System And Method For Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (Fmcw) Radar Chirp Demarcation Using Hybrid Waveforms
Abstract:
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FREQUENCY-MODULATED CONTINUOUS WAVE (FMCW) RADAR CHIRP DEMARCATION USING HYBRID WAVEFORMS
ABSTRACT
A system (200) for frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar chirp demarcation using hybrid waveforms is disclosed. The system (200) determines a set of radar parameters corresponding to a chirp signal. Further, the system (200) determines hybrid waveform parameters and determines a signal transition mode for the chirp signal based on the determined set of hybrid waveform parameters. The signal transition mode comprises a FMCW mode and a Continuous Wave (CW) mode. The system (200) switches the chirp signal between the FMCW mode and the CW mode and generates a hybrid waveform as a transmit chirp signal with a predefined duty cycle. The system (200) emits continuously, the generated hybrid waveform as the chirp signal. Further, the system (200) detects a reflected signal corresponding to the emitted chirp signal upon reflecting from at least one target and generates a baseband signal corresponding to the detected reflected.
FIG. 2A
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Notices, Deadlines & Correspondence
Indian Institute of Science, C.V. Raman Road, Bangalore - 560012, Karnataka, India
Inventors
1. Gaurab Banerjee
HE 171 Faculty Quarters, IISc Bangalore 560012, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
2. Easha
Ganga Apartment, Vastu Vihar, Chapra 841301 Bihar, India
Specification
Description:FIELD OF INVENTION
The present subject matter generally relates to Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar, and more particularly relates to a system and method for frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar chirp demarcation using hybrid waveforms.
BACKGROUND
Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) Radars are most commonly used in a variety of applications to determine a distance and velocity of moving targets. In typical FMCW radars, a range to a target is measured by systematically varying frequency of a transmitted radio frequency (RF) signal. Typically, the radar is arranged so that the transmitted frequency varies linearly with time; for example, a triangular or saw-tooth frequency sweep is implemented. This frequency sweep effectively places a “time stamp” on the transmitted signal at every instant and the frequency difference between the transmitted signal and the signal returned from a target (i.e., the reflected or received signal) can be used to provide a measure of target range. Additionally, these systems measure Doppler frequency (attributed to the Doppler effect) to determine speed of the target.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional FMCW radar system 100, in accordance with prior art. The FMCW radar system 100 comprises a fixed control unit 101, a radar system 103, an analog to digital converter with a signal processing system 105, a radio frequency (RF) interface 107 and a target 108. The fixed control unit 101 is configured for generating and transmitting one or more digital bits corresponding to desired frequency modulation that needs to be achieved at the radar system 103. The radar system 103 generates a transmit signal, where a frequency of the transmit signal is varied linearly with time. This transmit signal is referred as a ramp signal or a chirp signal. This transmit signal is then transmitted to one or more targets 108 via the RF interface 107. The one or more targets 108 scatter the chirp signal to generate a received signal. The scattered signal is received by one or more receive units in the FMCW radar system 100. A signal obtained by mixing the transmitted signal and the received scattered signal is termed as a beat signal. The beat signal is sampled by an analog to digital converter (ADC) and processed by a processor to estimate a distance and a velocity of the one or more targets 108. For example, the received scattered signal reflected from a target is conjugately mixed with the transmit signal to produce a low-frequency beat signal (also referred to as baseband signal), whose frequency gives the range of the target. The frequency of the beat signal is proportional to the range (distance) of the one or more targets 108.
In an embodiment, to ensure that output data of the radar system 103 is meaningful, it is essential to construct a two-dimensional matrix from its baseband signal. An accurate construction of this matrix is of utmost importance. Even a minor disparity in the number of samples per chirp can introduce undesirable alterations in the phase of the system, leading to false Doppler information. This, in turn, can result in erroneous velocity measurements, potentially propagating errors up to the detection and classification stages, where objects are identified based on the acquired data.
