Abstract: A novel and useful system and method for eliminating settling time delays in a radar system. In one embodiment, a plurality of oscillators is provided with a single transmitter. In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of transmitters is provided, each with its own oscillator. In either case, more than a single oscillator is used, whereby startup or turn on transients associated with one oscillator are allowed to settle out while another oscillator is being used. The two or more oscillators switch off and/or alternate or rotate such that oscillator settling time between chirp transmissions from the radar is substantially or completely eliminated. In a radar system having two transmitters, when the chirp propagation time window for the first transmitter is complete, the first transmitter is disconnected from the receive channel and the second transmitter is connected to the antenna and receive channel without having to wait for the second transmitter to settle since it was allowed to settle beforehand.

Abstract: A novel and useful two-stage radar return data processing mechanism for use in FMCW radar systems that divides the conventional frame into two portions. Two different frames are transmitted rather than one. The frames are transmitted consecutively one after the other. A low resolution ‘coarse’ frame is first transmitted that is fully processed in real time. Based on the results of the processing of the coarse frame, a plurality of targets of interest (TOIs) in the scene representing a subset of the received data is determined. Then a longer high-resolution ‘fine’ frame is transmitted and processed using the information obtained in the previous coarse fame. Using the TOI information obtained in the previous coarse frame, only a subset of the received data is processed. The non-processed portion is assumed to contain non-interesting information and is discarded or ignored thereby significantly reducing processing time.

Abstract: A novel and useful system and method of constructing a skewed or staggered multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna array system for automotive radar having high azimuth and elevation angular resolution and accuracy that provides increased effective aperture while using a low number of TX and RX elements. Improved element separation is achieved by distancing (i.e. staggering or skewing) RX rows and TX columns by using row and column circular shifts along their major axis. Due to the physical size of antenna elements, it is not physically possible to place the rows and columns in the full array symmetric RX-TX pattern without creating a gap in the center of the virtual array. This array reduces the overall size of the antenna achieving a compact size and low side lobe level (SLL). In addition, to minimize the resulting RX saturation of elements physically close to TX elements, the system blanks (i.e. zeros) the data for those elements.

Abstract: A novel and useful system and method by which radar angle and range resolution are significantly improved without increasing complexity in critical hardware parts. A multi-pulse methodology is described in which each pulse contains partial angular and range information consisting of a portion of the total CPI bandwidth, termed multiband chirp. Each chirp has significantly reduced fractional bandwidth relative to monoband processing. Each chirp contains angular information that fills only a portion of the ‘virtual array’, while the full virtual array information is contained across the CPI. This is done using only a single transmission antenna per pulse, thus significantly simplifying MIMO hardware realization, referred to as antenna-multiplexing (AM). Techniques for generating the multiband chirps as well as receiving and generating improved fine range-Doppler data maps. A windowing technique deployed in the transmitter as opposed to the receiver is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for increasing the effective aperture of radar switch/MIMO antenna array, using a low number of transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) army elements, according to which an array of radar physical receive (Rx)/Transmit (Tx) elements are arranged in at least two opposing Rx rows and at least two opposing Tx columns, such that each row includes a plurality of receive (Rx) elements uniformly spaced from each other and each column includes a plurality of transmit (Tx) elements uniformly spaced from each other, the array forming a rectangular physical aperture. Used as a switch array, a first Tx element from one column is activated to transmit a radar pulse during a predetermined time slot. Reflections of the first transmission are received in all Rx elements, thereby virtually replicating the two opposing Rx rows about an origin determined by the location of the first Tx element within the rectangular physical aperture.

Abstract: A novel and useful system and method by which radar angle and range resolution are significantly improved without increasing complexity in critical hardware parts. A multi-pulse methodology is described in which each pulse contains partial angular and range information consisting of a portion of the total CPI bandwidth, termed multiband chirp. Each chirp has significantly reduced fractional bandwidth relative to monoband processing. Each chirp contains angular information that fills only a portion of the ‘virtual array’, while the full virtual array information is contained across the CPI. This is done using only a single transmission antenna per pulse, thus significantly simplifying MIMO hardware realization, referred to as antenna-multiplexing (AM). Techniques for generating the multiband chirps as well as receiving and generating improved fine range-Doppler data maps. A windowing technique deployed in the transmitter as opposed to the receiver is also disclosed.

