A centralized object detection sensor network system comprises a central unit configured to generate one or more probing signals for detecting one or more objects in an environment, and one or more transponders configured to receive the one or more probing signals and convert them into free space waves for detecting the one or more objects in the environment. The one or more transponders are communicatively coupled to the central unit through one or more communication links.

A radar system includes a transmitter, a receiver, and a processor. The transmitter transmits continuous wave radio signals. The receiver receives radio signals that includes the transmitted radio signal reflected from targets in an environment. The targets include a first target and a second target. The first target is closer than a first threshold distance from the vehicle, and the second target is farther than the first threshold distance from the vehicle. A processor is configured to process the received radio signals. The processor is configured to selectively process the received radio signals to detect the second target. The processor selectably adjusts operational parameters of at least one of the transmitter and the receiver to discriminate between the first target and the second target.

A method of sensing a target in a target detection system having processing circuitry and a multiplexer coupled to the processing circuitry and to a plurality N.sub.T of transmit antennas forming a sparse transmit uniform linear array (ULA), the multiplexer being configured to generate multiplexed and phase modulated transmit signals (T.sub.1 . . . T.sub.NT) based on signals from a local oscillator. The processing circuitry receives signals via a plurality N.sub.R of receive antennas forming a dense receive ULA. The method includes transmitting the transmit signals via the transmit antennas as a general radiation pattern corresponding to a block circulant probing signal matrix, and receiving via the receive antennas receive signals resulting from backscattering of the transmit signals transmitted towards K targets. The method further includes processing the received reflection signals to determine the presence, range and/or angular position of a target within a field of view of the transmit antennas.

Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for transmitting and receiving radar signals from a radar source while minimizing interference with other radar sources are presented. A transmit signal comprising a first chirp sequence is generated according to a set of waveform parameters, with least one waveform parameter being varied for one or more chirps in the first chirp sequence. Additionally, each chirp of the first chirp sequence can be phase-modulated. A receive signal comprising a second chirp sequence and corresponding to the transmit signal reflected off an object in a surrounding environment is then sampled to determine one or more attributes of the object. In some embodiments, the attributes include distance and speed values calculated using Discrete Fourier Transforms (DFTs). Other attributes that can be calculated from the receive signal include azimuth angle and elevation angle.

A method of operating a modulated continuous-wave radar system at least includes steps of transmitting, with a modulation frequency, a plurality of n modulated continuous radar waves that represent mutually orthogonal codes towards a scene with a potential object to be detected, wherein the transmitted modulated continuous radar waves of the plurality of modulated continuous radar waves are consecutively transmitted with a constant time lag given by one nth of a period of the modulation frequency; digitally converting a plurality of reflected and received radar signals with a sampling rate that is equal to the modulation frequency; decoding individual range information for each received radar signal; and determining a range between the radar system and the object on the basis of the decoded individual range information.

A radar device is configured in such a manner that each of transmission radars uses, as the amount of phase modulation, a value determined from either one of a positive integer value that is less than or equal to a result of division obtained by dividing the number of hits of a transmission RF signal by the number of the transmission radars and a value of 0; a hit number h of the transmission RF signal; and the number of hits.

Automotive radar methods and systems for enhancing resistance to interference using a built-in self-test (BIST) module. In one illustrative embodiment, an automotive radar transceiver includes: a signal generator that generates a transmit signal; a modulator that derives a modulated signal from the transmit signal using at least one of phase and amplitude modulation; at least one receiver that mixes the transmit signal with a receive signal to produce a down-converted signal, the receive signal including the modulated signal during a built-in self-test (BIST) mode of operation; and at least one transmitter that drives a radar antenna with a selectable one of the transmit signal and the modulated signal.

A method is provided that includes a vehicle receiving data from an external computing device indicative of at least one other vehicle in an environment of the vehicle. The vehicle may include a sensor configured to detect the environment of the vehicle. The at least one other vehicle may include at least one sensor. The method also includes determining a likelihood of interference between the at least one sensor of the at least one other vehicle the sensor of the vehicle. The method also includes initiating an adjustment of the sensor to reduce the likelihood of interference between the sensor of the vehicle and the at least one sensor of the at least one other vehicle responsive to the determination.

A method for processing signals of active sensor systems including processing an emitted signal to include at least one distinguishing feature, the emitted signal emitted by an active sensor system adapted to intercept a reflection of the emitted signal, and to analyze the reflection of the emitted signal for determining at least one parameter of at least one object located in a space, analyzing an intercepted portion to verify the at least one distinguishing feature in the intercepted portion, and processing the intercepted portion as the reflection of the emitted signal when the at least one distinguishing feature is verified.

A reconfigurable radar unit is described that includes: a millimetre wave (mmW) transceiver (Tx/Rx) circuit; a mixed analog and baseband integrated circuit; and a signal processor circuit. The mmW Tx/Rx circuit and mixed analog and baseband integrated circuit and signal processor circuit are configured to support a plurality of radar operational modes. a radar sensitivity monitor and architecture reconfiguration control unit (260) is coupled to the signal processor circuit and is configured to monitor a radar performance and, in response thereto, initiate a change in the radar operational mode. In this manner, a large number of radar operational modes is supported and can be dynamically adopted by the reconfigurable radar unit dependent upon any prevailing radar performance condition.