Vehicle radar sensor utilizing non-uniform frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) chirps
AssigneeAurora Operations, Inc.
InventorsChunshu Li, Stephen Crouch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle radar sensor utilizes Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar signals that incorporate non-uniform FMCW chirps having chirp profiles that differ from one another to sense one or more parameters of one or more objects in a field of view of the radar sensor. The chirp profiles may differ from one another in various manners, e.g., based on starting frequency, repetition interval, duration and/or slope, and among other advantages, may be used to enhance sensing of various parameters such as range, Doppler/velocity and/or angle.
Claims19
A radar sensor for a vehicle, comprising:
- a radar transmitter configured to transmit a first radar signal, the first radar signal including a frame associated with a plurality of frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) chirps, wherein the frame is a coherent processing interval, wherein the plurality of FMWC FMCW chirps includes a plurality of uniform FMCW chirps having a same default chirp profile and a plurality of non-uniform FMCW chirps having chirp profiles that differ from one another and from the default chirp profile based at least upon differing starting frequency and repetition interval;
- a radar receiver configured to receive a second radar signal that is a reflected signal of the first radar signal;
- and
- control logic coupled to the radar receiver and configured to process the second radar signal, based on the uniform and non-uniform FMCW chirps in the frame, to sense one or more parameters of an object in a field of view of the radar transmitter.
A method of operating a radar sensor for a vehicle, comprising:
- transmitting a first radar signal, the first radar signal including a frame associated with a plurality of frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) chirps, wherein the frame is a coherent processing interval, wherein the plurality of FMCW chirps includes a plurality of uniform FMCW chirps having a same default chirp profile and a plurality of non-uniform FMCW chirps having chirp profiles that differ from one another and from the default chirp profile based at least upon differing starting frequency and repetition interval;
- and
- receiving a second radar signal that is a reflected signal of the first radar signal;
- and
- processing the second radar signal, based on the uniform and non-uniform FMCW chirps in the frame, to sense one or more parameters of an object in a field of view of the radar sensor.
An autonomous vehicle control system, comprising:
- a radar transmitter configured to transmit a first radar signal, the first radar signal including a frame associated with a plurality of frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) chirps, wherein the frame is a coherent processing interval, wherein the plurality of FMCW chirps includes a plurality of uniform FMCW chirps having a same default chirp profile and a plurality of non-uniform FMCW chirps having chirp profiles that differ from one another and from the default chirp profile based at least upon differing starting frequency and repetition interval;
- a radar receiver configured to receive a second radar signal that is a reflected signal of the first radar signal;
- and
- control logic coupled to the radar receiver and configured to process the second radar signal, based on the uniform and non-uniform FMCW chirps in the frame, to sense one or more parameters of an object in a field of view of the radar transmitter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.