System and method of monitoring a structural object using a millimeter-wave radar sensor

1. A method of monitoring a structural object, the method comprising:

performing a first set of radar measurements using a first millimeter-wave radar sensor to produce a first set of radar data;

performing a second set of radar measurements using a second millimeter-wave radar sensor to produce a second set of radar data;

extracting a first interferometric phase from the first set of radar measurements;

extracting a second interferometric phase from the second set of radar measurements; and

determining a structural integrity of the structural object based on the extracted first interferometric phase and based on the second interferometric phase.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

measuring a motion of the first millimeter-wave radar sensor; and

adjusting the first set of radar data to compensate for the measured motion of the first millimeter-wave radar sensor.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein measuring the motion of the first millimeter-wave radar sensor comprises using a first accelerometer physically attached to the first millimeter-wave radar sensor.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the performing the first set of radar measurements comprises forming a beam using an antenna array of the first millimeter-wave radar sensor.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein extracting the first interferometric phase comprises:

determining a first set of range gates from the first set of radar data; and

filtering the first set of range gates using a Doppler interferometric filter.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the structural integrity of the structural object comprises comparing the first interferometric phase to a threshold.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein:

the Doppler interferometric filter comprises a plurality of Doppler interferometric filters configured to produce a plurality of first interferometric phases; and

determining the structural integrity of the structural object comprises comparing the plurality of first interferometric phases with a corresponding plurality of thresholds to produce a first set of threshold results.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the structural integrity of the structural object further comprises calculating a weighted sum of the first set of threshold results.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising transmitting a warning message when the weighted sum exceeds a second threshold.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first millimeter-wave radar sensor and the second millimeter-wave radar sensor have a different line of sight (LOS) with respect to the structural object, and the method further comprises determining a two-dimensional displacement history of the structural object based on the first interferometric phase and the second interferometric phase.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

extracting the first interferometric phase comprises determining a first set of range gates from the first set of radar data, and filtering the first set of range gates using a first plurality of Doppler interferometric filters;

extracting the second interferometric phase comprises determining a second set of range gates from the second set of radar data, and filtering the second set of range gates comprises using a second plurality of Doppler interferometric filters; and

determining the structural integrity of the structural object comprises

comparing first outputs of the first plurality of Doppler interferometric filters with a corresponding first plurality of thresholds to produce a first set of threshold results,

comparing second outputs of the second plurality of Doppler interferometric filters with a corresponding second plurality of thresholds to produce a second set of threshold results,

determining a first weighted sum of the first set of threshold results,

determining a second weighted sum of the second set of threshold results, and

determining a third weighed sum of the first weighted sum and the second weighted sum.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising aligning the first set of range gates with the second set of range gates.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the structural object comprises a bridge.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining an oscillation frequency of the structural object based on the extracting the first interferometric phase.

15. A method of monitoring a structural object, the method comprising:

performing a first set of radar measurements using a first millimeter-wave radar sensor to produce a first set of radar data, wherein the first millimeter-wave radar sensor is mounted to the structural object;

performing a second set of radar measurements using a second millimeter-wave radar sensor to produce a second set of radar data;

extracting first range gates from the first set of radar measurements;

extracting second range gates from the second set of radar measurements;

calculating a history of a displacement of the structural object based on the extracted first range gates over slow-time using first Doppler interferometric filters, and based on the extracted second range gates over slow-time using second Doppler interferometric filters;

comparing the calculated history of the displacement to a predetermined threshold; and

transmitting a warning message when the calculated history of the displacement crosses the predetermined threshold.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first set of radar measurements comprise range data, velocity data and angle date of the structural object.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the structural object comprises a utility pole or a streetlamp.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising filtering out an AC line frequency from the first set of radar measurements prior to extracting the range gates.

19. A system of for monitoring a structural object, the system comprising:

a first millimeter-wave radar sensor;

a second millimeter-wave radar sensor; and

a processor coupled to the first millimeter-wave radar sensor and to the second millimeter-wave radar sensor, the processor configured to:

extract a first interferometric phase from a first set of radar measurements made by the first millimeter-wave radar sensor,

extract a second interferometric phase from a second set of radar measurements made by the second millimeter-wave radar sensor, and

determine a structural integrity of the structural object based on the extracted first interferometric phase and based on the extracted second interferometric phase.

20. The system of claim 19 , further comprising a first accelerometer physically attached to the first millimeter-wave radar sensor and operatively coupled to the processor, where the processor is further configured to adjust the first set of radar measurements to compensate for a motion of the first millimeter-wave radar sensor measured by the first accelerometer.

21. The system of claim 19 , further comprising a digital interface coupled to the processor, the digital interface configured to transmit a warning message when the determined structural integrity exceeds a first condition.