Virtual Array Transformation for Large Apertures in Cooperative Automotive Radar Networks

This paper introduces a transformation method to transform large aperture arrays with a wider gap between the subarrays into a virtual uniform linear array. Such a large aperture is often present in a cooperative automotive radar network. In order to transform the arrays, phase correction must be done. The calculation of this phase is one of the main topics introduced in this paper. Conducted simulations and measurements show the advantages of such a cooperative network in comparison to a single sensor node. The influence of a baseline error on the accuracy of the transformation is also discussed in this paper. This method can fulfill the current needs of the automotive industry by achieving higher angular resolution without increasing the number of antenna elements of a single sensor.