Simultaneous object detection and data transfer with a vehicle radar

1. A method comprising, by a computing system of a vehicle:

providing one or more instructions configured to cause a first radar antenna to broadcast a modulated radar chirp signal in an environment;

receiving a first return signal that corresponds to the modulated radar chirp signal reflected off of an object in the environment;

calculating a location for the object using the first return signal; and

receiving a second return signal from a second radar antenna in the environment and associated with a second computing system, the second return signal indicating that the modulated radar chirp signal broadcast by the first radar antenna was received by the second radar antenna.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modulated radar chirp signal comprises a first portion of information designated to be broadcast by the first radar antenna, the method further comprising:

in response to receiving the second return signal, providing one or more additional instructions to broadcast a second modulated radar chirp signal in the environment, wherein the second modulated radar chirp signal comprises a second portion of the information designated to be broadcast.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modulated radar chirp signal comprises content encoded in the modulated radar chirp signal, the method further comprising:

determining that the second return signal indicates that the content of the modulated radar chirp signal failed to be received by the second computing system; and

providing one or more additional instructions to broadcast a second modulated radar chirp signal comprising the content failed to be received by the second computing system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a waveform of the first return signal substantially matches a waveform of the modulated radar chirp signal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second return signal further indicates that content of the modulated radar chirp signal was received by the second computing system.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that an ambient noise level in the environment is below a threshold level, wherein the one or more instructions to broadcast the modulated radar chirp signal are provided in response to the determination that the ambient noise level in the environment is below the threshold level.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modulated radar chirp signal comprises content, the content comprising one or more diagnostic metrics associated with a vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modulated radar chirp signal comprises content, the content comprising determinations based on sensor data captured by one or more sensors of a vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

subsequent to receiving the second return signal, establishing a wireless communication session with the second radar antenna.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modulated radar chirp signal is used to simultaneously calculate the location for the object and broadcast content encoded in the modulated radar chirp signal.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modulated radar chirp signal is modulated using a phase-modulated continuous-wave radar antenna.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modulated radar chirp signal is modulated using a frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar antenna.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first radar antenna or second radar antenna comprises a radar antenna array comprising a plurality of subarray antennas.

14. A system of a vehicle comprising: one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media in communication with the one or more processors and comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the system to perform operations comprising:

providing one or more instructions configured to cause a first radar antenna to broadcast a modulated radar chirp signal in an environment;

receiving a first return signal that corresponds to the modulated radar chirp signal reflected off of an object in the environment;

calculating a location for the object using the first return signal; and

receiving a second return signal from a second radar antenna in the environment and associated with a second computing system, the second return signal indicating that the modulated radar chirp signal broadcast by the first radar antenna was received by the second radar antenna.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein:

the modulated radar chirp signal comprises a first portion of information designated to be broadcast by the first radar antenna; and

the instructions are further configured to cause the system to perform operations further comprising:

in response to receiving the second return signal, providing one or more additional instructions to broadcast a second modulated radar chirp signal in the environment, wherein the second modulated radar chirp signal comprises a second portion of the information designated to be broadcast.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the modulated radar chirp signal comprises content encoded in the modulated radar chirp signal, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the system to perform operations further comprising:

determining that the second return signal indicates that the content of the modulated radar chirp signal failed to be received by the second computing system; and

providing one or more additional instructions to broadcast a second modulated radar chirp signal comprising the content failed to be received by the second computing system.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein a waveform of the first return signal substantially matches a waveform of the modulated radar chirp signal.

18. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system of a vehicle, are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

providing one or more instructions configured to cause a first radar antenna to broadcast a modulated radar chirp signal in an environment;

receiving a first return signal that corresponds to the modulated radar chirp signal reflected off of an object in the environment;

calculating a location for the object using the first return signal; and

receiving a second return signal from a second radar antenna in the environment and associated with a second computing system, the second return signal indicating that the modulated radar chirp signal broadcast by the first radar antenna was received by the second radar antenna.

19. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 18 , wherein:

the modulated radar chirp signal comprises a first portion of information designated to be broadcast by the first radar antenna; and

the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:

in response to receiving the second return signal, providing one or more additional instructions to broadcast a second modulated radar chirp signal in the environment, wherein the second modulated radar chirp signal comprises a second portion of the information designated to be broadcast.

20. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 18 , wherein the modulated radar chirp signal comprises content encoded in the modulated radar chirp signal, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:

determining that the second return signal indicates that the content of the modulated radar chirp signal failed to be received by the second computing system; and

providing one or more additional instructions to broadcast a second modulated radar chirp signal comprising the content failed to be received by the second computing system.