Time and frequency synchronization for spread radar systems

1. An automotive spread multiple-input multiple-output configured radar system, comprising:

a plurality of transceiver antenna units that are configured to transmit mutually orthogonal radar waves,

for each transceiver antenna unit of the plurality of transceiver antenna units, a plurality of range gates that are configured to indicate a range detected by the transceiver antenna unit,

wherein at least one specific transceiver antenna unit (TRx 1 ) of the plurality of transceiver antenna units is configured to transmit, synchronized with the radar waves, a reference signal that is to be received directly by at least one transceiver antenna unit (TRx 2 ) that is separated by an a priori known distance from the specific transceiver antenna unit (TRx 1 ), and wherein the distance is substantially larger than a radar carrier wavelength,

an evaluation and control unit that is configured to:

read out the plurality of range gates for the transceiver antenna unit (TRx 2 ) that received the reference signal,

based on the read-out range gate of the plurality of range gates that indicates the received reference signal and based on the a priori known distance, synchronize the specific transceiver antenna unit (TRx 1 ) and the transceiver antenna unit (TRx 2 ) that received the reference signal.

2. The automotive spread radar system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one specific transceiver antenna unit (TRx 1 ) of the plurality of transceiver antenna units is configured to transmit the reference signal with a predetermined time delay relative to the transmitted radar wave, wherein the predetermined time delay is larger than zero.

3. The automotive spread radar system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising means for determining a carrier frequency of the specific transceiver antenna unit (TRx 1 ) from a signal of the transceiver antenna unit (TRx 2 ) that received the reference signal, wherein the evaluation and control unit is configured to correct, based on the determined carrier frequency, a Doppler shift measured at a target by the specific transceiver antenna unit (TRx 1 ).

4. The automotive spread radar system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transceiver antenna units of the plurality of transceiver antenna units are located at a priori known positions at the surrounding of a vehicle.

5. The automotive spread radar system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the evaluation and control unit comprises a processor unit and a digital data memory unit to which the processor unit has data access.

6. The automotive spread radar system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising modulation means to operate the plurality of transceiver antenna units in a phase-modulated continuous wave mode.

7. A method of operating an automotive spread multiple-input multiple-output configured radar system comprising a plurality of transceiver antenna units that are configured to transmit mutually orthogonal radar signals, and for each transceiver antenna unit of the plurality of transceiver antenna units a plurality of range gates for indicating a range detected by the transceiver antenna unit, the method comprising steps of:

transmitting modulated, mutually orthogonal radar waves by the plurality of transceiver antenna units in a continuous-wave manner,

by at least one specific transceiver antenna unit (TRx 1 ) of the plurality of transceiver antenna units, directly transmitting a reference signal that is synchronized with the radar wave transmitted by the at least one specific transceiver antenna unit (TRx 1 ), to at least one transceiver antenna unit (TRx 2 ) that is separated by an a priori known distance from the specific transceiver antenna unit (TRx 1 ),

reading out the plurality of range gates for the at least one transceiver antenna unit (TRx 2 ) that received the reference signal, and

based on the read-out range gate of the plurality of range gates that indicates the received reference signal and the a priori known distance, synchronizing the specific transceiver antenna unit (TRx 1 ) and the transceiver antenna unit (TRx 2 ) that received the reference signal.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the step of directly transmitting a reference signal that is synchronized with the radar wave comprises transmitting the reference signal with a predetermined time delay relative to the transmitted radar wave, wherein the predetermined time delay is larger than zero.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising steps of:

determining a carrier frequency of the specific transceiver antenna unit (TRx 1 ) from a signal of the transceiver antenna unit (TRx 2 ) that received the reference signal, and

based on the determined carrier frequency, correcting a Doppler shift measured at a target by the specific transceiver antenna unit (TRx 1 ).

10. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the steps are repeated for pairs of transceiver antenna units (TRx 1 , TRx 2 ) out of the plurality of transceiver antenna units such that each transceiver antenna unit has directly transmitted a reference signal to at least one other transceiver antenna unit and has directly received a reference signal from at least one other transceiver antenna unit.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for controlling automatic execution of steps of the method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the method steps are stored on the computer-readable medium as a program code, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises a part of the automotive spread radar system or a separate control unit and the program code is executable by a processor unit of the automotive spread radar system or a separate control unit.