Cfar phased array pre-processing using noncoherent and coherent integration in automotive radar systems

Abstract

A vehicle radar system, apparatus and method use a radar control processing unit generate compressed radar data signals, to apply the compressed radar data signals in parallel as a three-dimensional matrix to a coherent integrator (which generates a two-dimensional matrix of coherently integrated image data) and a non-coherent integrator (which generates a two-dimensional matrix of non-coherently integrated image data), and to generate a constant false alarm rate (CFAR) threshold from the two-dimensional matrix of non-coherently integrated image data for application to the two-dimensional matrix of coherently integrated image data to detect one or more targets in the MIMO radar signal returns from sample values from the two-dimensional matrix of coherently integrated image data that exceed the CFAR threshold.