Automotive MIMO Radar Angle Estimation in the Presence of Multipath

MIMO schemes are applied in automotive radar to improve resolution and SNR performance. Practically relevant use cases, which typically require high-resolution angle estimation, include horizontal or vertical multipath. In these situations, the standard two-target model is not valid anymore when MIMO schemes are employed, and model-based angle estimation needs to be extended. We present signal models with two targets and with a single target in the presence of multipath, and provide respective maximum likelihood estimators. Experimental data obtained with a series-production automotive radar sensor confirm the presented results.