Dual-sided radar systems and methods of formation thereof

1. A radar system comprising:

a substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being opposite the second surface;

transmitter front-end circuitry attached to the substrate, the transmitter front-end circuitry being configured to transmit a transmitted radio frequency (RF) signal in a first direction away from the first surface and in a second direction away from the second surface;

an antenna disposed entirely within the substrate and coupled to the transmitter front-end circuitry, the antenna being configured to directionally transmit the transmitted RF signal in both the first direction and the second direction;

a first receive antenna disposed at the first surface, the first receive antenna being configured to receive a first reflected RF signal propagating in the second direction, the first reflected RF signal being generated by the transmitted RF signal; and

a second receive antenna disposed at the second surface, the second receive antenna being configured to receive a second reflected RF signal propagating in the first direction, the second reflected RF signal being generated by the transmitted RF signal.

2. The radar system of claim 1 , further comprising:

RF circuitry disposed on the substrate, the RF circuitry being configured to

detect a first object located in the first direction according to the first reflected RF signal, and

detect a second object located in the second direction according to the second reflected RF signal.

3. The radar system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a housing fully enclosing the substrate, the transmitter front-end circuitry, the first receive antenna, and the second receive antenna, wherein

the transmitter front-end circuitry is further configured to transmit the transmitted RF signal by transmitting the transmitted RF signal through a first surface of a housing and a second surface of the housing, the first surface of the housing being opposite the second surface of the housing,

the first receive antenna is further configured to receive the first reflected RF signal by receiving the first reflected RF signal through the first surface of the housing, and

the second receive antenna is further configured to receive the second reflected RF signal by receiving the second reflected RF signal through the second surface of the housing.

4. The radar system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a third receive antenna disposed at the first surface of the substrate, the third receive antenna being configured to receive a third reflected RF signal generated by the transmitted RF signal, the third reflected RF signal propagating in the second direction; and

RF circuitry disposed on the substrate, the RF circuitry being configured to track movement of an object moving in a third direction parallel to the first surface.

5. The radar system of claim 4 , further comprising:

a fourth receive antenna disposed at the first surface of the substrate, the fourth receive antenna being configured to receive a fourth reflected RF signal generated by the transmitted RF signal, the fourth reflected RF signal propagating in the second direction, wherein the RF circuitry is further configured to track movement of the object by

tracking the movement of the object in the third direction, and

tracking movement of the object in a fourth direction, the fourth direction being both parallel to the first surface and perpendicular to the third direction.

6. The radar system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first ground region disposed behind the first receive antenna relative to the first direction;

a second ground region disposed behind the second receive antenna relative to the second direction;

wherein both the first receive antenna and the second receive antenna are patch antennas; and

wherein the first ground region and the second ground region are configured to shield the first receive antenna and the second receive antenna from the second reflected RF signal and the first reflected RF signal respectively.

7. A method of operating a radar system, the method comprising:

transmitting, by transmitter front-end circuitry attached to a substrate, a transmitted radio frequency (RF) signal in a first direction away from a first surface of the substrate and in a second direction away from a second surface of the substrate, the first direction being opposite the first direction, wherein transmitting the transmitted RF signal comprises directionally transmitting, by an antenna disposed entirely within the substrate and coupled to the transmitter front-end circuitry, the transmitted RF signal in both the first direction and the second direction;

receiving, by a first receive antenna disposed at the first surface of the substrate, a first reflected RF signal generated by the transmitted RF signal, the first reflected RF signal propagating in the second direction; and

receiving, by a second receive antenna disposed at the second surface of the substrate, a second reflected RF signal generated by the transmitted RF signal, the second reflected RF signal propagating in the first direction.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

detecting, by RF circuitry disposed on the substrate, a first object located in the first direction according to the first reflected RF signal; and

detecting, by the RF circuitry, a second object located in the second direction according to the second reflected RF signal.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein

transmitting the transmitted RF signal comprises transmitting the transmitted RF signal through a first surface of a housing and a second surface of the housing, the first surface of the housing being opposite the second surface of the housing,

receiving the first reflected RF signal comprises receiving the first reflected RF signal through the first surface of the housing,

