STTR Phase I: Joint Wireless Communication and Vehicular RADAR through Successive Structured Target Estimation

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is the production of high-fidelity intelligent transportation systems at lower costs to increase automotive safety globally without wasting wireless spectrum to be used for other humanity improvement technologies. Successful completion of the work plan in this project enables opportunity for wireless communication device vendors and automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the vehicular RADAR sensor market through structured target estimation (SSTE). Preliminary studies have suggested that SSTE may reduce the device cost requirements for vehicular RADAR to automotive OEMs by one order of magnitude. The availability of RADAR processing on standard wireless communication devices also enables dual-purpose wireless devices, leading to further reduced costs as well as increased security. Reduced costs and increased security in vehicular RADAR not only presents an attractive business opportunity, but also leads to safer transportation globally. Preliminary studies have also shown that SSTE requires 87% fewer spectrum resources. More efficient spectrum usage yields more spectrum availability for other applications like cellular communications and simultaneously increases the opportunity for license-free public spectrum. This Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase I project will validate a new framework for RADAR through a suite of signal processing functions known as successive structured target estimation (SSTE). In contrast to standard RADAR waveform processing, SSTE uses channel impulse response estimates available on wireless communication devices. SSTE exploits newly-discovered target structure to substantially improve performance in terms of ranging accuracy and spectrum consumption. The work plan will evaluate ranging accuracy and spectrum consumption through over-the-air radio frequency (RF) testing with moving vehicles. These tests must show that: (1) SSTE enables RADAR applications that use much less spectrum than required by current RADAR devices (2) SSTE functions adequately in all relevant vehicular environments (3) SSTE is able to track a sufficient number of targets for vehicular applications (4) wireless communication devices may service RADAR applications through SSTE without sacrificing performance in relevant vehicular environments.