Enhanced Angular Resolution in Automotive Radar Imagery Using Burg-Aided MIMO-DBS Approach

To achieve higher levels of autonomous driving, imaging radar that is robust, regardless of lighting and weather conditions, is required in order to provide reliable, accurate and precise situational awareness. Spatial resolution is one of the important parameters enabling detection and differentiation of closely positioned targets. It has already been shown that the combination of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar with Doppler beam sharpening (DBS) can both suppress the high sidelobe levels inherent in MIMO and hence can help enhance cross-range resolution in the off-the-boresight directions. However, DBS cannot improve resolution in the forward-looking direction which is vital for path planning. In this paper, we propose the use of the Burg algorithm combined with a MIMO-DBS technique to improve cross-range resolution in both the forward looking and the lateral directions. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated through both simulation and experiment at 77 GHz.