Radar device and a method for detecting a malfunction of a receiver channel of a radar device

1. A radar device for transmitting a signal in a frequency band comprising:

a control means,

an oscillator, wherein an input of the oscillator being connected via a converter to the control means, wherein the control means addresses the oscillator in order to generate the signal, and wherein the signal generated by the oscillator is tapped at the output of the oscillator,

at least one transmitting antenna for transmitting the signal provided at the output of the oscillator, wherein the transmitting antenna being connected to the output of the oscillator,

at least one receiver channel for receiving a receiver signal, processing the receiver signal, and forwarding the processed receiver signal to the control means, wherein the at least one receiver channel comprises at least one receiving antenna and a mixer for mixing the receiver signal with the signal provided at the output of the oscillator, wherein the mixer being connected to the output of the oscillator,

wherein the output of the oscillator is connected to the input of the control means, and

wherein the control means addresses the oscillator for the purpose of detecting a malfunctioning channel to generate first signal portions (K), which comprise the signal fragments (K i ), with their frequencies (f i k ) showing a lower cut-off frequency (f E1 ) of the frequency band and an upper cut-off frequency (f E2 ) of the frequency band, and

wherein the control means generates alternating the signal fragments (K i ) with the lower cut-off frequency (f E1 ) and the signal fragments (K i ) with the upper cut-off frequency (f E2 ).

2. The radar device of claim 1 , wherein the output of the oscillator is connected to an input of the control means, and

wherein the control means addresses the oscillator for the purpose of calibrating the oscillator in order to generate first signal portions, which show signal fragments (K i ), with their frequencies (f i k ) being within a frequency band, with the frequencies of two successive signal fragments differing by more than 4 MHz.

3. The radar device according to claim 1 wherein the signal is generated such that it shows at least one additional signal portion (A, B, C, . . . ),

wherein each additional signal portion (A, B, C, . . . ) of the signal shows a sequence of signal fragments (A i , B i , C i , . . . ),

wherein first signal fragments (A 1 , B 1 , C 1 , . . . ) of different additional signal portions (A, B, C, . . . ) of the signal show identical or different frequencies (f 1 A , f 1 B , f 1 C . . . ) and follow successively,

wherein subsequent to the first signal fragments (A 1 , B 1 , C 1 , . . . ) additional signal fragments (A i , B i , C i , . . . ) of the different additional signal portions (A, B, C, . . . ) follow successively, and

wherein the frequency (f 1 A , f 1 B , f 1 C . . . ) of the signal fragments (A i , B i , C i , . . . ) of another signal portion (A, B, C, . . . ) of the signal remains steady during one cycle, increases evenly during a cycle from one signal fragment (A i , B i , C i , . . . ) to another signal fragment (A i+1 , B i+1 , C i+1 , . . .) by one frequency increment (Δf) each, or lowers during the cycle from one signal fragment to another signal fragment by the frequency increment (Δf).

4. The radar device according to claim 1 wherein the control means, after the transmission of the first signal portions, processes the receiver signal processed in the at least one receiver channel and forwarded to the control means for detecting a malfunction of the receiver channel.

5. The radar device according to claim 4 , wherein the control means, in order to process a receiver signal forwarded to the control means, determines a mean value of the receiver signal forwarded to the control means during a time period and minimum and maximum values of the receiver signal forwarded to the control means.

6. The radar device according to claim 5 , wherein the control means, in order to process the receiver signal forwarded to the control means, compares the mean value and the minimum value and the maximum value with at least one of each other and with predetermined values, forms differences between at least one of the mean value, the minimum value, and the maximum value, and compares them to predetermined values.

7. The radar device according to claim 5 wherein the control means, in order to process the receiver signal forwarded to the control means, determines and analyzes leaps in the receiver signal forwarded to the control means at predetermined points of time during the transmission of the first signal portion.

8. The radar device according to claim 5 wherein the control means, in order to process the receiver signal forwarded to the control means, to determines and analyzes the frequency spectrum during the transmission of the first signal portion.

9. The radar device according to claim 8 , wherein repeatedly the control means addresses the oscillator in order to generate a first signal portion and the receiver signal processed in the receiver channel and forwarded to the control means for the purpose of detecting a channel failure of one of the receiver channels.

10. The radar device according to claim 9 , wherein the control means detects a malfunction of a channel when the receiver signal forwarded to the control means shows dynamics during the transmission of a first signal section.