Beamspace Equalization Using Internal Test Targets for RF Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beamforming systems in RF systems, such as radar and wireless telecommunications, face inaccuracies in target tracking due to signal mismatches across receiving elements, leading to complex and resource-intensive element-level equalization processes.
Innovation Solution
Implementing beamspace equalization that reduces processing resources by applying equalization weights to beams rather than individual elements, utilizing internal spatially diverse test targets for calibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If element-level equalization is performed to correct signal mismatches across receiving elements, then target tracking accuracy is improved, but computational complexity and processing resources increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the equalization operation from the element level to the beamspace level. Instead of applying equalization weights to individual receiving elements, the system applies equalization weights to the formed beams after beamforming. This combining of operations at a higher level (beamspace) rather than lower level (element level) significantly reduces the number of computational operations required while maintaining the correction of signal mismatches, thus improving target tracking accuracy without proportionally increasing computational complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions the equalization process from the spatial dimension of individual elements to the beamspace dimension. By forming beams from multiple elements and then applying equalization in the beamspace domain, the system changes the dimensional perspective of the equalization operation. This dimensional transformation allows the same equalization function to be achieved with fewer computational resources, as the beamspace representation consolidates information from multiple elements into a reduced set of beam channels
2Measurement precision
If element-level equalization is applied to compensate for signal mismatches, then target tracking accuracy improves, but the number of DSP slices and processing resources required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple element-level equalization operations into a single beamspace equalization operation. By forming beams from multiple receiving elements and then applying equalization weights in the beamspace domain, the system consolidates what would otherwise be multiple separate element-level operations into a reduced set of beam-level operations. This merging directly reduces the quantity of DSP slices required, as fewer independent equalization channels are needed in the beamspace domain compared to the element domain
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves the equalization operation from the element dimension to the beamspace dimension, fundamentally changing the dimensional space in which equalization is performed. This dimensional shift reduces the effective number of independent equalization channels from the number of elements to the number of beams, thereby reducing the quantity of DSP slices required while maintaining equalization effectiveness for target tracking
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a receiver. The receiver includes a plurality of receive channels, and each of the receive channels is configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal. The apparatus also includes at least one processing device configured to perform pulse compression on a plurality of RF signals received via the plurality of receive channels and generate pulse-compressed RF signals. The at least one processing device is also configured to perform Doppler filtering on the pulse-compressed RF signals and generate Doppler-filtered RF signals, convert the Doppler-filtered RF signals into a plurality of beams using beamforming, and apply an equalization weight from a plurality of equalization weights to each beam of the plurality of beams.