Granted Patent B2

US 12,189,020 · App. 17/897,806 · Granted Jan 7, 2025

Inventors: Wouter Keijer (Rijswijk, NL); Gerben Pakkert (Delft, NL)

Assignee: ROBIN RADAR FACILITIES BV

G01S13/723G01S7/415G01S13/584G01S13/933B64U2101/30

Abstract

Claims (56)

1. A Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave, FMCW, radar system comprising:

one or more antennas configured to transmit and receive FMCW radar wave signals for scanning for objects within a full circular detection coverage range; and

processing circuitry configured to provide scan data based on transmitted and received FMCW radar signals and azimuth position of the antenna(s), and to generate radar plots based on obtained scan data; wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to:

provide scan data representing range cells within image lines of circular radar images, where each radar image holds a number of image lines defining a full circular radar image, with each image line corresponding to an azimuth orientation, and where each image line holds a number of range cells, with each range cell corresponding to a distance to the radar antenna(s), and wherein an object, which is detected within an azimuth orientation and range to the radar antenna(s), is represented by a number of hit range cells in one or more image lines, and wherein each hit range cell holds data for energy of returned signal(s) and data for radial velocity or velocities based on Doppler frequency signals, said scan data thereby for each hit range cell holding information of range, azimuth orientation, energy of returned radar wave signals, and radial velocity or velocities of a detected object; wherein:

the processing circuitry is further configured to:

generate first type radar plots for detected objects based on obtained scan data, where each first type radar plot is based on data from a number of neighboring hit range cells within one or more image lines of a first full circular radar image, each said first type radar plot holding range, radial velocity and return energy data for one or more detected objects;

generate second type radar plots for detected objects based on obtained scan data, where each second type radar plot is based on data from a number of neighboring hit range cells within one or more image lines of said first full circular radar image, each said second type radar plot holding azimuth, range and return energy data for one or more detected objects; and

generate full data type radar plots by combining first and second type radar plots having corresponding range data, each said full data type radar plot thereby holding azimuth, range, radial velocity and return energy data for one or more detected objects.

2. The FMCW radar system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

generate first type radar plots based on grouping of neighboring hit range cells within one or more image lines of said first full circular radar image having matching range data and radial velocity data, and

generate second type radar plots based on grouping of neighboring hit range cells within one or more image lines of said first full circular radar image having matching range data and azimuth data.

3. The FMCW radar system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

initiate the generation of the first type radar plots before initiating the generation of the second type radar plots.

4. The FMCW radar system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

initiate the generation of the first type radar plots when having obtained scan data for range cells of a first image line of said first full circular radar image;

generate the first type radar plots by analyzing range and radial velocity data obtained for the hit range cells, if any, of the first image line, and by

grouping neighboring hit range cells having matching range data and radial velocity data into a number of corresponding first type range radar plots, if there is any match.

5. The FMCW radar system according to claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

continue generation of the first type radar plots when having obtained scan data for range cells of a next image line of said first full circular radar image; and

continue generation of the first type radar plots until scan data has been obtained for all image lines of said first full circular radar image, thereby obtaining first type radar plots for said first full circular radar image, each said first type radar plot holding range data, radial velocity data and return energy data for one or more detected objects.

6. The FMCW radar system according to claim 5 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

initiate the generation of the second type radar plots when having obtained scan data for all image lines within said first full circular radar image; and

generate the second type radar plots by analyzing range and azimuth data obtained for the hit range cells of image lines of said first full circular radar image, and by grouping neighboring hit range cells having matching range data and azimuth data into a number of corresponding second type range radar plots, thereby obtaining second type radar plots for the first full circular radar image, each second type radar plot holding azimuth data, range data and return energy data for one or more detected objects.

7. The FMCW radar system according to claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

generate the full data type radar plots for said first full circular radar image by comparing range data of the obtained first and second type radar plots of the full circular radar image, and by combining first and second type radar plots having matching range data into corresponding full data type radar plots, each said full data type radar plot thereby holding azimuth data, range data, velocity data and return energy data for one or more detected objects.

8. The FMCW radar system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

select irregular type radar plots from full data type radar plots having velocity data representing both positive and negative radial velocities; or

select a full data type radar plot as an irregular type radar plot when the velocity data of the hit range cells represented by said full data type radar plot represents positive and negative radial velocities with at least a predetermined minimum velocity difference between the observed radial velocity with the largest positive value and the observed radial velocity with the largest absolute negative value.

