Antenna Device Signal Processing Size Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing antenna devices are large due to the need for separate signal processing circuits for each receiving antenna element, which increases the overall size of the device.

Innovation Solution

The antenna device modulates received signals from multiple antenna elements into signals with different frequencies and phases corresponding to polarization directions, synchronizing them into a single synthetic signal, allowing for a common signal processing unit and reducing the device's size by eliminating the need for individual signal processing circuits for each element.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate signal processing circuits are provided for each receiving antenna element, then signal processing capability is improved, but device size increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal processing capabilityVSAvoiddevice size
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple receiving antenna elements share a common signal processing circuit. The antenna elements are combined through a synthesis unit that integrates their signals, allowing a single signal processing circuit to handle signals from all elements rather than requiring separate circuits for each element.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The common signal processing circuit is designed to universally process signals from multiple antenna elements. The circuit performs functions including signal synthesis, polarization separation, and detection for all antenna elements, making it a multi-functional unit that replaces multiple dedicated circuits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If individual signal processing circuits are used for each antenna element, then processing accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing accuracyVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple antenna elements and their signal paths into a unified processing architecture. The synthesis unit merges signals from multiple elements, and a single common circuit performs all necessary processing operations, reducing the number of independent processing chains while maintaining accuracy through coordinated processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The synthesis unit acts as an intermediary between multiple antenna elements and the common signal processing circuit. It coordinates and integrates signals from different elements before they enter the shared processing circuit, ensuring proper signal combination and polarization separation without requiring complex individual processing for each element.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3051306B1Antenna device and signal processing method
Publication Date: 2019.04.24 NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3051306B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3051306B1 patent drawingFigure 2(A)~2(E)
  • EP3051306B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An antenna device includes a plurality of antenna elements 50 respectively configured to receive incident waves coming from an object, a modulating unit 60 respectively configured to modulates a first received signal of the incident waves output from the antenna elements 50 into a second received signal, the second received signals having a plurality of different frequencies and phases corresponding to polarization directions of the received incident waves, a synthesizing unit 90 configured to synthesize the plurality of second received signals and generates a synthetic signal, a signal processing unit 100, 110 configured to perform predetermined signal processing on the synthetic signal, and an extracting unit 120 configured to extract third received signals for each frequency and each phase from the synthetic signal on which has been performed the predetermined signal processing.