High end imaging radar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022196821-A1
Application number	US-202117369994-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 8, 2021
Priority date	Dec 21, 2020
Publication date	Jun 23, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A radar device may include a digital to analog converter (DAC) stage. The DAC stage may generate a plurality of analog signals. The DAC stage may generate a different analog signal for each transmitter chain of a plurality of transmitter chains. Each analog signal of the plurality of analog signals may represent a single digital signal. Each transmitter chain of the plurality of transmitter chains may include a transmit chain portion and switched analog beamforming network (BFN). The transmit chain portion may generate a plurality of intermediate analog signals representative of the corresponding analog signal. The switched analog BFN may generate a plurality of analog transmit signals for an intermediate analog signal of the plurality of intermediate analog signals. The plurality of analog transmit signals may include a beam formed in accordance with a state of the switched analog BFN.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A radar device comprising:
a digital to analog converter (DAC) stage configured to generate a plurality of analog signals, the DAC stage generating a different analog signal for each transmitter chain of a plurality of transmitter chains, each analog signal of the plurality of analog signals representative of a single digital signal; and each transmitter chain of the plurality of transmitter chains comprises:
a transmit chain portion configured to generate a plurality of intermediate analog signals representative of the corresponding analog signal; and
a switched analog beamforming network (BFN) configured to generate a plurality of analog transmit signals for an intermediate analog signal of the plurality of intermediate analog signals, the plurality of analog transmit signals comprising a beam formed in accordance with a state of the switched analog BFN.

2 . The radar device of claim 1 , wherein the transmit chain portion comprises:
a filter configured to generate a filtered analog signal based on the corresponding analog signal; a variable gain amplifier (VGA) configured to generate an amplified analog signal based on the filtered analog signal; a mixer configured to generate a mixed analog signal based on the amplified analog signal; and a splitter configured to generate the plurality of intermediate analog signals based on the mixed analog signal.

3 . The radar device of claim 1 , wherein the switched analog BFN comprises:
a first M×M BFN configured to generate a plurality of formed analog signals for an intermediate analog signal of the plurality of intermediate analog signals; a plurality of variable gain amplifiers (VGAs) configured to generate an amplified formed analog signal for each formed analog signal of the plurality of formed analog signals; a plurality of splitters configured to generate a plurality of split analog signals for each amplified formed analog signal of the plurality of amplified formed analog signals; a plurality of N×N BFNs configured to generate a plurality of additional analog signals for a split analog signal of the plurality of split analog signals; and a plurality of power amplifier (PAs) configured to generate the plurality of analog transmit signals based on the plurality of additional analog signals.

4 . The radar device of claim 3 , wherein the first M×M BFN is configured to generate the plurality of formed analog signals formed in a first angular dimension.

5 . The radar device of claim 4 , wherein each N×N BFN of the plurality of N×N BFNs is configured to generate the plurality of additional analog signals formed in a second angular dimension.

6 . The radar device of claim 3 , wherein the switched analog BFN further comprises a first plurality of switches and a second plurality of switches, the radar device further comprising a control circuit configured to:
control the first plurality of switches to cause the first M×M BFN to generate the plurality of formed analog signals as a number of analog signals; and control the second plurality of switches to cause each N×N BFN of the plurality of N×N BFNs to generate the corresponding plurality of additional analog signals as a number of analog signals, wherein the state of the switched analog BFN comprises a state of the first plurality of switches and a state of the second plurality of switches.

7 . The radar device of claim 1 , wherein the switched analog BFN comprises:
a second plurality of N×N BFNs configured to generate a plurality of formed analog signals for an intermediate analog signal of the plurality of intermediate analog signals; and a plurality of PAs configured to generate the plurality of analog transmit signals based on the plurality of formed analog signals.

8 . A lens antenna system, comprising:
a reconfigurable aperture configured to:
receive a source beam; and
provide an output beam based on a surface impedance distribution of the reconfigurable aperture and the received source beam; and
a control device operatively coupled to the reconfigurable aperture, wherein the control device is configured to control the impedance of the reconfigurable aperture to configure and reconfigure a beam pattern of the output beam.

9 . The lens antenna system of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of antenna elements physically positioned proximate the reconfigurable aperture, wherein the plurality of antennas are configured to generate the source beam.

10 . The lens antenna system of claim 8 , wherein the control device is configured to control the surface impedance distribution of the reconfigurable aperture to permit at least a portion of the received source beam to propagate the reconfigurable aperture as the output beam.

11 . The lens antenna system of claim 8 , wherein the reconfigurable aperture comprises a plurality of diodes physically positioned on a surface of the reconfigurable aperture and the control device is configured to bias the plurality of diodes to control the impedance of the reconfigurable aperture.

12 . The lens antenna system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of diodes are arranged in a pixelated pattern on the surface of the reconfigurable aperture.

13 . The lens antenna system of claim 11 , wherein each diode of the plurality of diodes are configured to operate in states comprising:
a first state that permits at least a portion of the source beam propagate the corresponding diode; and a second state that prevents the source beam from propagating the corresponding diode.

14 . The lens antenna system of claim 11 , wherein the control device is configured to bias each diode of the plurality of diodes to control the state of each diode of the plurality of diodes.

15 . A radar device comprising:
a digital to analog converter (DAC) stage configured to generate a plurality of analog signals, the DAC stage generating a different analog signal for each transmitter chain of a plurality of transmitter chains, each analog signal of the plurality of analog signals representative of a single digital signal; and each transmitter chain of the plurality of transmitter chains comprises:
a transmit chain portion configured to generate a plurality of intermediate analog signals representative of the corresponding analog signal; and
an active beamforming network (BFN) configured to generate a plurality of analog transmit signals, each analog transmit signal of the plurality of analog signals based on a different intermediate analog signal of the plurality of intermediate analog signals, the plurality of analog transmit signals comprising a beam formed in accordance with a configuration of the active BFN.

16 . The radar device of claim 15 , wherein the transmit chain portion comprises:
a filter configured to generate a filtered analog signal based on the corresponding analog signal; a variable gain amplifier (VGA) configured to generate an amplified analog signal based on the filtered analog signal; a mixer configured to generate a mixed analog signal based on the amplified analog signal; and a splitter configured to generate the plurality of intermediate analog signals based on the mixed analog signal.

17 . The radar device of claim 15 , wherein the active BFN comprises:
a plurality of phase shifters configured to shift a phase of each intermediate analog signal of the plurality of intermediate analog signals to generate a plurality of phase shifted analog signals, each phase shifted analog signal of the plurality of phase shifted analog signals based on a different intermediat

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Amadjikpe Arnaud
• Huusari Timo Sakari
• Yang Tae Young
• Alavi Hossein
• Callender Steven
• Jackson Bradley
• Markish Ofer
• Shin Woorim
• Xu Shengbo
• Zhou Zhen
• Qian Wei
• Huang mengyuan

Classifications

• G01S13/584

  adapted for simultaneous range and velocity measurements · CPC title

• G01S13/931 Primary

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S13/42

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S13/46) · CPC title

• G01S7/35

  Details of non-pulse systems · CPC title

• G01S13/881

  for robotics · CPC title