Abstract: A novel and useful radar sensor incorporating detection, mitigation and avoidance of mutual interference from nearby automotive radars. The normally constant start frequency sequence for linear large bandwidth FMCW chirps is replaced by a sequence of lower bandwidth chirps with start frequencies spanning the wider bandwidth and randomly ordered in time to create a pseudo random chirp hopping sequence. The reflected wave signal received is reassembled using the known hop sequence. To mitigate interference, the signal received is used to estimate collisions with other radar signals. If detected, a constraint is applied to the randomization of the chirps. The chirp hopping sequence is altered so chirps do not interfere with the interfering radar's chirps. Offending chirps are re-randomized, dropped altogether or the starting frequency of another non-offending chirp is reused. Windowed blanking is used to zero the portion of the received chirp corrupted with the interfering radar's chirp signal.

Abstract: A novel and useful system and method by which radar angle and range resolution are significantly improved without increasing complexity in critical hardware parts. A multi-pulse methodology is described in which each pulse contains partial angular and range information consisting of a portion of the total CPI bandwidth, termed multiband chirp. Each chirp has significantly reduced fractional bandwidth relative to monoband processing. Each chirp contains angular information that fills only a portion of the ‘virtual array’, while the full virtual array information is contained across the CPI. This is done using only a single transmission antenna per pulse, thus significantly simplifying MIMO hardware realization, referred to as antenna-multiplexing (AM). Techniques for generating the multiband chirps as well as receiving and generating improved fine range-Doppler data maps. A windowing technique deployed in the transmitter as opposed to the receiver is also disclosed.

Abstract: A novel and useful two-stage radar return data processing mechanism for use in FMCW radar systems that divides the conventional frame into two portions. Two different frames are transmitted rather than one. The frames are transmitted consecutively one after the other. A low resolution ‘coarse’ frame is first transmitted that is fully processed in real time. Based on the results of the processing of the coarse frame, a plurality of targets of interest (TOIs) in the scene representing a subset of the received data is determined. Then a longer high-resolution ‘fine’ frame is transmitted and processed using the information obtained in the previous coarse fame. Using the TOI information obtained in the previous coarse frame, only a subset of the received data is processed. The non-processed portion is assumed to contain non-interesting information and is discarded or ignored thereby significantly reducing processing time.

Abstract: A novel and useful system and method of constructing a skewed or staggered multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna array system for automotive radar having high azimuth and elevation angular resolution and accuracy that provides increased effective aperture while using a low number of TX and RX elements. Improved element separation is achieved by distancing (i.e. staggering or skewing) RX rows and TX columns by using row and column circular shifts along their major axis. Due to the physical size of antenna elements, it is not physically possible to place the rows and columns in the full array symmetric RX-TX pattern without creating a gap in the center of the virtual array. This array reduces the overall size of the antenna achieving a compact size and low side lobe level (SLL). In addition, to minimize the resulting RX saturation of elements physically close to TX elements, the system blanks (i.e. zeros) the data for those elements.

Abstract: A novel and useful system and method by which radar angle and range resolution are significantly improved without increasing complexity in critical hardware parts. A multi-pulse methodology is described in which each pulse contains partial angular and range information consisting of a portion of the total CPI bandwidth, termed multiband chirp. Each chirp has significantly reduced fractional bandwidth relative to monoband processing. Each chirp contains angular information that fills only a portion of the ‘virtual array’, while the full virtual array information is contained across the CPI. This is done using only a single transmission antenna per pulse, thus significantly simplifying MIMO hardware realization, referred to as antenna-multiplexing (AM). Techniques for generating the multiband chirps as well as receiving and generating improved fine range-Doppler data maps. A windowing technique deployed in the transmitter as opposed to the receiver is also disclosed.

