Radar system for automotive applications

A vehicle comprising a radar system, the radar system comprising:

• a processing device including a plurality of transmit outputs and a plurality of receive inputs;
• at least one main transmit antenna configured to transmit main radar waves essentially parallel to a road on which the vehicle is standing or driving, the main transmit antenna communicatively coupled to the processing device via a first transmit output of the plurality of transmit outputs;
• at least one main receive antenna configured to receive reflections of the main radar waves off objects on the road, the main receive antenna communicatively coupled to the processing device via a first receive input of the plurality of receive inputs;
• a first street condition monitoring (SCM) transmit antenna configured to transmit first polarized radar waves essentially directed to the road at a first polarization, the first SCM transmit antenna communicatively coupled to the processing device via a second transmit output of the plurality of transmit outputs;
• a second SCM transmit antenna configured to transmit second polarized radar waves essentially directed to the road at a second polarization different from the first polarization, the second SCM transmit antenna communicatively coupled to the processing device via a third transmit output of the plurality of transmit outputs;
• a first SCM receive antenna configured to receive, at the first polarization, reflections of the polarized radar waves off the road, the first SCM receive antenna communicatively coupled to the processing device via a second receive input of the plurality of receive inputs;
• and
• a second SCM receive antenna configured to receive, at the second polarization, reflections of the polarized radar waves off the road, the second SCM receive antenna communicatively coupled to the processing device via a third receive input of the plurality of receive inputs.

A method comprising:

• transmitting, by at least one main transmit antenna, main radar waves essentially parallel to a road on which a vehicle is standing or driving, the main transmit antenna communicatively coupled to a processing device via a first transmit output of a plurality of transmit outputs of the processing device;
• receiving, by at least one main receive antenna, reflections of the main radar waves off objects on the road, the main receive antenna communicatively coupled to the processing device via a first receive input of a plurality of receive inputs of the processing device;
• transmitting, by a first street condition monitoring (SCM) transmit antenna, first polarized radar waves essentially directed to the road at a first polarization, the first SCM transmit antenna communicatively coupled to the processing device via a second transmit output of the plurality of transmit outputs;
• transmitting, by a second SCM transmit antenna, second polarized radar waves essentially directed to the road at a second polarization different from the first polarization, the second SCM transmit antenna communicatively coupled to the processing device via a third transmit output of the plurality of transmit outputs;
• receiving, by a first SCM receive antenna at the first polarization, reflections of the polarized radar waves off the road, the first SCM receive antenna communicatively coupled to the processing device via a second receive input of the plurality of receive inputs;
• and
• receiving, by a second SCM receive antenna at the second polarization, reflections of the polarized radar waves off the road, the second SCM receive antenna communicatively coupled to the processing device via a third receive input of the plurality of receive inputs.