Existing radars generate an FMCW chirp using a digital control word and the output of the radar is sampled by an ADC. The controller is fixed in the sense that it can only generate an FMCW chirp with user-defined start, stop frequencies and ramp rates. Unless the radar, controller and the ADC are integrated on the same chip, synchronizing the clocks in these systems is non-trivial. In other words, when the ADCs are part of System-on-Chips (SoCs), constructing the 2D matrix is typically not a significant concern since the clock is shared between the generation and acquisition stages. However, in scenarios where distinct systems are employed for the generation and acquisition stages, clock synchronization is achieved through an additional General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) bit (as shown in FIG. 1) in the generation stage, serving as a reference (REF) bit. This reference bit is subsequently sampled using an additional ADC channel (such as Channel 2) in the acquisition stage to demarcate the start and end of chirps, ultimately facilitating the construction of the 2D IF matrix. It is noteworthy that the utilization of an extra GPIO bit and ADC channel 2 introduces hardware and computational complexity and adds to the overall expense of the FMCW radar system 100.
Hence, there is a need for an improved system and method for frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar chirp demarcation using hybrid waveforms in order to address the aforementioned issues.
SUMMARY
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar chirp demarcation using hybrid waveforms is disclosed. The system may include a control unit configured to determine a set of radar parameters corresponding to a chirp signal to be transmitted from a radar subsystem. Further, the control unit is configured to determine a set of hybrid waveform parameters corresponding to the determined set of radar parameters. Furthermore, the control unit is configured to determine a signal transition mode for the chirp signal to be transmitted based on the determined set of hybrid waveform parameters. The signal transition mode may include at least one of a Frequency-Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) mode and a Continuous Wave (CW) mode. Moreover, the control unit is configured to generate a plurality of control signals for the chirp signal to be transmitted based on the determined set of radar parameters and the determined signal transition mode; and transmit the generated plurality of control signals to the radar subsystem. The system further includes the radar subsystem, communicatively coupled to the control unit. The radar subsystem may include a processing unit configured to: receive the plurality of control signals transmitted from the control unit and switch the chirp signal between at least one of the FMCW mode and the CW mode based on the received plurality of control signals. Further, the radar subsystem includes a local oscillator configured to generate a hybrid waveform as a transmit chirp signal with a predefined duty cycle, based on the switching between the FMCW mode and the CW mode. Furthermore, the radar subsystem may include a transmit subsystem, communicatively coupled to the local oscillator. The transmit subsystem may include a transmit antenna configured to emit continuously, the generated hybrid waveform as the chirp signal. Furthermore, the radar subsystem may include a receiver subsystem. The receiver subsystem may include a receiver-antenna unit configured to detect a reflected signal corresponding to the emitted chirp signal upon reflecting from at least one target. Further, the receiver subsystem may include a receiver front-end unit configured to generate a baseband signal corresponding to the detected reflected signal. The baseband signal comprises an Alternating Current (AC) component and a Direct Current (DC) component. The receiver front-end unit is further configured to transmit the generated baseband signal to the control unit.
