IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,725,153
Granted Patent B2
US 10,725,153 · App. 15/697,722 · Granted Jul 28, 2020

Partitioning for radar systems

Inventor: Alec Rose (West Hartford, CT)
G01S7/41G01S7/35G01S13/887G01S13/89G01S15/89G06T15/04G06T15/08G06T15/10H01Q21/00G01S7/04G01S13/888G06K9/3241
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,725,153
App. No.
15/697,722
Granted
Jul 28, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Data is received characterizing a plurality of measurements for a scene received by a plurality of sensor elements forming a sensor array. A plurality of scene sub-domains is mapped to the plurality of sensor elements. A plurality of voxels associated with one of the plurality of scene sub-domains is mapped to a plurality of measurement sub-domains. One or more scattering coefficients of the scene is determined by applying the mapping to the received data. Related apparatus, systems, techniques, and articles are also described.

Claims (42)

1. A method comprising:

receiving data characterizing radar return measurements associated with a volume, the data received by sensor elements forming a sensor array;

determining backscatter coefficients by at least multiplying the data with two mappings, wherein the two mappings include a first mapping associating a first grouping of voxels included in the volume with an individual sensor element, and a second mapping associating an individual voxel included in the volume with a second grouping of sensor elements in the sensor array; and

providing the determined backscatter coefficients.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first mapping includes a first block diagonal transfer matrix characterizing a distance between the individual sensor element and a volume center of the first grouping of voxels.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second mapping includes a second block diagonal transfer matrix characterizing a distance between a center of the second grouping of sensor elements and the individual voxel.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second grouping of sensor elements includes a grouping of proximal transmitting sensor elements, proximal receiving sensor elements, and frequencies within a predefined frequency range.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the sensor array comprises a plurality of antenna panels, the transmitting sensor elements are proximal when the transmitting sensor elements reside on a first common antenna panel and the receiving sensor elements are proximal when the receiving sensor elements reside on a second common antenna panel.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second mapping characterizes a local spherical phase correction of the radar return measurements.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising

partitioning a scene into volumes by associating voxels together to define the first grouping of voxels.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first mapping and the second mapping are predetermined.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing includes processing the determined backscatter coefficients to create an image of an object.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first mapping associates each of the sensor elements with the first grouping of voxels, and wherein the second mapping associates each of a plurality of voxels with the second grouping of sensor elements.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first mapping associates each of the sensor elements with each of a plurality of third groupings of voxels, and wherein the second mapping associates each of the plurality of voxels with each of a plurality of fourth groupings of sensor elements.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first mapping associates a second individual sensor element with a third grouping of voxels, and wherein the second mapping associates a second individual voxel with a fourth grouping of sensor elements.

13. An apparatus comprising:

at least one data processor;

memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one data processor, causes the at least one data processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving data characterizing radar return measurements associated with a volume, the data received by sensor elements forming a sensor array;

determining backscatter coefficients by at least multiplying the data with two mappings, wherein the two mappings include a first mapping associating a first grouping of voxels included in the volume with an individual sensor element, and a second mapping associating an individual voxel included in the volume with a second grouping of sensor elements in the sensor array; and

providing the determined backscatter coefficients.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first mapping includes a first block diagonal transfer matrix characterizing a distance between the individual sensor element and a volume center of the first grouping of voxels.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second mapping includes a second block diagonal transfer matrix characterizing a distance between a center of the second grouping of sensor elements and the individual voxel.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second grouping of sensor elements includes a grouping of proximal transmitting sensor elements, proximal receiving sensor elements, and frequencies within a predefined frequency range.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the sensor array comprises a plurality of antenna panels, the transmitting sensor elements are proximal when the transmitting sensor elements reside on a first common antenna panel and the receiving sensor elements are proximal when the receiving sensor elements reside on a second common antenna panel.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second mapping characterizes a local spherical phase correction of the radar return measurements.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 , the operations further comprising

partitioning a scene into volumes by associating voxels together to define the first grouping of voxels.

20. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first mapping and the second mapping are predetermined.

21. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the providing includes processing the determined backscatter coefficients to create an image of an object.

22. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first mapping associates each of the sensor elements with the first grouping of voxels, and wherein the second mapping associates each of a plurality of voxels with the second grouping of sensor elements.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the first mapping associates each of the sensor elements with each of a plurality of third groupings of voxels, and wherein the second mapping associates each of the plurality of voxels with each of a plurality of fourth groupings of sensor elements.

24. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first mapping associates a second individual sensor element with a third grouping of voxels, and wherein the second mapping associates a second individual voxel with a fourth grouping of sensor elements.

25. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving data characterizing radar return measurements associated with a volume, the data received by sensor elements forming a sensor array;

means for determining backscatter coefficients by at least multiplying the data with two mappings, wherein the two mappings include a first mapping associating a first grouping of voxels included in the volume with an individual sensor element, and a second mapping associating an individual voxel included in the volume with a second grouping of sensor elements in the sensor array; and

means for providing the determined backscatter coefficients.

26. A non-transitory computer program product storing instructions, which when executed by at least one data processor of at least one computing system, implement operations comprising:

receiving data characterizing radar return measurements associated with a volume, the data received by sensor elements forming a sensor array;

determining backscatter coefficients by at least multiplying the data with two mappings, wherein the two mappings include a first mapping associating a first grouping of voxels included in the volume with an individual sensor element, and a second mapping associating an individual voxel included in the volume with a second grouping of sensor elements in the sensor array; and

providing the determined backscatter coefficients.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 31, 2025
From: EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS, INC.
To: MIDCAP FINANCIAL TRUST
Reel/Frame 071902/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 14, 2025
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 071699/0883 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 3, 2020
From: EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 054584/0789 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 25, 2017
From: ROSE, ALEC
To: EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 043946/0178 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14678566 · Apr 3, 2015
Provisional Application 61974775 · Apr 3, 2014
Related Publication 20180017667A1 · Jan 18, 2018