second radar chip and the third radar chip, and that, in a second operating mode, the RF oscillator signal can be transferred from the second radar chip via the coupler arrangement to the third radar chip.

Abstract: A radar method is described herein. In accordance with one embodiment the method includes receiving a plurality of chirp echoes of transmitted radar signals, generating a digital signal based on the plurality of chirp echoes, and calculating a range map based on the digital signal. The range map includes a plurality of values, each value is represented by an amplitude value and a phase value, and each value is associated with one frequency bin of a set of frequency bins and one chirp echo of the plurality of chirp echoes. The method further includes identifying chirp echoes which are affected by interference and determining, for one or more selected frequency bins, corrected phase values based on phase values that are associated with chirp echoes not identified as affected by interference.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein relate to a radar device. The radar device may transmit an RF oscillator signal to a radar channel and receive a respective first RF radar signal from the radar channel. The radar device may further generate a second RF radar signal. Frequency conversion circuits are also disclosed to down-convert the first RF radar signal and the second RF radar signal. An analog-to digital conversion unit may digitize the down-converted first RF radar signal and the down-converted second RF radar signal to generate a first digital signal and a second digital signal, respectively. A digital signal processing unit is disclosed to estimate a phase noise signal included in the second digital signal and to generate a cancellation signal based on the estimated phase noise signal. The cancellation signal is subtracted from the first digital radar signal to obtain a noise compensated digital radar signal.

Abstract: A method is described that, according to one exemplary embodiment, involves the following: generating a first radio frequency (RF) signal by a first RF oscillator and a second RF signal by a second RF oscillator, mixing the first RF signal and the second RF signal by a mixer to generate a mixer output signal, digitizing the mixer output signal to generate a digitized signal, and calculating an estimate for a power spectral density of the mixer output signal from the digitized signal. Based on the estimate for the power spectral density of the mixer output signal, an estimate for a noise power spectral density characterizing the noise contained in the first and the second RF signals is calculated.

Abstract: A circuit is described herein. In accordance with one embodiment the circuit includes two or more RF channels, wherein each channel includes an input node, a phase shifter and an output node. Each channel is configured to receive an RF oscillator signal at the input node and to provide an RF output signal at the output node. The circuit further includes an RF combiner circuit that is coupled with the outputs of the RF channels and configured to generate a combined signal representing a combination of the RF output signals, and a monitor circuit that includes a mixer and is configured to receive and down-convert the combined signal using an RF reference signal. Thus a mixer output signal is generated that depends on the phases of the RF output signals.

Abstract: A method for processing radar data is described herein. In accordance with one embodiment, the method includes the calculation of a Range Map based on a digital radar signal received from a radar receiver. The Range Map includes spectral values for a plurality of discrete frequency values and a plurality of discrete time values, wherein each spectral value is represented by at least a first parameter. Further, the method includes applying an operation to at least the first parameters in the Range Map for at least one discrete frequency value to smooth or analyze at least a portion of the Range Map.

Abstract: A method for cancelling phase noise in a radar signal is described herein. In accordance with one embodiment, the method includes transmitting an RF oscillator signal, which represents a local oscillator signal including phase noise, to a radar channel and receiving a respective first RF radar signal from the radar channel. The first RF radar signal included at least one radar echo of the transmitted RF oscillator signal. Further, the method includes applying the RF oscillator signal to an artificial radar target composed of circuitry, which applies a delay and a gain to the RF oscillator signal, to generate a second RF radar signal. The second RF radar signal is modulated by a modulation signal thus generating a frequency-shifted RF radar signal. Further, the method includes subtracting the frequency-shifted RF radar signal from the first RF radar signal.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein relate to a radar device. In accordance with one example of the present invention the radar device includes an RF transceiver configured to transmit an RF oscillator signal to a radar channel and receive a respective first RF radar signal from the radar channel. The radar device further includes an artificial radar target composed of circuitry that provides a gain and a delay to the RF oscillator signal to generate a second RF radar signal. A first frequency conversion circuit, which includes a first mixer, is configured to down-convert the first RF radar signal, and a second frequency conversion circuit, which includes a second mixer, is configured to down-convert the second RF radar signal. An analog-to digital conversion unit is configured to digitize the down-converted first RF radar signal and the down-converted second RF radar signal to generate a first digital signal and a second digital signal, respectively.

Abstract: A method for estimating phase noise of an RF oscillator signal in a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar system and related radar devices are provided. The method includes applying the RF oscillator signal to an artificial radar target composed of circuitry, which applies a delay and a gain to the RF oscillator signal, to generate an RF radar signal. Furthermore, the method includes down-converting the RF radar signal received from the artificial radar target from an RF frequency band to a base band, digitizing the down-converted RF radar signal to generate a digital radar signal, and calculating a decorrelated phase noise signal from the digital radar signal. A power spectral density of the decorrelated phase noise is then calculated from the decorrelated phase noise signal, and the power spectral density of the decorrelated phase noise is converted into a power spectral density of the phase noise of an RF oscillator signal.

Abstract: In the optical examination of plastic cards, the latter are illuminated with focused light, which is mixed with a diffuse component, in order reliably to discriminate even relatively slight differences in the reflectivity of the surface sections.