Radar target simulator front end and method for simulating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11914070-B2
Application number	US-202016888056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2020
Priority date	May 29, 2020
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

A radar target simulator front end, configured to simulate at least one radar target for testing a radar device under test is provided. The radar target simulator front end comprises at least two antenna units, arranged along a first angle under investigation. The at least two antenna units are configured to be selectively activated and deactivated. Whereby each antenna unit of the at least two antenna units generates a simulated radar target along the first angle under investigation, when activated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radar target simulator frontend, configured to simulate at least one radar target for testing a radar device under test,
comprising at least two antenna units, arranged along a first angle under investigation, wherein each of the at least two antenna units comprises a transmission antenna and a reception antenna separate from the transmission antenna,
wherein the at least two antenna units are configured to be selectively activated and deactivated, each antenna unit of the at least two antenna units generating a simulated radar target along the first angle under investigation, when activated,
wherein the reception antenna is configured to receive the radar signal transmitted by the radar device under test,
wherein the transmission antenna is configured to transmit a simulated scatter signal, based on the radar signal transmitted by the radar device under test, received by the reception antenna, back to the radar device under test, and
wherein the radar target simulator frontend is configured to simulate a near field radar target by jointly activating at least two adjacent antenna units of the at least two antenna units.

2. The radar target simulator frontend of claim 1 ,
wherein the transmission antenna and the reception antenna of each of the at least two antenna units are arranged with regard to each other along an angle orthogonal to the first angle under investigation.

3. The radar target simulator frontend of claim 1 ,
wherein the transmission antenna and the reception antenna of each antenna unit are arranged at an angular distance with regard to each other, which is smaller than an angular resolution of the radar device under test.

4. The radar target simulator frontend of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least two antenna units are configured to be activated jointly, simultaneously generating at least two simulated radar targets.

5. The radar target simulator frontend of claim 1 ,
comprising a plurality of antenna units, arranged along the first angle under investigation, wherein the plurality of antenna units are configured to be selectively activated and deactivated, each antenna unit of the plurality of antenna units generating a simulated radar target, when activated.

6. The radar target simulator frontend of claim 5 ,
wherein the first angle under investigation and the second angle under investigation are orthogonal with regard to each other.

7. The radar target simulator frontend of claim 1 ,
comprising at least two further antenna units, arranged along a second angle under investigation,
wherein the at least two further antenna units are configured to be selectively activated and deactivated, each antenna unit of the at least two further antenna units generating a simulated radar target along the second angle under investigation, when activated.

8. The radar target simulator frontend of claim 1 ,
wherein the radar target simulator frontend is configured to simulate radar targets for testing a multiple input multiple output, MIMO, radar device under test or a multiple input single output, MISO, radar device under test.

9. The radar target simulator frontend of claim 1 ,
comprising a plurality of antenna units,
wherein the plurality of antenna units are arranged in a two-dimensional angular pattern, wherein the plurality of antenna units are configured to be selectively activated and deactivated, each antenna unit of the plurality of antenna units generating a simulated radar target at a specific two-dimensional angular position.

10. The radar target simulator frontend of claim 1 , comprising an antenna unit switch, configured to selectively activate and deactivate the at least two antenna units.

11. The radar target simulator frontend of claim 10 ,
wherein the antenna unit switch is configured to successively activate and deactivate directly adjacent antenna units of the at least two antenna units, simulating a movement of a simulated radar target.

12. A method for simulating at least one radar target for testing a radar device under test, comprising:
providing at least two antenna units, arranged along a first angle under investigation, wherein each of the at least two antenna units comprises a transmission antenna and a reception antenna separate from the transmission antenna,
selectively activating and deactivating antenna units of the at least two antenna units, and thereby generating a simulated radar target along the first angle under investigation, when activated,
receiving, by the reception antenna, the radar signal transmitted by the radar device under test, and
transmitting, by the transmission antenna, a simulated scatter signal, based on the radar signal transmitted by the radar device under test, received by the reception antenna, back to the radar device under test,
wherein the radar target simulator frontend is configured to simulate a near field radar target by jointly activating at least two adjacent antenna units of the at least two antenna units.

13. The method of claim 12 ,
wherein many pairs of antenna units are created in an angle in order to simulate many possible angles under investigation.

14. The method of claim 13 ,
wherein the pairs of antenna units are aligned in a specific direction in order to test radar targets along angles in the specific direction.

15. The method of claim 13 ,
wherein the pairs of antenna units are designed to be within an angular resolution cell.

16. The method of claim 12 ,
wherein a two-dimensional alignment of the antenna units is performed by creating pixels.

Assignees

• Rohde & Schwarz

Inventors

• Hamberger Gerhard
• Beer Matthias
• Neidhardt Steffen
• Bogner Maximilian
• Simper Benedikt

Classifications

• G01S7/4052 Primary

  by simulation of echoes · CPC title

• G01S7/40

  Means for monitoring or calibrating · CPC title

• G01S7/4082

  using externally generated reference signals, e.g. via remote reflector or transponder · CPC title

• G01S7/4026 Primary

  Antenna boresight · CPC title

• G01S13/003

  Bistatic radar systems; Multistatic radar systems · CPC title