Code-time block MIMO modulation for digital modular radar

A method performed by a radar system, the method

• comprising:
• transmitting toward a target a radar signal from a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein the first antenna transmits a first transmitted signal comprising a first space-time block code (STBC) over a first channel during a first time slot and the second antenna transmits a second transmitted signal comprising a second STBC over a second channel during the first time slot and the first antenna transmits a third transmitted signal comprising a conjugate of the second STBC over the first channel during a second time slot and the second antenna transmits a fourth transmitted signal comprising a conjugate of the first STBC over the second channel during the second time slot;
• receiving at a plurality of receive antennas a first radar return comprising the first transmitted signal and the second transmitted signal reflected by the target during the first time slot and a second radar return comprising the third transmitted signal and the fourth transmitted signal reflected by the target during the second time slot;
• applying a fast Fourier transform and a matched filter to the first radar return and the second radar return-to estimate a filtered signal based on a first product of the first transmitted signal with the first radar return and a second product of the second transmitted signal with the second radar return;
• decoding the filtered signal to generate a decoded signal;
• estimating a range to the target based on the decoded signal;
• performing Doppler estimation on the decoded signal to generate a plurality of Doppler estimations;
• performing an angle estimation using the plurality of Doppler estimations;
• estimating a position and velocity of the target from the range and the angle estimation;
• and p1 providing the estimated position and velocity of the target to an operational environment of a vehicle.

A radar system comprising:

• a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein the first antenna transmits a first transmitted signal comprising a first space-time block code (STBC) over a first channel during a first time slot and the second antenna transmits a second transmitted signal comprising a second STBC over a second channel during the first time slot and the first antenna transmits a third transmitted signal comprising a conjugate of the second STBC over the first channel during a second time slot and the second antenna transmits a fourth transmitted signal comprising a conjugate of the first STBC over the second channel during the second time slot
• a plurality of receive antennas that receive a first radar return comprising the first transmitted signal and the second transmitted signal reflected by a target during the first time slot and a second radar return comprising the third transmitted signal and the fourth transmitted signal reflected by the target during the second time slot;
• a matched filter configured to estimate a filtered signal based on a first product of the first transmitted signal with the first radar return and a second product of the second transmitted signal with the second radar return;
• a decoder component that decodes the filtered signal to generate a decoded signal;
• a Doppler estimation component that generates a Doppler estimation based on the decoded signal;
• and
• an angle estimation component that generates an angle estimation based on the Doppler estimation;
• wherein the radar system is configured to estimate a range to the target based on the filtered signal, estimate a position and velocity of the target from the range and the angle estimation and provide the estimated position and velocity of the target to an operational environment of a vehicle.