Beam Stabilization for Wideband Phase Comparison Monopulse Angle Estimation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Phase comparison monopulse angle estimation techniques fail to accurately determine the angle of arrival for wideband or spread spectrum signals when used with electronically scanned phased array antennas, as they assume frequency invariance, which is not valid for these signals.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for computing a frequency-invariant monopulse discriminant by stabilizing and compressing wideband spatial frequency data, allowing for accurate estimation of the target angle using a spatial frequency processor, signal stabilizer, frequency to range transformer, monopulse discriminant calculator, and target angle calculator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If phase comparison monopulse angle estimation is used with electronically scanned phased array antennas, then angle estimation capability is provided, but frequency invariance assumption fails for wideband signals causing inaccurate angle measurement
Solution Approach 1:
The wideband signal is divided into multiple frequency sub-bands, and the monopulse discriminant is calculated separately for each frequency component. This segmentation allows the system to handle frequency variations by processing each frequency independently, thereby maintaining measurement precision across the entire wideband spectrum rather than relying on a single frequency-invariant discriminant.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of the monopulse discriminant from a fixed frequency-invariant value to a frequency-dependent value that varies across different frequency components of the wideband signal. By allowing the discriminant parameter to adapt to different frequencies, the system achieves accurate angle estimation for wideband signals while maintaining compatibility with the phase comparison monopulse technique.
2Ease of manufacture
If the monopulse discriminant is assumed to be frequency invariant, then the algorithm is simple to implement, but this assumption is invalid for wideband signals leading to measurement errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a static, frequency-invariant monopulse discriminant to a dynamic discriminant that adapts to different frequency components of the wideband signal. This dynamic approach maintains reasonable implementation complexity while significantly improving angle measurement accuracy for wideband signals by allowing the discriminant to vary with frequency rather than remaining fixed.
3Quantity of substance
If wideband signals are processed using conventional monopulse techniques, then signal bandwidth utilization is improved, but angle estimation accuracy deteriorates due to frequency dependence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the wideband signal processing into multiple frequency-specific monopulse discriminant calculations. By dividing the wideband signal into frequency components and calculating the discriminant for each component separately, the system maintains high angle estimation accuracy while fully utilizing the available signal bandwidth, resolving the contradiction between bandwidth utilization and measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for estimating a target angle of a wideband signal received on an electronically steered antenna array includes: generating spatial frequency data from the received wideband signal; stabilizing the spatial frequency data to a beam steering direction; compressing the stabilized spatial frequency data to a plurality of frequency range bins; calculating a monopulse discriminant from the stabilized spatial frequency data; and calculating the target angle using the monopulse discriminant.