FMCW radar blocking detection

1. A method for detecting blocking of a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW), radar device, comprising the steps of:

generating a first signal;

generating a second signal from at least two frequency shifted versions of the first signal;

transmitting the first signal being a first transmission signal, the first signal comprising an object detection signal;

transmitting the second signal being a frequency offset signal relative the first signal;

receiving a reception signal, the reception signal comprising at least a received version of the second signal; and

determining blocking by identifying a blocking pattern in the received version of the second reception signal.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

subjecting the reception signal to a high pass filtering prior to the determining blocking step.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining blocking step further comprises:

frequency processing an offset frequency component in the reception signal, the offset frequency component being indicative of the blocking pattern and associated with a frequency shifted zero-frequency bin.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the determining blocking step further comprises:

determining the offset frequency component as a deterministic signal received in a single range gate.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the deterministic signal comprises frequency components spread in at least two adjacent frequency range bins or Doppler bins.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the FMCW radar device has a field of view, and wherein the determining blocking step provides an indication of transmission from the FMCW radar device being blocked by a physical object being placed so as to cover the field of view.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first signal is an up chirp ramp signal or a down chirp ramp signal.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reception signal is received from a device external reflection.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a further first signal being a further first transmission signal, the further first signal comprising the object detection signal; and

wherein the step of transmitting the second signal being the frequency offset signal is performed at least one of: during start-up of the FMCW radar device, once every I:th transmission of the further first signal, where I≥1, and once every J:th millisecond during operation of the FMCW radar device, where J≥1.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the blocking is in the form of a physical barrier interfering with the transmission or reception of the frequency-modulated continuous wave.

11. A frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW), radar device for detecting blocking of the FMCW radar device, comprising:

a signal generator configured to generate a first signal;

the signal generator configured to generate a second signal from at least two frequency shifted versions of the first signal;

a transmitter arranged to transmit the first signal being a first transmission signal, the first signal comprising an object detection signal;

the transmitter further being arranged to transmit the second signal being a frequency offset signal relative the first signal;

a receiver arranged to receive a reception signal, the reception signal comprising at least a received version of the second signal; and

a controller arranged to determine blocking by identifying a blocking pattern in the received version of the second reception signal.

12. The FMCW radar device of claim 11 , wherein the FMCW radar device is mounted to an automobile.

13. The radar device in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the blocking is in the form of a physical barrier interfering with the transmission or reception of the frequency-modulated continuous wave.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium for detecting blocking of a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW), radar device, the non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions sorted thereon, which when executed by a radar device cause the radar device to:

generate a first signal;

generate a second signal from at least two frequency shifted versions of the first signal;

transmit the first signal being a first transmission signal, the first signal comprising an object detection signal;

transmit the second signal being a frequency offset signal relative the first signal;

receive a reception signal, the reception signal comprising at least a received version of the second signal;

determine blocking by identifying a blocking pattern in the received version of the second reception signal.