Virtual radar array having reduced size

A vehicle, comprising an electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises:

• a circuit board having a first dimension in azimuth direction and a second dimension in an elevation direction;
• one or more transmitters, disposed on the circuit board, configured to provide radar signals having a fundamental wavelength;
• one or more receivers, disposed on the circuit board, configured to receive reflected radar signals having the fundamental wavelength;
• a first set of transmit antennas disposed on the circuit board and communicatively coupled to the one or more transmitters, wherein the first set of transmit antennas are arranged along the azimuth direction, a given transmit antenna in the first set of transmit antennas has a length along the elevation direction, and separations between adjacent transmit antennas in the first set of transmit antennas along the azimuth direction is greater than one half of the fundamental wavelength;
• a first set of receive antennas disposed on the circuit board and communicatively coupled to the one or more receivers, wherein the first set of receive antennas are arranged along the azimuth direction, a given receive antenna in the first set of receive antennas has the length along the elevation direction, and separations between adjacent receive antennas in the first set of receive antennas along the azimuth direction equals one half of the fundamental wavelength;
• a second set of transmit antennas disposed on the circuit board and communicatively coupled to the one or more transmitters, wherein the second set of transmit antennas are arranged along a direction that includes components in the azimuth direction and the elevation direction, a given transmit antenna in the second set of transmit antennas has the length along the elevation direction, separations between adjacent transmit antennas in the second set of transmit antennas along the azimuth direction is greater than one half of the fundamental wavelength, and the adjacent transmit antennas in the second set of transmit antennas are partially offset from each other and partially overlap with each other along the elevation direction;
• and
• a second set of receive antennas disposed on the circuit board and communicatively coupled to the one or more receivers, wherein the second set of receive antennas are arranged along the direction, a given receive antenna in the second set of receive antennas has the length along the elevation direction, separations between adjacent receive antennas in the second set of receive antennas along the azimuth direction equals one half of the fundamental wavelength, and the adjacent receive antennas in the second set of receive antennas are partially offset from each other and partially overlap with each other along the elevation direction.

A method for performing radar measurements, comprising:

• by an electronic device:
• providing radar signals by driving a first set of transmit antennas and a second set of transmit antennas using one or more transmitters with electrical signals that are orthogonal to each other, wherein the electrical signals have a fundamental wavelength, wherein the first set of transmit antennas are arranged along an azimuth direction of a circuit board in the electronic device, a given transmit antenna in the first set of transmit antennas has a length along an elevation direction of the circuit board, and separations between adjacent transmit antennas in the first set of transmit antennas along the azimuth direction is greater than one half of the fundamental wavelength, and
• wherein the second set of transmit antennas are arranged along a direction that includes components in the azimuth direction and the elevation direction, a given transmit antenna in the second set of transmit antennas has the length along the elevation direction, separations between adjacent transmit antennas in the second set of transmit antennas along the azimuth direction is greater than one half of the fundamental wavelength, and the adjacent transmit antennas in the second set of transmit antennas are partially offset from each other and partially overlap with each other along the elevation direction;
• and
• receiving, using a first set of receive antennas, a second set of receive antennas and one or more receivers, reflected radar signals having the fundamental wavelength, wherein the first set of receive antennas are arranged along the azimuth direction, a given receive antenna in the first set of receive antennas has the length along the elevation direction, and separations between adjacent receive antennas in the first set of receive antennas along the azimuth direction equals one half of the fundamental wavelength,
• wherein the second set of receive antennas are arranged along the direction, a given receive antenna in the second set of receive antennas has the length along the elevation direction, separations between adjacent receive antennas in the second set of receive antennas along the azimuth direction equals one half of the fundamental wavelength, and the adjacent receive antennas in the second set of receive antennas are partially offset from each other and partially overlap with each other along the elevation direction, and
• wherein the one or more transmitters, the first set of transmit antennas, the second set of transmit antennas, the one or more receivers, the first set of receive antennas and the second set of receive antennas are used in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) operating mode to provide a virtual antenna array that enhances a spatial resolution of the electronic device at least along the azimuth direction.