9. The FMCW radar system according to claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

generate one or more unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, tracks, where each UAV track is based on at least two irregular type radar plots having a match between corresponding data of said at least two irregular type radar plots.

10. A method of generating radar plots including radial velocity data, said method using a Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave, FMCW, radar system holding one or more antennas configured to transmit and receive FMCW radar wave signals for scanning for objects within a full circular detection coverage range, and holding processing circuitry, which is configured to obtain scan data based on transmitted and received FMCW radar signals and azimuth position of the antenna(s), and which is configured to generate radar plots based on obtained scan data; wherein the method comprises:

obtaining scan data representing range cells within image lines of circular radar images, where each radar image holds a number of image lines defining a full circular radar image, with each image line corresponding to an azimuth orientation, and where each image line holds a number of range cells, with each range cell corresponding to a distance to the radar antenna(s), and wherein an object, which is detected within an azimuth orientation and range to the radar antenna(s), is represented by a number of hit range cells in one or more image lines, and wherein each hit range cell holds data for energy of returned signal(s) and data for radial velocity or velocities based on Doppler frequency signals, said scan data thereby for each hit range cell holding information of range, azimuth orientation, energy of returned radar wave signals, and radial velocity or velocities of a detected object; wherein the method further comprises:

generating first type radar plots for detected objects based on obtained scan data, where each first type radar plot is based on data from a number of neighboring hit range cells within one or more image lines of a first full circular radar image, each said first type radar plot holding range data, radial velocity data and return energy data for one or more detected objects;

generating second type radar plots for detected objects based on obtained scan data, where each second type radar plot is based on data from a number of neighboring hit range cells within one or more image lines of said first full circular radar image, each said second type radar plot holding azimuth data, range data and return energy data for one or more detected objects; and

generating full data type radar plots by combining first and second type radar plots having corresponding range data, each said full data type radar plot thereby holding azimuth data, range data, radial velocity data and return energy data for one or more detected objects.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein

generation of the first type radar plots is based on grouping of neighboring hit range cells within one or more image lines of said first full circular radar image having matching range data and radial velocity data, and

generation of the second type radar plots is based on grouping of neighboring hit range cells within one or more image lines of said first full circular radar image having matching range data and azimuth data.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the generation of the first type radar plots is initiated before initiating the generation of the second type radar plots.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the generation of the first type radar plots is initiated when scan data for range cells of a first image line of said first full circular radar image is obtained.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the step of generating the first type radar plots comprises:

analyzing range data and radial velocity data obtained for the hit range cells, if any, of the first image line, and

grouping neighboring hit range cells having matching range data and radial velocity data into a number of corresponding first type range radar plots, if there is any match.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the step of generating the first type radar plots further comprises:

continue generation of the first type radar plots when having obtained scan data for range cells of a next image line of said first full circular radar image; and

continue generation of the first type radar plots until scan data has been obtained for all image lines of said first full circular radar image, thereby obtaining first type radar plots for said first full circular radar image, each said first type radar plot holding range data, radial velocity data and return energy data for one or more detected objects.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the continued generation of the first type radar plots is performed by analyzing range data and radial velocity data obtained for hit range cells of the different image lines, and by

grouping neighboring hit range cells having matching range data and radial velocity data into a number of corresponding first type range radar plots.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the generation of the second type radar plots is initiated when scan data for all image lines within said first full circular radar image has been obtained.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the generation of the second type radar plots comprises:

analyzing range data and azimuth data obtained for the hit range cells of image lines of said first full circular radar image, and

grouping neighboring hit range cells having matching range data and azimuth data into a number of corresponding second type range radar plots, thereby obtaining second type radar plots for the first full circular radar image, each second type radar plot holding azimuth, range and return energy data for one or more detected objects.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein generation of full data type radar plots for said first full circular radar image is performed by

comparing range data of the obtained first and second type radar plots of the full circular radar image, and

combining first and second type radar plots having matching range data into corresponding full data type radar plots, each said full data type radar plot thereby holding azimuth data, range data, velocity data and return energy data for one or more detected objects.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (4)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (34)