Abstract: A novel and useful system and method by which radar angle and range resolution are significantly improved without increasing complexity in critical hardware parts. A multi-pulse methodology is described in which each pulse contains partial angular and range information consisting of a portion of the total CPI bandwidth, termed multiband chirp. Each chirp has significantly reduced fractional bandwidth relative to monoband processing. Each chirp contains angular information that fills only a portion of the ‘virtual array’, while the full virtual array information is contained across the CPI. This is done using only a single transmission antenna per pulse, thus significantly simplifying MIMO hardware realization, referred to as antenna-multiplexing (AM). Techniques for generating the multiband chirps as well as receiving and generating improved fine range-Doppler data maps. A windowing technique deployed in the transmitter as opposed to the receiver is also disclosed.

Abstract: A novel and useful system and method by which radar angle and range resolution are significantly improved without increasing complexity in critical hardware parts. A multi-pulse methodology is described in which each pulse contains partial angular and range information consisting of a portion of the total CPI bandwidth, termed multiband chirp. Each chirp has significantly reduced fractional bandwidth relative to monoband processing. Each chirp contains angular information that fills only a portion of the ‘virtual array’, while the full virtual array information is contained across the CPI. This is done using only a single transmission antenna per pulse, thus significantly simplifying MIMO hardware realization, referred to as antenna-multiplexing (AM). Techniques for generating the multiband chirps as well as receiving and generating improved fine range-Doppler data maps. A windowing technique deployed in the transmitter as opposed to the receiver is also disclosed.

Abstract: A novel and useful radar sensor incorporating detection, mitigation and avoidance of mutual interference from nearby automotive radars. The normally constant start frequency sequence for linear large bandwidth FMCW chirps is replaced by a sequence of lower bandwidth chirps with start frequencies spanning the wider bandwidth and randomly ordered in time to create a pseudo random chirp hopping sequence. The reflected wave signal received is reassembled using the known hop sequence. To mitigate interference, the signal received is used to estimate collisions with other radar signals. If detected, a constraint is applied to the randomization of the chirps. The chirp hopping sequence is altered so chirps do not interfere with the interfering radar's chirps. Offending chirps are re-randomized, dropped altogether or the starting frequency of another non-offending chirp is reused. Windowed blanking is used to zero the portion of the received chirp corrupted with the interfering radar's chirp signal.

Abstract: A method for increasing the effective aperture of radar switch/MIMO antenna array, using a low number of transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) army elements, according to which an array of radar physical receive (Rx)/Transmit (Tx) elements are arranged in at least two opposing Rx rows and at least two opposing Tx columns, such that each row includes a plurality of receive (Rx) elements uniformly spaced from each other and each column includes a plurality of transmit (Tx) elements uniformly spaced from each other, the array forming a rectangular physical aperture. Used as a switch array, a first Tx element from one column is activated to transmit a radar pulse during a predetermined time slot. Reflections of the first transmission are received in all Rx elements, thereby virtually replicating the two opposing Rx rows about an origin determined by the location of the first Tx element within the rectangular physical aperture.

Abstract: There are disclosed systems, apparatus and methods for rerouting telephony signals in the case of a front card failure, through the standby or redundant front cards, as well as standby or redundant rear cards. These redundant cards are coupled with through or bussed connections at connection areas assembled with connectors P2/rP2 (of the Compact PCI® Standard) This allows the standby or redundant front card, to operate in place of the failed front card, using the corresponding rear card.

Abstract: Noise in a speech-plus-noise input signal is suppressed by splitting the input signal into spectral channels and decreasing the gain in the each channel which has a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). A voice operated switch (VOX) acts to detect noise-only input to gate a background noise (input signal) estimator and also to gate a residual noise (output signal) estimator. The gain in each of the channels is controlled by the current value (a posteriori) input signal SNR estimate, modified by the prior value (a priori) input signal SNR estimate, and smoothed as a function of the residual (output noise signal) estimate.

Abstract: A voice operated switch employs digital signal processing techniques to examine audio signal frames having harmonic content to identify voiced phonemes and to determined whether the signal frame contains primarily speech or noise. The method and apparatus employ a multiple-stage, delayed-decision adaptive digital signal processing algorithm implemented through the use of commonly available electronic circuit components.