Radar system, integrated radar circuit and method for a radar system
A radar system includes a first integrated radar circuit having a plurality of first transmission paths and a local oscillator configured to generate a local oscillator signal. The first integrated radar circuit has a first terminal configured to output an oscillation signal based on the local oscillator signal. The radar system includes a second integrated radar circuit having a second transmission path and a second terminal. The radar system includes a partially reflective element coupled to the first terminal via a first line section and to the second terminal via a second line section. The partially reflective element is configured to reflect back a first portion of the oscillation signal as a reflected signal via the first line section to the first terminal and to pass on a second portion of the oscillation signal as a forward signal via the second line section to the second terminal.
1. A system, comprising:
a first integrated circuit having at least one of a first RF transmission path or first RF reception path and a local oscillator configured to generate a local oscillator signal, wherein the first integrated circuit additionally has a first terminal configured to output an oscillation signal based on the local oscillator signal;
a second integrated circuit having a second terminal and at least one of a second RF transmission path or a second RF reception path; and
a partially reflective element coupled to the first terminal via a first line section and to the second terminal via a second line section, wherein the partially reflective element is configured to reflect back a first portion of the oscillation signal as a reflected signal via the first line section to the first terminal and to pass on a second portion of the oscillation signal as a forward signal via the second line section to the second terminal,
wherein the first integrated circuit comprises a directional coupler coupled to the first terminal via a first port and is configured to output the reflected signal via a second port to a signal node of the first integrated circuit, and
wherein the first integrated circuit is configured to generate a first transmission signal based on the reflected signal or process a first reception signal based on the reflected signal.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first RF transmission path is configured to generate the first transmission signal in a manner temporally correlated with the reflected signal.
3. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second RF transmission path is coupled to the second terminal and is configured to generate a second transmission signal in a manner temporally correlated with the forward signal.
4. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first RF reception path is coupled to the signal node and is configured to down-convert the first reception signal using the reflected signal.
5. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second RF reception path is coupled to the second terminal and is configured to down-convert a second reception signal using the forward signal.
6. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the first RF reception path is coupled to the signal node and is configured to down-convert the first reception signal using the reflected signal, and
the second RF reception path is coupled to the second terminal and is configured to down-convert a second reception signal using the forward signal.
7. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the partially reflective element is configured to generate the reflected signal and the forward signal with a constant phase angle relative to one another.
8. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the partially reflective element is configured to generate the reflected signal and the forward signal in phase with each other.
9. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the first line section and the second line section have a same length, and
a length of the first line section and a length of the second line section are such that a phase of the reflected signal upon reception at the first terminal is identical to a phase of the forward signal upon reception at the second terminal.
10. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein respective signal strengths of the reflected signal and of the forward signal deviate from one another by less than 50%.
11. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein respective signal strengths of the reflected signal and of the forward signal are identical.
12. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the partially reflective element comprises exclusively passive components.
13. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first RF transmission path is coupled to the first terminal via the directional coupler and is configured to apply the oscillation signal based on the local oscillator signal to the first terminal.
14. An integrated circuit, comprising:
an RF transmission path;
a local oscillator configured to generate a local oscillator signal;
a terminal configured to output an oscillation signal based on the local oscillator signal and receive a reflected signal, wherein the reflected signal is a portion of the oscillation signal output from the terminal that is reflected back to the terminal; and
a directional coupler coupled to the first-terminal via a first port and is configured to output the reflected signal via a second port to a signal node of the integrated circuit,
wherein the RF transmission path is configured to generate a transmission signal based on the reflected signal.
15. The integrated circuit of claim 14 , wherein the RF transmission path is configured to generate the transmission signal in a manner temporally correlated with the reflected signal.
16. The integrated circuit of claim 14 , further comprising:
an RF reception path configured to generate a reception signal based on the reflected signal.
17. An integrated circuit, comprising:
an RF reception path;
a local oscillator configured to generate a local oscillator signal;
a terminal configured to output an oscillation signal based on the local oscillator signal and receive a reflected signal, wherein the reflected signal is a portion of the oscillation signal output from the terminal that is reflected back to the terminal; and
a directional coupler coupled to the first-terminal via a first port and is configured to output the reflected signal via a second port to a signal node of the integrated circuit,
wherein the RF reception path is configured to process a reception signal based on the reflected signal.
18. The integrated circuit of claim 17 , wherein the RF reception path is coupled to the signal node and is configured to down-convert the reception signal using the reflected signal.
19. The integrated circuit of claim 17 , further comprising:
an RF transmission path coupled to the signal node and configured to generate a transmission signal based on the reflected signal.
20. A method implemented by an integrated circuit, the method comprising:
generating a local oscillator signal;
outputting an oscillation signal from a terminal of the integrated circuit based on the local oscillator signal;
receiving a reflected signal at the terminal, wherein the reflected signal is a portion of the oscillation signal output from the terminal that is reflected back to the terminal;
directing the reflected signal from the terminal to at least one of an RF transmission path of the integrated circuit or an RF reception path of the integrated circuit; and
generating a transmission signal by the RF transmission path based on the reflected signal or processing a reception signal by the RF reception path based on the reflected signal.