Method as well as system for determining the three-dimensional alignment of components of a radar system

A testing system for determining the three-dimensional alignment of components of a radar system, comprising:

• a radar system for being tested;
• an imaging system configured to emit millimeter waves for sensing the radar system;
• and
• a control and evaluation system connected to the imaging system,
• the control and evaluation system being configured to locate in the image obtained by the imaging system the highest magnitude reflection coinciding with the expected location and/or the expected distance of the surface of a first component of the radar system;
• the control and evaluation system being configured to determine the position and/or the distance of that surface;
• and
• the control and evaluation system being further configured to obtain from the measurement the relative phase information received from each portion of that surface at the determined location, wherein a transform is performed on the phase information obtained, the azimuth and tilt of the surface being computed from that transform.

A method for determining the three-dimensional alignment of components of a radar system, with the following steps:

• providing the radar system that comprises a vehicle radar unit having a vehicle radar unit surface, wherein the radar system also comprises a radome having a radome surface and/or a bumper having a bumper surface, which is permeable by radar signals;
• imaging the radar system using millimeter waves emitted by an imaging system;
• locating in the image obtained the highest magnitude reflection coinciding with an expected location and/or an expected distance of the surface of a first component of the radar system being of interest;
• determining the position and/or the distance of that surface;
• obtaining from the measurement the relative phase information received from each portion of that surface at the determined position and/or the determined distance;
• and
• processing the phase information obtained so as to determine the azimuth and tilt of the surface, wherein the phase information obtained is processed by the steps of performing a transform on the phase information obtained, and computing from that transform the maximum that provides the azimuth and tilt of the surface.