In accordance with another embodiment, a method for frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar chirp demarcation using hybrid waveforms is disclosed. The method includes determining, by a processor, a set of radar parameters corresponding to a chirp signal to be transmitted from a radar subsystem. Further, the method includes determining, by the processor, a set of hybrid waveform parameters corresponding to the determined set of radar parameters. Furthermore, the method includes determining, by the processor, a signal transition mode for the chirp signal to be transmitted based on the determined set of hybrid waveform parameters. The signal transition mode comprises at least one of a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) mode and a continuous wave (CW) mode. The method further includes generating, by the processor, a plurality of control signals for the chirp signal to be transmitted based on the determined set of radar parameters and the determined signal transition mode; and switching, by the processor, the chirp signal between at least one of the FMCW mode and the CW mode based on the received plurality of control signals. Furthermore, the method incudes generating, by the processor, a hybrid waveform as a transmit chirp signal with a predefined duty cycle based on the switching between the FMCW mode and the CW mode; and emitting continuously, by the processor, the generated hybrid waveform as the chirp signal to at least one target. Additionally, the method includes detecting, by the processor, a reflected signal corresponding to the emitted chirp signal upon reflecting from the at least one target; and generating, by the processor, a baseband signal corresponding to the detected reflected signal. The baseband signal comprises an alternating current (AC) component and a direct current (DC) component.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus for frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar chirp demarcation using hybrid waveforms is disclosed. The apparatus includes a processor; and a memory operatively coupled with the processor. The memory comprises processor-executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to determine a set of radar parameters corresponding to a chirp signal to be transmitted from a radar subsystem. Further, the processor is configured to determine a set of hybrid waveform parameters corresponding to the determined set of radar parameters and determine a signal transition mode for the chirp signal to be transmitted based on the determined set of hybrid waveform parameters. The signal transition mode comprises at least one of a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) mode and a continuous wave (CW) mode. Furthermore, the processor is configured to generate a plurality of control signals for the chirp signal to be transmitted based on the determined set of radar parameters and the determined signal transition mode; and switch the chirp signal between at least one of the FMCW mode and the CW mode based on the received plurality of control signals. Further, the processor is configured to generate a hybrid waveform as a transmit chirp signal with a predefined duty cycle based on the switching between the FMCW mode and the CW mode. Additionally, the processor is configured to emit continuously the generated hybrid waveform as the chirp signal to at least one target. Further, the processor is configured to detect a reflected signal corresponding to the emitted chirp signal upon reflecting from the at least one target; and generate a baseband signal corresponding to the detected reflected signal, wherein the baseband signal comprises an alternating current (AC) component and a direct current (DC) component.
To further clarify the advantages and features of the present disclosure, a more particular description of the disclosure will follow by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended figures. It is to be appreciated that these figures depict only typical embodiments of the disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting in scope. The disclosure will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the appended figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The disclosure will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying figures in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar system 100, in accordance with prior art;
FIGs. 2A-B are block diagrams illustrating an exemplary FMCW radar system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of an exemplary FMCW radar system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIGs. 4A-B are block diagrams illustrating an exemplary FMCW radar system, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 5A is an exemplary graphical representation of de-chirping, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 5B is an exemplary two-dimensional matrix representation comprising range bins for received baseband signal, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 6A is an exemplary graphical representation of hybrid waveform (a) the transmitted (blue) and received (red) chirps in one frame of Nr chirps (b) the obtained baseband waveform in case of a single target, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 6B is an exemplary graphical representation of a MATLAB plot of the digitized baseband data for a single stationary target at a distance ‘d’ from the radar, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 7A is an exemplary graphical representation of a hybrid chirp for sawtooth (a, b, c, d) and triangular (e) chirps with transmitted (blue) and received waveform (red), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 7B is an exemplary process flow chart depicting an exemplary method for frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar chirp demarcation using hybrid waveforms, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary apparatus, such as those shown in FIG.2A, capable of frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar chirp demarcation using hybrid waveforms, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method for frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar chirp demarcation using hybrid waveforms, in accordance with embodiment of the present disclosure.
Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the figures by conventional symbols, and the figures may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the figures with details that will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the figures and specific language will be used to describe them. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the disclosure as would normally occur to those skilled in the art are to be construed as being within the scope of the present disclosure. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the disclosure and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.
In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.
The terms "comprise", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that one or more devices or sub-systems or elements or structures or components preceded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other devices, sub-systems, additional sub-modules. Appearances of the phrase "in an embodiment", "in another embodiment" and similar language throughout this specification may, but not necessarily do, all refer to the same embodiment.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are only illustrative and not intended to be limiting.
Accordingly, the term “module” or “subsystem” should be understood to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physically constructed permanently configured (hardwired) or temporarily configured (programmed) to operate in a certain manner and/or to perform certain operations described herein.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and apparatus for generation and transmission of a hybrid waveform from output of a radar, which is a combination of frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) and continuous wave (CW) waveforms with a specific ‘duty cycle’ to eliminate the need for phase synchronization between the radar’s transmitted waveform and its receiver baseband output. This phase synchronization is crucial to ensure that false Doppler information is not generated. Conventional systems require an additional Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) channel and a General-Purpose Input-Output (GPIO) bit, both of which are expensive and computationally complex to implement. Conventional systems also require sharing of the same clock between the transmitter and the baseband ADC, which is difficult to perform when the ADC is not a part of a single system-on-chip (SoC).
