Adaptive transmission and interference cancellation for MIMO radar

A radar sensing system for a vehicle, the radar sensing system comprising:

• a plurality of transmitters configured for installation and use on a vehicle, and further configured to transmit radio signals, wherein each transmitter of the plurality of transmitters is further configured to phase modulate the transmitted radio signals using a unique spreading code;
• a plurality of receivers configured for installation and use on the vehicle, and further configured to receive radio signals that include the transmitted radio signals reflected from objects in the environment;
• and
• a controller configured to direct during a first operational mode, for a first period of time, only a first transmitter of the plurality of transmitters to transmit, and wherein radio signals transmitted from just the first transmitter are received by each receiver of the plurality of receivers;
• wherein, during the first operational mode, each receiver of the plurality of receivers is configured to correlate the received radio signals to estimate interference that the first transmitter will represent at each receiver of the plurality of receivers;
• wherein the controller is further configured to direct during the first operational mode, for a second period of time, only a second transmitter of the plurality of transmitters to transmit, wherein radio signals transmitted from just the second transmitter are received by each receiver of the plurality of receivers;
• wherein, during the first operational mode, each receiver of the plurality of receivers is further configured to correlate the received radio signals to estimate interference that the second transmitter will represent at each receiver of the plurality of receivers;
• and
• wherein during a second operation mode, each receiver of the plurality of receivers is further configured to mitigate the estimated interference that is due to interfering radio signals transmitted by the first and second transmitters of the plurality of transmitters.

A method for measuring interference in a radar system in a vehicle, the method comprising:

• providing a radar sensing system comprising at least two transmitters configured for installation and use on a vehicle and configured to transmit radio signals, and at least two receivers configured for installation and use on the vehicle and configured to receive radio signals that include the transmitted radio signals reflected from objects in the environment;
• wherein each transmitter of the at least two transmitters is further configured to phase modulate the transmitted radio signals using a unique spreading code;
• in a first mode of operation, exclusively transmitting in turn each transmitter of the at least two transmitters for a separate period of time and receiving radio signals transmitted from each respective transmitter of the at least two transmitters with the at least two receivers, and wherein the radio signals are received from only one transmitter at a time;
• in the first mode of operation, with each receiver of the at least two receivers, correlating the received radio signals to estimate interference due to particular transmitters at each receiver of the at least two receivers;
• and
• in a second mode of operation, mitigating at each receiver of the at least two receivers the estimated interference that is due to interfering radio signals transmitted by other transmitters of the at least two transmitters.