Cooperative Radar Grouping for Wider Sensing Coverage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless communications systems face challenges in improving signal transmission and reception in complex and dynamic environments, including signal attenuation, limited device cooperation for radar sensing, and coverage holes due to limited radar signal resources and computational overhead.

Innovation Solution

Adaptive grouping of cooperating radar sensing devices to allocate time, frequency, and spatial radio resources, enabling joint radar sensing over a wider area by coordinating beam and resource management among devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If multiple radar devices are deployed to improve sensing coverage and accuracy, then the sensing capability is improved, but the system complexity and resource consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensing accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple radar devices are merged into a cooperative network where they share target data and coordinate their sensing operations. The radar devices combine their individual detection capabilities to achieve improved target detection accuracy and coverage while managing system complexity through centralized or distributed coordination mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Each radar device in the network is designed to perform multiple functions including target detection, data sharing, and collaborative sensing. The system enables radar devices to adaptively switch between individual operation mode and cooperative operation mode, providing universal functionality that reduces overall system complexity.

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

2Ease of operation

If multiple radar devices operate independently, then each device can function autonomously, but target detection accuracy and coverage are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautonomous operationVSAvoidtarget detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The radar network implements dynamic operation modes where each radar device can independently operate in autonomous mode or switch to cooperative mode based on target detection requirements. The system adaptively adjusts the level of coordination and data sharing among radar devices, enabling both autonomous operation capability and improved collaborative detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Radar devices exchange target detection data and feedback information with each other in the network. This feedback mechanism enables radar devices to improve their target detection accuracy by incorporating information from other devices while maintaining the option to operate autonomously when cooperative feedback is not required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If radar devices share all target data continuously, then detection accuracy improves, but communication overhead and processing load increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidcommunication overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The radar network implements selective data sharing where each radar device shares target data locally with nearby devices rather than continuously broadcasting to all devices in the network. This local quality approach reduces communication overhead and processing load while maintaining detection accuracy by ensuring relevant devices receive necessary target information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Productivity

If a centralized coordination system is used to manage radar devices, then resource allocation improves, but system vulnerability to failures increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource allocation efficiencyVSAvoidsystem reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The coordination system is segmented into distributed coordination nodes rather than a single centralized controller. Each radar device or group of devices can independently perform coordination functions, dividing the centralization function into smaller autonomous units. This segmentation improves system reliability by eliminating single points of failure while maintaining efficient resource allocation through distributed decision-making.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4508464B1Adaptive grouping for cooperative radar sensing
Publication Date: 2026.04.29 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP4508464B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4508464B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4508464B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for adaptive grouping for cooperative radar sensing. A method for wireless communications by a first network entity includes receiving, from a second network entity, first grouping information comprising an indication of a first plurality of network entities, the first grouping information associated with a first time-period; receiving, from the second network entity, second grouping information comprising an indication of a second plurality of network entities, the second grouping information associated with a second time-period; receiving a first radar signal during the first time-period; receiving a second radar signal during the second time-period; transmitting, to the second network entity, first sensing information based on the first radar signal; and transmitting, to the second network entity, second sensing information based on the second radar signal.