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1 through FIG. 9, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown preferred embodiments, and these embodiments are described in the context of the following exemplary system and/or method.
FIGs. 2A-B are block diagrams illustrating an exemplary FMCW radar system 200, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 2A, the FMCW radar system 200 comprises a control unit 202, a radar subsystem 204, an analog to digital converter (ADC) and signal processing system 206, a radio frequency (RF) interface 207 and one or more targets 108. The flexible control unit 202 is configured for generating and transmitting one or more digital bits corresponding to desired frequency modulation that needs to be achieved at the radar system 204. The radar system 204 generates a transmit signal, where the frequency of the transmit signal is varied linearly with time. This transmit signal is referred to as a ramp signal or a chirp signal. This transmit signal is then transmitted to one or more targets 108 via the RF interface 207. The one or more targets 108 scatter the chirp signal to generate a received signal. The scattered signal is received by one or more receive units in the FMCW radar system 200. A signal obtained by mixing the transmitted signal and the received scattered signal is termed as a beat signal. The beat signal is sampled by an analog to digital converter (ADC) and processed by the ADC and signal processing system 206 to estimate a distance and a velocity of the one or more targets 108. For example, the received scattered signal reflected from a target is mixed with the transmit signal to produce a low-frequency beat signal (also referred to as baseband signal), whose frequency gives the range of the target. The frequency of the beat signal is proportional to the range (distance) of the one or more targets 108.
The control unit 202 is configured to determine a set of radar parameters corresponding to a chirp signal to be transmitted from a radar subsystem 204 through a user interface where the user selects such parameters to determine specific characteristics of the target such as range and velocity to a certain accuracy and resolution. In some embodiments, the set of radar parameters may be automatically determined by the control unit 202. The set of radar parameters may include at least one of the start frequency (fstart) and stop frequency (fstop) of the chirp signal, a ramp rate of the chirp signal, an initial phase of the hybrid waveform, bandwidth information of the chirp signal and the like. In an embodiment, the start frequency (fstart) of the chirp signal corresponds to initial frequency of the chirp signal at the beginning of the transmission. This parameter determines starting point of the "chirp." The initial phase of the hybrid waveform may refer to starting point of the chirp signal in its phase cycle. Every waveform has a phase, which determines its position within its cycle. In this case, the hybrid waveform may indicate a combination of frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) signal and a continuous wave (CW) signal, each with its own phase. The bandwidth information of the chirp signal specifies a total range of frequencies covered by the chirp. A wider bandwidth allows the FMCW radar system 200 to detect the one or more targets 108 with a better resolution of speeds and distances.
The control unit 202 is configured to determine a set of hybrid waveform parameters corresponding to the determined set of radar parameters. The set of hybrid waveform parameters includes, at least one of a start frequency f1 of the chirp signal, a stop frequency f2 of the chirp signal, a total duration (Ttotal) of the hybrid waveform, a fraction ? of the total duration (Ttotal) and the like. These parameters are user specified to design the hybrid waveform for specific targets such that their velocity may be extracted appropriately from a 2D matrix, whose generation is facilitated by the FMCW to CW transition.
The control unit 202 is further configured to determine a signal transition mode for the chirp signal to be transmitted based on the determined set of hybrid waveform parameters. The signal transition mode may include at least one of a Frequency-Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) mode and a Continuous Wave (CW) mode. The signal transition mode may be selected based on number of targets, target movement types such as moving or stationery, fast- or slow-moving targets, doppler information accuracy, false targets, and other environmental conditions. Further, the decision to select an appropriate mode may be based on specific scenario analysis on moving targets or by data driven models, such as for example, but not limited to data driven models, historical cases, or the like. In one exemplary embodiment, the data driven models may include artificial intelligence or machine learning based models. For example, the AI or ML models may include a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) which generates a set of waveform parameters most suitable for a specific combination of range and velocity for a specific target specified among other things, by its radar cross section (RCS) In another example embodiment, the mode for each chirp signal may be pre-defined and stored in the control unit 202 or the radar subsystem 204. For example, a predefined set of rules or a look up table may be used for determining which mode is to be selected for a specific chirp signal.
