Radar system comprising coupling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10890654-B2
Application number	US-201816176308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2018
Priority date	Dec 19, 2017
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

A radar system ( 200, 200 a ) and a method of operating a radar system are described, the radar system ( 200, 200 a ) comprising: a plurality of ICs ( 210, 220 ), each IC ( 210, 220 ) comprising: a respective LO output ( 212, 222 ) for selectively outputting a respective LO signal, and a respective LO input ( 214, 224 ); and a coupling device ( 230, 330 ), the coupling device ( 230, 330 ) comprising: a plurality of inputs ( 232, 234; 341, 342, 351, 352 ), each input being coupled to the LO output ( 212, 222 ) of a respective IC ( 200, 200 a ), and a plurality of outputs ( 236, 238; 363, 364, 373, 374 ), each output being coupled to the LO input ( 212, 222 ) of a respective IC ( 214, 224 ); wherein the coupling device ( 230, 330 ) is configured such that a LO signal arriving at any one of said plurality of inputs ( 232, 234; 341, 342, 351, 352 ) is distributed to each of said plurality of outputs ( 236, 238; 363, 364, 373, 374 ). The coupling device ( 230, 330 ) may comprise at least one directional coupler.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A radar system comprising: a plurality of integrated circuits ICs, each IC comprising:
a respective local oscillator LO output for selectively outputting a respective LO signal, and a respective LO input; and a coupling device, the coupling device comprising:
a plurality of inputs, each input being coupled to the LO output of a respective IC, and a plurality of outputs, each output being coupled to the LO input of a respective IC;
wherein the coupling device is configured such that a LO signal arriving at any one of said plurality of inputs is distributed to each of said plurality of outputs.

2. The radar system of claim 1 , wherein said coupling device comprises at least one directional coupler.

3. The radar system of claim 2 , wherein said at least one directional coupler comprises at least one of a branch line coupler or a rat race coupler.

4. The radar system of claim 1 , wherein said coupling device comprises at least one waveguide coupler.

5. The radar system of claim 1 , wherein said coupling device comprises a plurality of directional couplers.

6. The radar system of claim 1 , configured such that only one of said plurality of ICs outputs a respective LO signal when the radar system is in use acquiring radar data.

7. The radar system of claim 1 , wherein:
each one of said plurality of ICs is selectively configurable (i) as a master IC configured to output a common LO signal at its respective LO output and (ii) as a slave IC configured to receive the common LO signal from the master IC via said coupling device at its respective LO input.

8. The radar system of claim 1 , wherein each IC of said plurality of ICs is a transceiver IC or is comprised in a transceiver, receiver or transmitter chipset.

9. The radar system of claim 1 , further comprising phase compensation circuitry for compensating a phase difference between the outputs of the coupling device.

10. The radar system of claim 9 , wherein said phase compensation circuitry comprises at least one delay line.

11. The radar system of claim 9 , wherein said phase compensation circuitry comprises at least one phase rotator.

12. The radar system of claim 1 , further comprising:
first circuitry for introducing a first phase shift into a signal received at a first respective input of the plurality of inputs of the coupling device from a first IC of the plurality of ICs, and
second circuitry for introducing a second phase shift into a signal received at a second respective input of the plurality of inputs of the coupling device from a second IC of the plurality of ICs,
wherein said second phase shift is greater than said first phase shift.

13. The radar system of claim 12 , wherein said first and second circuitry comprises respective first and second delay lines.

14. An autonomous vehicle comprising a radar system, the radar system comprising:
a plurality of integrated circuits ICs, each IC comprising:
a respective local oscillator LO output for selectively outputting a respective LO signal, and
a respective LO input; and a coupling device, the coupling device comprising:
a plurality of inputs, each input being coupled to the LO output of a respective IC, and a plurality of outputs, each output being coupled to the LO input of a respective IC;
wherein the coupling device is configured such that a LO signal arriving at any one of said plurality of inputs is distributed to each of said plurality of outputs.

15. A method of operating a radar system, the radar system comprising: a plurality of radar integrated circuits ICs, each IC comprising a respective local oscillator LO output for selectively outputting a respective LO signal, and a respective LO input; and a coupling device, the coupling device comprising: a plurality of inputs, each input being coupled to the LO output of a respective IC, and a plurality of outputs, each output being coupled to the LO input of a respective IC;
wherein the coupling device is configured such that a LO signal arriving at any one of said plurality of inputs is distributed to each of said plurality of outputs; the method comprising:
operating the radar system in a first configuration, in which a first IC of said plurality of ICs is configured to output a common LO signal, and the other ICs of said plurality of ICs are configured to receive said common LO signal from said first IC;
and reconfiguring the radar system to a second configuration, in which a second IC of said plurality of ICs is reconfigured to output a common LO signal.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising outputting a respective LO signal by only one of said plurality of radar ICs when the radar system is in use acquiring radar data.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein each IC of said plurality of radar ICs is a transceiver IC or is comprised in a transceiver, receiver or transmitter chipset.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising compensating by way of phase compensation circuitry a phase difference between the outputs of the coupling device.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
introducing a first phase shift into a signal received at a first respective input of the plurality of inputs of the coupling device from a first radar IC of the plurality of radar ICs; and
introducing a second phase shift greater than said first phase shift into a signal received at a second respective input of the plurality of inputs of the coupling device from a second radar IC of the plurality of radar ICs.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein said coupling device comprises at least one directional coupler, the directional coupler comprising at least one of a branch line coupler or a rat race coupler.

Assignees

• Nxp Usa Inc

Inventors

• Tong Ziqiang
• Ahmed Shamsuddin

Classifications

• G01S7/032 Primary

  Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems · CPC title

• G01S7/028

  Miniaturisation, e.g. surface mounted device [SMD] packaging or housings · CPC title

• G01S13/878

  Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector (G01S13/874 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S13/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• H03H7/18

  Networks for phase shifting · CPC title