Distributed Beamforming Antenna Array for Simultaneous Surveying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital beamforming systems face challenges in supporting simultaneous beamforming and surveying modes due to the high data processing requirements, particularly when dealing with large numbers of antenna elements, as the data generated exceeds the bandwidth of communication interfaces, leading to real-time processing limitations and information loss in distributed beamforming architectures.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a receiving device with an antenna array, analog-to-digital converters, sample buffers, and distributed beamformers that preserve and manage digital sample streams, allowing for simultaneous beamforming and surveying operations by using a daisy-chain or corporate-feed configuration to process and transmit data in an interleaved fashion, reducing data transmission and enabling real-time processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If digital beamforming systems process all digital sample streams from large numbers of antenna elements, then beamforming performance is improved, but data transmission bandwidth requirements exceed available interface capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the antenna array into multiple subarrays, with each subarray processed by a separate beamformer. This segmentation reduces the data volume that must be transmitted over each interface while maintaining overall beamforming performance through coordinated processing of multiple subarrays.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and transmits only the essential beamformed signal components rather than all raw digital sample streams. By processing data locally at distributed beamformers and transmitting only the resulting beam signals, the system reduces interface bandwidth requirements while preserving beamforming capability.
2Power
If distributed beamforming architectures transmit all digital sample streams to central processors, then processing capability is improved, but real-time processing becomes infeasible due to bandwidth limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent distributes processing across multiple independent beamformers, each handling a subset of antenna elements. This segmentation enables parallel processing that maintains real-time performance while preserving overall system processing capability through distributed architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from centralized processing to a distributed spatial architecture where processing occurs across multiple parallel paths. This dimensional change from single-point to multi-point processing enables real-time operation by distributing the processing load across spatially separated beamformers.
3Ease of operation
If beamformers combine digital sample streams to generate beam signals, then beamforming functionality is achieved, but information is lost making surveying operations impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the distributed beamformer architecture to serve multiple functions simultaneously - it performs beamforming operations while also preserving the necessary signal information for surveying. Each beamformer processes signals to enable both directional beam formation and spectral/spatial analysis capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary beamforming processing at distributed beamformers before central processing, preserving essential signal characteristics. By maintaining the beamformed signal structure with intact spatial and spectral information, the system enables subsequent surveying operations without requiring access to the original raw digital sample streams.
4Adaptability or versatility
If systems support simultaneous beamforming and surveying modes, then operational versatility is improved, but data processing complexity increases beyond manageable levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the complex task of simultaneous beamforming and surveying into separate functional segments handled by different components. Distributed beamformers handle beamforming operations while preserving signal information, and central processors handle surveying analysis, reducing overall system complexity through functional segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary signal processing and information preservation at the distributed beamformers before central processing. By pre-processing signals to maintain essential characteristics while reducing data volume, the system enables versatile simultaneous operations without overwhelming the central processing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus as described herein may include an antenna array that receives radio frequency signals and outputs analog signals. The apparatus may also include analog to digital signal converters that convert the analog signals into digital sample streams. Also, the apparatus may include a sample buffer that buffers subsets of the digital sample streams and a beamformer that uses the digital sample streams to generate one or more beam signals. Additionally, the apparatus may include a processor that determines a spatial characteristic or a spectral characteristic for the radio frequency signals based on the subsets of the digital sample streams.