The control unit 202 is further configured to generate a plurality of control signals for the chirp signal to be transmitted based on the determined set of radar parameters and the determined signal transition mode. The plurality of control signals may include one or more digital bits indicating a start of a chirp signal in the FMCW mode, a stop of the chirp signal, the pre-defined duty cycle, bandwidth information, and a frequency range value for the chirp signal in the CW mode.
Further, the control unit 202 is configured to transmit the generated plurality of control signals to the radar subsystem 204.
The radar subsystem 204 is communicatively coupled to the control unit 202 via a communication network (not shown). The communication network may be wired or wireless network. The radar subsystem 204 is configured to receive the plurality of control signals transmitted from the control unit 202 and switch the chirp signal between at least one of the FMCW mode and the CW mode based on the received plurality of control signals. Further, the radar subsystem 204 is configured to generate a hybrid waveform as a transmit chirp signal 216 with a predefined duty cycle, based on the switching between the FMCW mode and the CW mode. The generated hybrid waveform may include at least one of FMCW signals and CW signals with a predefined duty cycle. The pre-defined duty cycle corresponds to a ratio between duration of a FMCW waveform and a total duration of transmission for the chirp signal. The generated hybrid waveform may include synchronization information in the CW mode. The radar subsystem 204 is further configured to emit continuously, the generated hybrid waveform as the chirp signal 216 to the one or more targets 108 via the RF interface 207.
Additionally, the radar subsystem 204 is configured to detect a reflected signal corresponding to the emitted chirp signal upon reflecting from at least one target 108. Furthermore, the radar subsystem 204 is configured to generate a baseband signal corresponding to the detected reflected signal. The baseband signal may include an Alternating Current (AC) component and a Direct Current (DC) component (as shown in FIGs 6A-6B). The radar subsystem 204 is further configured to transmit the generated baseband signal to control unit 202 or the ADC and signal processing system 206. In an alternate embodiment, the control unit 202 and the ADC and signal processing system 206 may be merged into a single control system as shown in FIG. 4B.
The ADC and signal processing system 206 is configured to receive the baseband signal from the radar subsystem 204. The ADC and signal processing system 206 is further configured to determine whether the detected baseband signal meets a pre-defined signal criteria using at least one of a data driven model and predefined rules. The pre-defined signal criteria may include, for example but not limited to, at least one of validating signal transition mode, validating number of targets detected, and validating environmental requirements and the like. In one exemplary embodiment, the data driven model and predefined rules may be for example, but not limited to, AI/ML models. In one exemplary embodiment, a multi-layer perceptron (MLP), trained on various expected scenarios, may be used.
In determining whether the detected baseband signal meets the pre-defined signal criteria using at least one of the data driven model and the predefined rules, the control unit 202 and the signal processing unit 206 is further configured to sample the detected baseband signal at a rate equal to or exceeding twice the beat frequency (known as the Nyquist Rate) to extract the signal-transition mode. In sampling the detected baseband signal based on the signal-transition mode, the control unit 202 is configured to identify an Alternating Current (AC) component and a Direct Current (DC) component in the detected baseband signal, based on the signal-transition mode. In identifying the AC component and the DC component in the detected baseband signal, based on the signal-transition mode, the control unit 202 and the signal processing unit 206 is configured to identify a start of a chirp signal and a stop of the chirp signal in the detected baseband signal, based on the signal-transition mode. The start of the chirp signal corresponds to the first start frequency of the FMCW mode, and the stop of the chirp signal corresponds to a second start frequency of the CW mode. The FMCW mode corresponds to the AC component in the detected baseband signal, and the CW mode corresponds to the DC component in the detected baseband signal. Further, the control unit 202 and the signal processing unit 206 is configured to sample the detected baseband signal based on the identified AC component and the DC component.
