Radar apparatus and methods for determining the presence of a reflective target using a multiple response comparison

A non-transitory storage medium storing program code adapted to be run on a computer processor for processing radar responses of a radar system that produces a plurality of beam patterns, to determine if a given response corresponds to a reflective object, each receive beam pattern projected in a different azimuthal direction, the program code comprising:

• for a first beam pattern of the plurality of beam patterns, identifying a first response at an identified angle relative to a center of the first beam pattern;
• calculating an anticipated response for a second beam pattern of the plurality of beam patterns, the second beam pattern overlapping the first beam pattern, the anticipated response representing the response expected in the second beam pattern if the first response corresponds to a reflective object;
• and
• determining that the first response corresponds to a reflective object if a measured response in the second beam pattern at an angle relative to the center of the second beam pattern that corresponds to the identified angle relative to the center of the first beam pattern is within a predetermined error threshold of the anticipated response, wherein the anticipated response includes an anticipated sum beam response and an anticipated delta beam response, the predetermined error threshold comprises a quality of match metric including terms based on deviation from the anticipated sum beam response and the anticipated delta beam response.

A radar system, comprising:

• a transmitter to produce RF energy;
• a receiver adapted to generate a response upon detecting RF energy, the transmitter and detector characterized by a plurality of receive beam patterns, each of the receive beam patterns extending in a different azimuthal direction;
• and
• a processor to determine if a given response from the receiver corresponds to a reflective object reflecting a portion of the RF energy produced by the transmitter, the processor programmed to:
• (i.) for a first beam pattern of the plurality of beam patterns, identify a first response at an identified angle relative to a center of the first beam pattern;
• (ii.)
• (ii.) calculating an anticipated response for a second beam pattern of the plurality of beam patterns, the second beam pattern overlapping the first beam pattern, the anticipated response representing the response expected in the second beam pattern if the first response corresponds to a reflective object;
• and
• determining that the first response corresponds to a reflective object if a measured response in the second beam pattern at an angle relative to the center of the second beam pattern that corresponds to the identified angle relative to the center of the first beam pattern is within a predetermined error threshold of the anticipated response, wherein the anticipated response includes an anticipated sum beam response and an anticipated delta beam response, the predetermined error threshold comprises a quality of match metric including terms based on deviation from the anticipated sum beam response and the anticipated delta beam response.