receiving the second reflected RF signal comprises receiving the second reflected RF signal through the second surface of the housing, and

the housing fully encloses the substrate, the transmitter front-end circuitry, the first receive antenna, and the second receive antenna.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving, by a third receive antenna disposed at the first surface of the substrate, a third reflected RF signal generated by the transmitted RF signal, the third reflected RF signal propagating in the second direction; and

tracking movement of an object by RF circuitry disposed on the substrate, wherein the object is moving in a third direction parallel to the first surface.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving, by a fourth receive antenna disposed at the first surface of the substrate, a fourth reflected RF signal generated by the transmitted RF signal, the fourth reflected RF signal propagating in the second direction, wherein

tracking movement of the object comprises

tracking movement of the object in the third direction, and

tracking movement of the object in a fourth direction, the fourth direction being both parallel to the first surface and perpendicular to the third direction.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

shielding the first receive antenna from the second reflected RF signal using a first ground region located behind the first receive antenna relative to the first direction;

shielding the second receive antenna from the first reflected RF signal using a second ground region located behind the second receive antenna relative to the second direction; and

wherein both the first receive antenna and the second receive antenna are patch antennas.

13. A radar system comprising:

a substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being opposite the second surface;

an integrated circuit (IC) chip comprising transmitter front-end circuitry attached to the substrate at the first surface, the transmitter front-end circuitry being configured to transmit a transmitted radio frequency (RF) signal in a first direction away from the first surface and in a second direction away from the second surface;

a first patch antenna disposed at the first surface, the first patch antenna being configured to receive a first reflected RF signal propagating in the second direction, the first reflected RF signal being generated by the transmitted RF signal;

a plurality of second patch antennas disposed at the second surface, the plurality of second patch antennas being configured to receive a second reflected RF signal propagating in the first direction, the second reflected RF signal being generated by the transmitted RF signal;

a third patch antenna disposed entirely within the substrate and coupled to the transmitter front-end circuitry, the first patch antenna being configured to directionally transmit the transmitted RF signal in both the first direction and the second direction; and

RF circuitry disposed on the substrate and configured to

detect a first object located in the first direction according to the first reflected RF signal, and

detect a second object located in the second direction according to the second reflected RF signal.

14. The radar system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of second patch antennas comprises three patch antennas.

15. The radar system of claim 14 , wherein:

the three patch antennas are disposed along a straight line; and

the RF circuitry is further configured to track movement of the second object moving in a third direction parallel to the second surface using the three patch antennas.

16. The radar system of claim 14 , wherein:

the three patch antennas are disposed in an “L” shape; and

the RF circuitry is further configured to track movement of the second object using the three patch antennas by

tracking movement of the second object in a third direction parallel to the second surface, and

tracking movement of the second object in a fourth direction parallel to the second surface and perpendicular to the third direction.

17. The radar system of claim 16 , wherein:

the three patch antennas comprise a corner patch antenna, a row patch antenna, and a column patch antenna;

the plurality of second patch antennas further comprises an additional row patch antenna and an additional column patch antenna;

the additional row patch antenna is disposed along a first straight line passing through the row patch antenna and the corner patch antenna; and

the additional column patch antenna is disposed along a second straight line passing through the column patch antenna and the corner patch antenna.

18. The radar system of claim 13 , wherein the IC chip is recessed into the first surface of the substrate.

19. The radar system of claim 13 , wherein the IC chip is attached to the first surface of the substrate.

20. The radar system of claim 13 , further comprising:

a housing fully enclosing the substrate, the IC chip, the first patch antenna, the plurality of second patch antennas, and the third patch antenna, wherein

the transmitter front-end circuitry is further configured to transmit the transmitted RF signal by transmitting the transmitted RF signal through a first surface of a housing and a second surface of the housing, the first surface of the housing being opposite the second surface of the housing,

the first patch antenna is further configured to receive the first reflected RF signal by receiving the first reflected RF signal through the first surface of the housing, and

the plurality of second patch antennas is further configured to receive the second reflected RF signal by receiving the second reflected RF signal through the second surface of the housing.