The control unit 202 is configured to generate a digitized signal if the detected baseband signal meets the pre-defined signal criteria, upon sampling the baseband signal. The control unit 202 and the signal processing unit 206 is further configured to create a two-dimensional (2D) matrix corresponding to the generated digitized signal. An exemplary 2D matrix is shown in FIG. 5B.
The ADC and signal processing system 206 is configured to modify the set of hybrid waveform parameters if the detected baseband signal fails to meet the pre-defined signal criteria; and control the signal transition mode between the FMCW mode and the CW mode for the chirp signal based on the modified set of hybrid waveform parameters. For example, if a target is moving at a certain velocity which requires accurate measurement, and to determine the velocity accurately, more FMCW chirps need to be transmitted in the total amount of time (Ttotal), the time assigned to CW in the hybrid waveform may need to be reduced by controlling the duty cycle.
In controlling the signal transition mode between the FMCW mode and the CW mode for the chirp signal based on the modified set of hybrid waveform parameters, the control unit 202 is configured to determine an appropriate hybrid waveform type to be generated for a given environmental requirement based on a result of the determination. The appropriate hybrid waveform type comprises at least one of a range resolution focus type, a target-based focus type, a target moving type, and a doppler focus type. The control unit 202 is configured to control the signal transition mode between the FMCW mode and the CW mode for the chirp signal based on the determined appropriate hybrid waveform type.
Example hybrid waveforms generated for each of these hybrid waveform types are shown in FIG. 7A. An example list of hybrid waveform types are shown in Table. 1:
Embodi-ment/waveform type Advantage Situation/ Use case Baseband visualization
(for single target)
(a), (c) Better range resolution Multiple targets
(b) Better demarcation Accurate Doppler
(d) Better range resolution and demarcation, both Multiple moving targets
(e) Better range resolution and demarcation, both Range and doppler information in single chirp, for very fast-moving targets
Table. 1
FIG. 2B is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary FMCW radar system 200b, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The FMCW radar system 200b includes the control unit 202, the radar subsystem 204, and the one or more targets 108. The control unit 202 and the radar subsystem 204 are similar to those shown in FIG. 2A and perform the functions similar to those described in FIG. 2A.
In an embodiment, the radar subsystem 204 comprises a processing unit 220, a local oscillator 222, a transmit subsystem 208, and a receiver subsystem 210.
The processing unit 220 is configured to receive the plurality of control signals transmitted from the control unit 202 and switch the chirp signal between at least one of the FMCW mode and the CW mode based on the received plurality of control signals. The local oscillator 222 is configured to generate a hybrid waveform as a transmit chirp signal with a predefined duty cycle, based on the switching between the FMCW mode and the CW mode. In one embodiment, the local oscillator 222 may be inside a phase locked loop based frequency synthesizer whose division modulus is controlled by the control unit 202 to generate FMCW and CW waveforms.
The transmit subsystem 208 comprises a transmit antenna configured to emit continuously, the generated hybrid waveform as the chirp signal. The receiver subsystem 210 comprises a receiver-antenna unit 212 configured to detect a reflected signal corresponding to the emitted chirp signal upon reflecting from at least one target 108 (also referred herein as one or more targets 108). The receiver subsystem 210 further comprises a receiver front-end unit 214 configured to generate a baseband signal corresponding to the detected reflected signal. The baseband signal comprises an Alternating Current (AC) component and a Direct Current (DC) component. In generating the baseband signal corresponding to the received reflected signal, the receiver front-end unit 214 is configured to combine a local copy of the generated hybrid waveform received from the local oscillator 222 with the detected reflected signal. Further, the receiver front-end unit 214 is configured to generate an Intermediate Frequency (IF) signal, based on combining the local copy of the generated hybrid waveform with the detected reflected signal using a mixer. The IF signal corresponds to a frequency difference between the local copy of the generated hybrid waveform and the detected reflected signal. Furthermore, the receiver front-end unit 214 is configured to generate the baseband signal from the generated IF signal using a frequency filter.
