Data communication channel using radar unit and active radar beacon

A method comprising:

• transmitting, by a transmitter of a radar unit onboard a vehicle and via at least a first antenna, radar signals to a geographic area including at least one active radar beacon;
• encoding, by the at least one active radar beacon, encoded data into at least one artificial echo by adding an adjusted delay into the at least one artificial echo, wherein the at least one artificial echo emulates a return signal;
• transmitting, by the at least one active radar beacon and via at least a second antenna, the at least one artificial echo with the adjusted delay;
• receiving, by a receiver of the radar unit onboard the vehicle and via the at least the first antenna, return signals from the geographic area, the return signals including reflected signals reflected from surfaces and the at least one artificial echo transmitted from the at least one active radar beacon;
• and
• decoding, by circuitry onboard the vehicle, the encoded data from the at least one artificial echo to generate decoded data by detecting changes in a delay in the at least one artificial echo received by the receiver of the radar unit onboard the vehicle.

A system, comprising:

• at least one active radar beacon positioned within a geographic area, the at least one active radar beacon comprising:
• at least a first antenna;
• and
• circuitry configured to transmit at least one artificial echo via the at least the first antenna, wherein the at least one artificial echo emulates a return signal;
• a radar unit onboard a vehicle, the radar unit comprising:
• at least a second antenna;
• a transmitter communicatively coupled to the at least the second antenna, the transmitter configured to transmit radar signals through the at least the second antenna to the geographic area including the at least one active radar beacon, wherein the radar signals include encoded data, wherein the encoded data is encoded into the radar signals by adjusting at least one parameter of a radar waveform of the radar signals transmitted by the transmitter;
• and
• a receiver communicatively coupled to the at least the second antenna, the receiver configured to receive return signals from the geographic area, the return signals including reflected signals reflected from surfaces and the at least one artificial echo transmitted from the at least one active radar beacon;
• and
• wherein the circuitry of the at least one active radar beacon is further configured to:
• receive the radar signals having the radar waveform;
• and
• decode the encoded data in the radar signals into decoded data by detecting changes in the at least one parameter of the radar waveform of the radar signals received by the receiver.

A method comprising:

• encoding, by circuitry onboard a vehicle, encoded data into radar signals by adjusting at least one parameter of a radar waveform of the radar signals;
• transmitting, by a transmitter of a radar unit onboard the vehicle and via at least a first antenna, the radar signals to a geographic area including at least one active radar beacon, wherein the radar signals include the encoded data encoded into the radar signals;
• transmitting, by the at least one active radar beacon positioned within the geographic area and via at least a second antenna, at least one artificial echo emulating a return signal;
• receiving, by a receiver of the radar unit onboard the vehicle and via the at least the first antenna, return signals from the geographic area, the return signals including reflected signals from surfaces and the at least one artificial echo transmitted from the at least one active radar beacon;
• receiving, by the at least one active radar beacon, the radar signals having the radar waveform;
• and
• decoding, by the at least one active radar beacon, the encoded data in the radar signals into decoded data by detecting changes in the at least one parameter of the radar waveform of the radar signals received by the at least one active radar beacon.