MIMO radar apparatuses and MIMO radar methods

A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar apparatus, comprising

• receiver circuitry comprising a receiver channel, configured to:
• receive, during a first receive time interval, a first receive signal corresponding to a superposition of reflections of concurrent first frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar signals transmitted, via a first subset of transmit channels of a plurality of transmit channels, with different first phase offsets among different transmit channels of the first subset in accordance with a first predefined code division multiplexing scheme,
• wherein the first subset of transmit channels comprises a first transmit channel associated with a first phase modulation vector, and a second transmit channel, associated with a second phase modulation vector different from the first phase modulation vector;
• and
• receive, during a second receive time interval subsequent to the first receive time interval, a second receive signal corresponding to a superposition of reflections of concurrent second FMCW radar signals transmitted, via a second subset of transmit channels of the plurality of transmit channels, with different second phase offsets among different transmit channels of the second subset in accordance with a second predefined code division multiplexing scheme,
• wherein the second subset of transmit channels comprises a third transmit channel associated with a third phase modulation vector, and a fourth transmit channel, associated with a fourth phase modulation vector different from the third phase modulation vector.

A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar apparatus, comprising:

• transmitter circuitry, comprising a plurality of transmit channels, configured to:
• transmit, via a first subset of transmit channels of the plurality of transmit channels and during a first transmit time interval, concurrent first frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar signals with different first phase offsets among different transmit channels of the first subset of transmit channels in accordance with a first predefined code division multiplexing scheme,
• wherein the first subset of transmit channels comprises a first transmit channel associated with a first phase modulation vector, and a second transmit channel, associated with a second phase modulation vector different from the first phase modulation vector, and
• transmit, via a second subset of transmit channels of the plurality of transmit channels and during a second transmit time interval subsequent to the first transmit time interval, concurrent second FMCW radar signals with different second phase offsets among different transmit channels of the second subset of transmit channels in accordance with a second predefined code division multiplexing scheme,
• wherein the second subset of transmit channels comprises a third transmit channel associated with a third phase modulation vector, and a fourth transmit channel, associated with a fourth phase modulation vector different from the third phase modulation vector;
• and
• receiver circuitry, comprising a receiver channel, configured to:
• receive, during a first receive time interval, a first receive signal corresponding to reflections of the first FMCW radar signals;
• and
• receive, during a second receive time interval subsequent to the first receive time interval, a second receive signal corresponding to reflections of the second FMCW radar signals.

A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar transmission method, comprising:

• transmitting, via a first subset of transmit channels of a plurality of transmit channels and during a first time interval, concurrent first frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar signals with different first phase offsets among different transmit channels of the first subset in accordance with a first predefined code division multiplexing scheme,
• wherein the first subset of transmit channels comprises a first transmit channel associated with a first phase modulation vector, and a second transmit channel, associated with a second phase modulation vector different from the first phase modulation vector;
• and
• transmitting, via a second subset of transmit channels of the plurality of transmit channels and during a second time interval subsequent to the first time interval, concurrent second FMCW radar signals with different second phase offsets among different transmit channels of the second subset in accordance with a second predefined code division multiplexing scheme,
• wherein the second subset of transmit channels comprises a third transmit channel associated with a third phase modulation vector, and a fourth transmit channel, associated with a fourth phase modulation vector different from the third phase modulation vector.

A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar reception method, the method comprising

• receiving, during a first receive time interval, a first receive signal corresponding to a superposition of reflections of concurrent first frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar signals transmitted, via a first subset of transmit channels of a plurality of transmit channels, with different first phase offsets among different transmit channels of the first subset of transmit channels in accordance with a first predefined code division multiplexing scheme,
• wherein the first subset of transmit channels comprises a first transmit channel associated with a first phase modulation vector, and a second transmit channel, associated with a second phase modulation vector different from the first phase modulation vector;
• and
• receiving, during a second receive time interval subsequent to the first receive time interval, a second receive signal corresponding to a superposition of reflections of concurrent second FMCW radar signals transmitted, via a second subset of transmit channels of the plurality of transmit channels, with different second phase offsets among different transmit channels of the second subset of transmit channels in accordance with a second predefined code division multiplexing scheme,
• wherein the second subset of transmit channels comprises a third transmit channel associated with a third phase modulation vector, and a fourth transmit channel, associated with a fourth phase modulation vector different from the third phase modulation vector.