Further, the receiver front-end unit 214 is configured to transmit the generated baseband signal to the control unit 202 or the ADC and signal processing system 206.
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of an exemplary FMCW radar system 300, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The FMCW radar system 300 comprises a control unit 202 (similar to those shown in FIG.2A-B). At the transmitter side, the FMCW radar system 300 comprises a linear frequency modulation generator 302, a power amplifier 304, and a transmit antenna 306. At the receiver side, the FMCW radar system 300 comprises a receive antenna 308, a LNA 310, and a mixer circuit 312. Further, the FMCW radar system 300 comprises the ADC 314 and the digital signal processing unit 316.
The linear frequency modulation generator 302 (also referred herein as a local oscillator) is configured to generate a hybrid waveform as a transmit chirp signal with a predefined duty cycle, based on the switching between the FMCW mode and the CW mode. The transmit chirp signal is amplified using the power amplifier 304 and transmitted by the transmit antenna 306. In an FMCW radar 300, a frequency of the transmit chirp signal is varied linearly with time. For example, in a specific type of automotive radar, the frequency of the transmit chirp signal increases at a constant rate from 77 GHz to 81 GHz in 100 micro-seconds. This transmit chirp signal is referred as a ramp signal or a chirp signal. One or more targets 108 scatters the transmit chirp signal. The scattered signal is received by the receive antenna 308.
The output of the receive antenna 308 is given to the mixer circuit 312 of the receiver via a pre-amplifier low noise amplifier (LNA) 310. In the mixer circuit 312, a part of the frequency-modulated transmitted signal is mixed with the received signal, producing a new signal, which can be used to determine the distance (d) and/or velocity of the moving target. The frequency of the new signal is the difference between the frequency of the transmitted and received (reflected) signal.
In an embodiment, the signal from the mixer circuit 312 passes through a lowpass filter, where clutter signals (unwanted echo signals from stationary objects such as buildings, hills) are filtered out. Finally, the signal passes via an amplifier, A/D converter 314, and is then fed into a digital signal processing unit 316 for processing to calculate the distance and velocity of the target 108.
FIGs. 4A-B are block diagrams illustrating an exemplary FMCW radar system 400a, 400b, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, two possible configurations of the FMCW radar are shown in FIG. 4A and 4B. According to FIG. 4A, the present method may be tested on a radar-on-chip (RoC) 204. In an exemplary embodiment, an STM32-based microcontroller (uC1) 202a was used to generate the control signals necessary to produce the hybrid waveform through General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) bus. A second microcontroller (uC2) 202b, using its in-built ADC, was used to digitize and store the baseband signal to create the 2D matrix. In an embodiment, the RoC 204 comprises the transmitter, receiver, and the local oscillator (LO) distribution and no ADC is integrated in the chip itself. Once the baseband data is stored, the baseband data may be transferred to any signal processing platform for further processing. For example, a MATLAB program [4], running on a microprocessor platform may be used. After the transfer, the stream of samples may be easily reconstructed to form the 2D matrix. This setup was tested for a loopback setup, where the transmitted signal is sent through a cable and received and demodulated with minimal losses. The length of the loopback cable (2d) may be equivalent to a stationary target standing at a distance ‘d’ from the radar 200. FIG. 4B depicts an alternate configuration of the radar 200 wherein the uC1 202a and uC2 202b are merged into a single control unit 402. In this case, the control unit 402 performs the functions as the control unit 202 such as those shown in FIG. 2A and the ADC and signal processing unit 206 or the ADC 314.
