Array Antenna Spatial Power Spectrum Combining
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing array antenna systems face limitations in increasing angular resolution without increasing the number of antennas, as this leads to the proximity of main lobes and grating lobes, which complicates target detection and discrimination.
Innovation Solution
The use of spatial power spectrum combining, where a uniform linear array antenna module with antennas arranged at different distances derives spatial power spectrum components, allowing for the calculation of an azimuth through a multiplication operation of these components, thereby enhancing angular resolution and reducing grating lobes without increasing the number of antennas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the number of receiving antennas is increased to improve angular resolution, then the angular resolution is improved, but the device complexity and signal processing calculation amount increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the uniform linear array antenna into multiple sub-arrays with different antenna spacings (e.g., 0.5λ and 1.0λ). Each sub-array independently processes signals to generate spatial power spectrum components, which are then combined through multiplication. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high angular resolution without requiring a single large-scale antenna array, thus reducing device complexity and signal processing burden.
2Measurement precision
If the distance between antennas is increased to improve angular resolution, then the angular resolution is improved, but grating lobes appear and main lobe and grating lobe become close
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines spatial power spectrum components from multiple sub-arrays with different antenna spacings through multiplication operation. By merging the spectral information from sub-arrays with spacing of 0.5λ (which suppresses grating lobes) and 1.0λ (which provides fine angular resolution), the system achieves both low grating lobe levels and high angular resolution simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between these two parameters.
3Measurement precision
If the number of antennas is increased to reduce -3 dB beam width, then the angular resolution is improved, but the amount of signal processing calculation increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of processing signals from a large number of antennas simultaneously, the patent segments the antenna array into smaller sub-arrays that can be processed independently. Each sub-array generates a spatial power spectrum component through separate calculation, and the final result is obtained by multiplying these components. This segmentation significantly reduces the computational complexity compared to processing all antennas together, while still achieving high angular resolution.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are an array antenna apparatus using spatial power spectrum combining and a method of controlling the same. The array antenna apparatus includes a uniform linear array antenna module including antennas which are uniformly and linearly arranged, an array antenna determiner configured to select sub-array antennas arranged at a first distance and sub-array antennas arranged at a second distance from the array antennas in the uniform linear array antenna module in order to derive spatial spectrum components from the uniform linear array antenna module, a spatial spectrum component deriver configured to separately derive spatial power spectrum components from signals received through the selected sub-array antennas selected by the array antenna determiner, and an azimuth calculator configured to calculate an azimuth by performing a calculation with a first spatial spectrum component and a second spatial spectrum component which are separately derived.