Side zone automotive radar

A side detection system (SDS) based on radar technology for automotive applications is introduced. The functional requirements of such a system are described and the resulting safety enhancement benefits are summarized. Also, the nature of the radar environment for the side zone application is reviewed in qualitative terms. Minimizing the cost is a necessary system design driver, and presents a considerable challenge for radar designs in all but the most primitive capability cases. A cost effective design approach and radar system architecture which solves the side zone application problem of separating potentially hazardous target returns from exorbitant amounts of clutter are discussed in some detail. This design has been in road test for several months, and has achieved enthusiastic customer acceptance.