FIG. 5A is an exemplary graphical representation of de-chirping, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. An FMCW radar transmits a signal called a “chirp.” A chirp is a sinusoid whose frequency increases linearly with time, as shown in the FIG. 5A. A frequency vs time plot (or ‘f-t plot’) is a convenient way to represent a chirp. A chirp is characterized by a start frequency (fc), Bandwidth(B) and duration (T). The slope s of the chirp defines the rate at which the chirp ramps up. The FIG. 5A depicts the transmit chirp signal and the received chirp signal that is reflected from the target 108. The received chirp signal is a delayed version of the transmit chirp signal ( t denotes the round-trip time between the radar and the target 108). In the FMCW technique, the received chirp signal frequency differs from the transmitted chirp signal frequency by an amount ?f due to the run time delay between the transmitted chirp and received chirp signal. The mixer circuit 312 of the receiver side calculates this frequency difference ?f by mixing the received signal frequency with the transmitted frequency. This frequency difference is called “beat frequency.” This frequency difference ?f is proportional to distance (d). In an embodiment, below are the governing equations:
STx(t) = a0 cos [2p (fc.t + s.t2/2) + ?0] -- (1)
SRx(t) = a1 cos [2p (fc(t-t) + s(t-t)2/2) + ?0] -- (2)
SIF(t) = b cos [2p (st.t + fc.t-st 2 /2)] -- (3)
fb = st = 2sd/c
where STx(t) corresponds to: transmitted FMCW chirp waveform;
SRx(t) corresponds to : received FMCW waveform;
SIF(t) is the intermediate frequency (IF) generated by mixing the transmitted and received chirps;
fc refers to the initial frequency of the chirp ;
s refers to the slope of the chirp;
?0 refers to the initial phase of the chirps ;
t refers to the delay between the transmitted and received chirps corresponding to the distance (d) between the radar and the target ;
b refers to the amplitude of the IF signal.
FIG. 5B is an exemplary two-dimensional matrix representation comprising range bins for the received baseband signal, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. To ensure that the radar's output data is meaningful, it is essential to construct a two-dimensional matrix from its baseband signal, as illustrated in FIG. 5B. Each row of this matrix contains slow-time samples, which are digitized samples of the baseband data per chirp. The columns represent fast-time samples, which are digitized samples of the incoming baseband signal. The dimension of the matrix is Nr*Nc, where Nr = total number of rows and Nc = total no of columns. The value of Nr depends on the targeted velocity resolution, whereas the value of Nc depends on the targeted range resolution as well as the ADC sampling rate.
An accurate construction of this matrix is of utmost importance. Even a minor disparity in the number of samples per chirp may introduce undesirable alterations in the phase of the system, leading to false Doppler information. This, in turn, may result in erroneous velocity measurements, potentially propagating errors up to the detection and classification stages, where objects are identified based on the acquired data. FIG. 5B also shows the arrangement of elements in the two-dimensional matrix after digitizing the incoming baseband data from the radar.
FIG. 6A is an exemplary graphical representation of hybrid waveform (a) the transmitted (blue) and received (red) chirps in one frame of Nr chirps (b) the obtained baseband waveform in case of a single target, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In order to demarcate the incoming baseband signals from an FMCW radar 200 to create the two-dimensional baseband matrix (as shown in FIG. 5B) and to ensure phase synchronization between subsequent rows of baseband data, a hybrid waveform 602 is depicted. The equation for the hybrid waveform 602 is described in given below:
S_tx (t)={¦(a.exp?{2p(f_1 t+(st^2)/2+ f_0 )}; 0
Documents
Application Documents
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Name
Date
1
202441013930-STATEMENT OF UNDERTAKING (FORM 3) [27-02-2024(online)].pdf
2024-02-27
2
202441013930-OTHERS [27-02-2024(online)].pdf
2024-02-27
3
202441013930-FORM FOR STARTUP [27-02-2024(online)].pdf
2024-02-27
4
202441013930-FORM FOR SMALL ENTITY(FORM-28) [27-02-2024(online)].pdf
2024-02-27
5
202441013930-FORM 1 [27-02-2024(online)].pdf
2024-02-27
6
202441013930-EVIDENCE FOR REGISTRATION UNDER SSI(FORM-28) [27-02-2024(online)].pdf
2024-02-27
7
202441013930-EVIDENCE FOR REGISTRATION UNDER SSI [27-02-2024(online)].pdf