Radar-based target tracker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12399271-B2
Application number	US-202217869572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2022
Priority date	Jul 20, 2022
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

In an embodiment, a method includes: receiving a range-Doppler image (RDI) based on raw data from a radar sensor; performing moving target indication (MTI) filtering on the RDI to generate a first filtered radar image; performing constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection on the first filtered radar image to generate a second filtered radar image; performing minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamforming on the second filtered radar image to generate a range-angle image (RAI); performing CFAR detection on the RAI to generate a third filtered radar image; generating a point set based on the third filtered radar image; clustering targets of the point set; and tracking at least one of the clustered targets using a Kalman filter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a range-Doppler image (RDI) based on raw data from a radar sensor;
performing moving target indication (MTI) filtering on the RDI to generate a first filtered radar image;
performing constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection on the first filtered radar image to generate a second filtered radar image;
performing minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamforming on the second filtered radar image to generate a range-angle image (RAI);
performing CFAR detection on the RAI to generate a third filtered radar image;
generating a point set based on the third filtered radar image;
clustering targets of the point set; and
tracking at least one of the clustered targets using a Kalman filter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each point of the point set comprises a signal strength component and a Doppler component.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein each point of the point set comprises Cartesian coordinates.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein clustering the targets comprises clustering the targets based on the Cartesian coordinates of each point of the point set.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein each point of the point set comprises Polar coordinates.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting radar signals using the radar sensor;
receiving reflected radar signals using the radar sensor;
generating the raw data based on the reflected radar signals; and
generating the range-Doppler image based on the raw data.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein generating the range-Doppler image comprises performing a range fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the raw data.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radar sensor comprises two receiving antennas.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radar sensor comprises more than two receiving antennas.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
radiating power with a first intensity using a transmitter of a communication device; and
when a first target of the tracked clustered targets is detected within a predetermined distance from the transmitter of the communication device, reducing the radiated power from the first intensity to a second intensity lower than the first intensity.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the radar sensor and the transmitter of the communication device are collocated in a same location.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein a field of view of the radar sensor and a field of view of the transmitter of the communication device have a substantially identical angle.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein a field of view of the radar sensor covers the transmitter of the communication device.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the communication device operates according to a 5G NR communication standard.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the transmitter of the communication device is located adjacent to a keyboard of a laptop, and wherein the radar sensor is located in a bezel of a display of the laptop.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
projecting a button into a first surface; and
when a first target of the tracked clustered targets is detected within a predetermined distance from the projected button, causing a first action to be performed.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein projecting the button comprises projecting the button with a projector located in a hood of a kitchen.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the radar sensor is collocated with the projector.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the radar sensor is located in the first surface.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radar sensor is located in a bezel of a display, and the method further comprises, when a first target of the tracked clustered targets is detected within a predetermined distance from the display, issuing a flag indicative of a user being too close to the display.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first target of the tracked clustered targets corresponds to a center of a hand of a human.

22. A millimeter-wave radar system comprising:
a millimeter-wave radar sensor configured to transmit radar signals and receive reflected radar signals; and
a processing system configured to:
generate a range-Doppler image (RDI) based on the reflected radar signals,
perform moving target indication (MTI) filtering on the RDI to generate a first filtered radar image,
perform constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection on the first filtered radar image to generate a second filtered radar image,
perform minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamforming on the second filtered radar image to generate a range-angle image (RAI),
perform CFAR detection on the RAI to generate a third filtered radar image,
generate a point set based on the third filtered radar image,
cluster targets of the point set, and
track at least one of the clustered targets using a Kalman filter.

23. A device comprising:
a millimeter-wave radar sensor configured to transmit radar signals and receive reflected radar signals;
a communication device comprising a transmitter configured to radiate power with a first intensity; and
a processing system configured to:
generate a range-Doppler image (RDI) based on the reflected radar signals,
perform moving target indication (MTI) filtering on the RDI to generate a first filtered radar image,
perform constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection on the first filtered radar image to generate a second filtered radar image,
perform minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamforming on the second filtered radar image to generate a range-angle image (RAI),
perform CFAR detection on the RAI to generate a third filtered radar image,
generate a point set based on the third filtered radar image,
cluster targets of the point set,
track at least one of the clustered targets, and
when a first target of the tracked clustered targets is detected within a predetermined distance from the transmitter of the communication device, cause a reduction of the radiated power from the first intensity to a second intensity lower than the first intensity.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Kesaraju Saiveena
• Bal Jagjit Singh
• Sun Yue

Classifications

• G01S13/583

  using transmission of continuous unmodulated waves, amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated waves and based upon the Doppler effect resulting from movement of targets · CPC title

• H04W52/283

  Power depending on the position of the mobile · CPC title

• H04B17/364

  Delay profiles · CPC title

• H04B17/318

  Received signal strength · CPC title

• G01S13/449

  Combined with MTI or Doppler processing circuits · CPC title