Short-range automotive radar transceiver

A method for generating and processing radar signals for vehicular uses, comprising:

• providing a transmit antenna and a receive antenna separate and isolated from the transmit antenna on a vehicle;
• directing a voltage pulse to a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) which generates a signal;
• dividing the signal from the VCO into three signals and directing the divided signals to a transmitter active IMPATT multiplier module arranged having a multiplication factor of 30 and providing a radar probing signal in a 76-77 GHz frequency range, to a heterodyne active IMPATT multiplier module and to a first balance mixer;
• directing an output signal from the transmitter active IMPATT multiplier module to the transmit antenna;
• directing a signal from the receive antenna and a signal from the heterodyne active IMPATT multiplier module to a second balance mixer which derives a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal;
• amplifying the output of the second balance mixer and providing the amplified output to the first balance mixer;
• and
• amplifying the output of the first balance mixer to form a usable signal.

An automotive vehicle, comprising:

• a radar transceiver including
• a transmit antenna;
• a receive antenna separate and isolated from said transmit antenna;
• a frequency generator for generating a voltage pulse;
• a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) arranged to receive the voltage pulse from said frequency generator and generate a signal;
• a transmitter active IMPATT multiplier module arranged to receive the signal from said VCO and generate a radar probing signal which is directed to said transmit antenna;
• a heterodyne active IMPATT multiplier module arranged to receive the signal from said VCO;
• a first balance mixer arranged to receive the signal from said VCO;
• a second balance mixer arranged to receive a signal from said receive antenna and said heterodyne active IMPATT multiplier module and derive a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal;
• a first amplifier for amplifying the output of said second balance mixer and providing the amplifier output to said first balance mixer;
• and
• a second amplifier for amplifying the output of said first balance mixer;
• and
• a processor arranged to receive the output from said second amplifier and generate a control signal for controlling a component in the vehicle based on the output from said second amplifier.