Systems and methods for increasing radar resolution using semi-coherent radar networks

A method comprising:

• providing a first radar unit, wherein the first radar unit is set as a master radar unit;
• providing a second radar unit, wherein the second radar unit is at a distance from the first radar unit;
• each radar unit emitting radar signals and only processing returned radar signals emitted from itself;
• emitting first radar signals by the first radar unit and emitting second radar signals by the second radar unit, the first signals being not coherent with the second signals;
• processing first return signals by the first radar unit, the first return signals being reflections of the first radar signals from a target, and processing second return signals by the second radar unit, the second return signals being reflections of the second radar signals from the target;
• generating first target information based on the first radar signals by the first radar unit, wherein the generating includes beamforming the first radar unit using an original steering matrix to determine first beamforming information;
• generating second target information based on the second radar signals by the second radar unit, wherein the generating includes beamforming the second radar unit using a modified steering matrix to determine second beamforming information, the modified steering matrix based on a virtual receiver channel of the second radar unit, the virtual receiver channel based on a position of the first radar unit relative to the target;
• transmitting the first target information including the first beamforming information from the virtual receiver channel, and transmitting the second target information including the second beamforming information, to a central processing unit;
• and
• in the central processing unit, generating beamforming information by summing the first target information including the first beamforming information with the second target information including the second beamforming information to obtain a combined angle estimation for the target.

A radar system comprising:

• at least first and second radar units;
• the first and second radar units separated by a distance;
• a central processing unit in circuit communication with the radar units and comprising logic for:
• emitting first radar signals by the first radar unit and emitting second radar signals by the second radar unit, the first signals being not coherent with the second signals;
• processing first return signals by the first radar unit, the first return signals being reflections of the first radar signals from a target, and processing second return signals by the second radar unit, the second return signals being reflections of the second radar signals from the target;
• generating target information based on the first radar signals by the first radar unit, wherein the generating includes beamforming the first radar unit using an original steering matrix to determine first beamforming information;
• generating target information based on the second radar signals by the second radar unit, wherein the generating includes beamforming the second radar unit using a modified steering matrix to determine second beamforming information, the modified steering matrix based on a virtual receiver channel of the second radar unit, the virtual receiver channel based on a position of the first radar unit relative to the target;
• transmitting the first target information including the first beamforming information, and the second target information including the second beamforming information to a central processing unit;
• and
• in the central processing unit, generating combined beamforming information by summing the first target information including the first beamforming information with the second target information including the second beamforming information to obtain a combined angle estimation for the target.