# US 2021/0239792 A1 · Synchronization of Multiple mmWave Devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0239792 A1 - Document ID: US20210239792A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/779,104 - Filed: 2020-01-31 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-31 - Assignees: Infineon Technologies AG - Applicants: Infineon Technologies AG - Inventors: Christoph Rumpler; Reinhard-Wolfgang Jungmaier; Dennis Noppeney; Saverio Trotta - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210239792A1 ## CPC - G01S 7/40: Means for monitoring or calibrating - G01S 7/4008: {of transmitters} - G01S 7/003: {Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations} - G01S 7/0235: {Avoidance by time multiplex} - G01S 13/87: Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar - G01S 13/931: of land vehicles - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract In an embodiment, a method includes: receiving a global trigger with a first millimeter-wave radar; receiving the global trigger with a second millimeter-wave radar; generating a first internal trigger of the first millimeter-wave radar after a first offset duration from the global trigger; generating a second internal trigger of the second millimeter-wave radar after a second offset duration from the global trigger; start transmitting first millimeter-wave radar signals with the first millimeter-wave radar based on the first internal trigger; and start transmitting second millimeter-wave radar signals with the second millimeter-wave radar based on the second internal trigger, where the second offset duration is different from the first offset duration, and where the first and second millimeter-wave radar signals are transmitted sequentially so as to exhibit no temporal overlap. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving a global trigger with a first millimeter-wave radar; receiving the global trigger with a second millimeter-wave radar; generating a first internal trigger of the first millimeter-wave radar after a first offset duration from the global trigger; generating a second internal trigger of the second millimeter-wave radar after a second offset duration from the global trigger; start transmitting first millimeter-wave radar signals with the first millimeter-wave radar based on the first internal trigger; and start transmitting second millimeter-wave radar signals with the second millimeter-wave radar based on the second internal trigger, wherein the second offset duration is different from the first offset duration, and wherein the first and second millimeter-wave radar signals are transmitted sequentially so as to exhibit no temporal overlap. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the global trigger with an application processor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising generating the global trigger using a general purpose input/output (GPIO) pin of the application processor, wherein the GPIO pin is coupled to the first and second millimeter-wave radars. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the global trigger using a master out slave in (MOSI) line of a serial peripheral interface (SPI). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: programming the first offset duration into the first millimeter-wave radar; and programming the second offset duration into the second millimeter-wave radar. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: after receiving the global trigger by the first millimeter-wave radar, starting a first digital counter of the first millimeter-wave radar, and when a first count of the first digital counter reaches a first time offset threshold corresponding to the first offset duration, generating the first internal trigger; and after receiving the global trigger by the second millimeter-wave radar, starting a second digital counter of the second millimeter-wave radar, and when a second count of the second digital counter reaches a second time offset threshold corresponding to the second offset duration, generating the second internal trigger. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the first time offset threshold is stored in a first register of the first millimeter-wave radar, and wherein the second time offset threshold is stored in a second register of the second millimeter-wave radar. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: programming the first time offset threshold into the first register; and programming the second time offset threshold into the second register. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising performing beamforming using the first and second millimeter-wave radars. ### Claim 10 A system comprising: an application processor configured to generate a global trigger; a first millimeter-wave radar comprising: a first timer configured to generate a first internal trigger after a first offset duration from the global trigger, a first millimeter-wave radar sensor circuit, and a first controller configured to generate first millimeter-wave radar signals based on the first internal trigger using the first millimeter-wave radar sensor circuit; and a second millimeter-wave radar that comprises: a second timer configured to generate a second internal trigger after a second offset duration from the global trigger, a second millimeter-wave radar sensor circuit, and a second controller configured to generate second millimeter-wave radar signals based on the second internal trigger using the second millimeter-wave radar sensor circuit, wherein the second offset duration is different from the first offset duration so that the first and second millimeter-wave radar signals are transmitted sequential and without temporal overlap. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the first millimeter-wave radar further comprises a first serial peripheral interface (SPI) slave circuit, wherein the second millimeter-wave radar further comprises a second SPI slave circuit, and wherein the application processor comprises an SPI master circuit coupled to the first and second SPI slave circuits via an SPI bus. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the application processor is configured to send the global trigger to the first and second SPI slave circuits using the SPI bus. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the application processor is configured to: program the first offset duration into the first millimeter-wave radar using the SPI bus; and program the second offset duration into the second millimeter-wave radar using the SPI bus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) coupled to the application processor, and to the first and second millimeter-wave radars, wherein the PCB comprises the SPI bus. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the first timer comprises a first counter, wherein the first millimeter-wave radar further comprises a first register configured to store a first time offset threshold corresponding to the first offset duration, wherein the second timer comprises a second counter, and wherein the second millimeter-wave radar further comprises a second register configured to store a second time offset threshold corresponding to the second offset duration. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the first counter is configured to start counting up after receiving the global trigger, and to generate the first internal trigger when a first count of the first counter reaches the first time offset threshold, and wherein the second counter is configured to start counting up after receiving the global trigger, and to generate the second internal trigger when a second count of the second counter reaches the second time offset threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the application processor is configured to send the global trigger using a GPIO terminal that is coupled to respective trigger terminals of the first and second millimeter-wave radars. ### Claim 18 A system comprising: an application processor configured to generate a global trigger; a first millimeter-wave radar comprising: a first trigger terminal configured to receive the global trigger, a first timer configured to generate a first internal trigger after a first offset duration from the global trigger, a first millimeter-wave radar sensor circuit, and a first controller configured to generate first millimeter-wave radar signals based on the first internal trigger using the first millimeter-wave radar sensor circuit; and a second millimeter-wave radar that comprises: a second trigger terminal configured to receive the global trigger, a second timer configured to generate a second internal trigger after a second offset duration from the global trigger, a second millimeter-wave radar sensor circuit, and a second controller configured to generate second millimeter-wave radar signals based on the second internal trigger using the second millimeter-wave radar sensor circuit, wherein the second offset duration is different from the first offset duration so that the first and second millimeter-wave radar signals are transmitted sequentially and without temporal overlap. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the first millimeter-wave radar further comprises a first serial peripheral interface (SPI) slave circuit, wherein the second millimeter-wave radar further comprises a second SPI slave circuit, wherein the application processor comprises an SPI master circuit coupled to the first and second SPI slave circuits via an SPI bus, and wherein the application processor is configured to: program the first offset duration into the first millimeter-wave radar using the SPI bus; and program the second offset duration into the second millimeter-wave radar using the SPI bus. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the first timer comprises a first counter, wherein the first millimeter-wave radar further comprises a first register configured to store a first time offset threshold corresponding to the first offset duration, wherein the second timer comprises a second counter, and wherein the second millimeter-wave radar further comprises a second register configured to store a second time offset threshold corresponding to the second offset duration.