Multi-mode radar systems, signal processing methods and configuration methods using pushing windows

A method for processing radar signals in a multi-mode radar system, the method comprising:

• for each mode of an integer number M modes, M being greater than 1:
• converting an integer number N mode-specific receive signals from N receive antennas corresponding to a selected one of M distinct chirp signals transmitted by one or more transmit antennas for a current mode to generate N sets of receive data, N being greater than 1,
• performing a first fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the receive data corresponding to the current mode to generate range data corresponding to the current mode,
• performing a second FFT on the range data to generate velocity data corresponding to the current mode,
• performing object detection processing on the range and velocity data to generate object data,
• performing windowing on the object data to generate a windowed object data matrix using a selected one of M predetermined windows that corresponds to the current mode, and
• performing a third FFT on the windowed object data matrix to generate a three-dimensional object matrix including range, velocity and angle data corresponding to the current mode.

A method for configuring a multi-mode radar system, the method comprising:

• for each given mode of an integer number M modes, M being greater than 1, configuring a window by:
• determining a frequency domain weight profile based on a combined angular coverage field of view (FOV) of a set of transmit and receive antennas employed for the given mode,
• computing window coefficients for the given mode based on the frequency domain weight profile using a weighted least squares algorithm, and
• storing the window coefficients for the given mode in an electronic memory of the multi-mode radar system.