According to a first aspect, a radar system with blockage detection is provided. The radar system includes a first antenna for receiving first signals and a second antenna for receiving second signals. Input circuitry processes the first signals to generate first input signals and processes the second signals to generate second input signals. A processor computes a correlation between the first input signals and the second input signals, determines a correlation variance related to variation in the correlation, and generates a determination as to whether the radar system is blocked using the correlation variance.

A method for separating large and small targets from noise in radar IF signals, according to which a receiver receives, echo signals that are reflected from targets of different size (such as walls or ground), in response to the transmission of chirp FMCW radar signals, modulated (e.g., using Linear Frequency Modulation) in a predetermined modulation speed for a predetermined duration. The echo signals are down-converted by mixing them with the transmitted signal, to obtain received Intermediate Frequency (IF) signal, which is then sampled both in phase (I-channel) and in quadrature phase (Q-channel). The received IF signal passes a Fourier transform, to obtain power spectral components that belong to a relevant frequency domain, associated with an echo signal reflected from a real target, along with corresponding power spectral components that belong to an irrelevant, opposite frequency domain. The noise distribution and level in the relevant frequency domain is calculated by estimating the noise level in the irrelevant frequency domain and targets represented by a set of consequent relevant frequencies are detected by comparing the power spectral component at each relevant frequency to the calculated noise level and identifying power spectral components with likelihood, which is above a predetermined threshold.

A multicarrier phase ranging system and method are provided. Generally, the method includes performing a handshake between first and a second transceiver to negotiate a list of channels and a start-time for a multicarrier phase ranging process. The process includes in a first cycle exchanging a Constant Tone (CT) between the first and second transceiver in a first epoch on a first channel, and processing the CT received in the first and second transceiver to measure a difference in phase between the CT received and a reference signal. The CT received is checked for interference using software or hardware in either or both of the first and second transceiver. If no interference is detected the first and second transceiver switch to another channel and exchange the CT at a next epoch. If interference is detected, at least one channel is skipped for at least a subsequent epoch.

The invention relates to a method for determining a deviation of a broadband measurement signal from a reference signal. The method provides the steps: subdivision of the signal into at least two measurement-signal frequency bands; displacement of the measurement-signal frequency bands; and reconstruction of the at least two measurement-signal frequency bands. A corresponding measurement device is also contained within the idea of the invention.

A high-frequency module with a simple configuration and facilitates size reduction and mass production is provided. An oscillator that includes a bipolar transistor, an antenna, and mixers are realized as one circuit. A base of the bipolar transistor is electrically connected to a resonance pattern or the like that outputs a signal at a frequency in a quasi-millimeter wave band or higher by direct oscillation. A collector is electrically connected to a transmission line or the like which is connected to a power source. An emitter is electrically connected to a planar open transmission line or the like that operates as an antenna. A portion of the signal transmitted through the open transmission line is fed back to the base via a capacitance between the open transmission line and the base. The open transmission line is electrically connected to two diodes and each of which operates as a mixer.

A sensing system has transmitting antennas and receiving antennas. The placement of the sensing system is adapted to enhance the sensing system's ability to process the signals so as to provide information regarding the touch between fingertips, the pinching of fingers and the touching of objects.

Time-division quadrature sampling may be used in a pulse-modulated continuous wave (PMCW) radar receiver circuit, e.g., as may be employed in various types of radar sensors used in automotive and other applications, to enable a quadrature sampling circuit to sequence between digitally sampling different complex components of a received radar signal at different times.

A radar sensing system includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter is configured to transmit a radio signal. The receiver is configured to receive radio signals that include the transmitted radio signal reflected from objects in the environment. The transmitter and receiver are configured to distribute the signal power over frequency so that it is separated from noise and impairments at DC and low frequencies as may be caused by some radar system components which introduce DC offsets and/or low frequency (e.g. flicker) noise.

A method (e.g., a method for measuring a separation distance to a target object) includes transmitting an electromagnetic first transmitted signal from a transmitting antenna toward a target object that is a separated from the transmitting antenna by a separation distance. The first transmitted signal includes a first transmit pattern representative of a first sequence of digital bits. The method also includes receiving a first echo of the first transmitted signal that is reflected off the target object, converting the first echo into a first digitized echo signal, and comparing a first receive pattern representative of a second sequence of digital bits to the first digitized echo signal to determine a time of flight of the first transmitted signal and the echo.

A method of operating a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) in a radar transmitter includes: sending a radio frequency (RF) signal to a power amplifier of the radar transmitter, where the power amplifier is controlled by a termination control signal, where when the termination control signal is de-asserted, the power amplifier is configured to pass the RF signal through the power amplifier for transmission by an RF antenna, where when the termination control signal is asserted, the power amplifier is configured to terminate the RF signal in the power amplifier; transmitting the RF signal by de-asserting the termination control signal; and after de-asserting the termination control signal, disabling transmission of the RF signal by: reducing a power of the RF signal; and asserting the termination control signal.