Distributed Transmitter Beamforming for Range Extension
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current transmitter devices are limited by their maximum transmit power, which restricts their communication range and requires high power consumption, leading to interference with other links and detectability concerns, especially in scenarios like weather events or rugged terrain, and military applications.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system of collaborating transmitter devices that use distributed beamforming to synchronously transmit contributing data signals, aligning them in phase to achieve coherent combination and extend the transmission range while reducing the required power, using channel state information and spatial spectral weights to optimize signal transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If a transmitter device increases its transmit power to extend transmission range, then the communication range is improved, but the power consumption increases and interference with other links worsens
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple transmitter devices are merged into a collaborative group that jointly transmits the same data signal. By combining the transmission capabilities of N transmitter devices, the system achieves extended transmission range equivalent to a single high-power transmitter, while each individual device operates at lower power levels, thus reducing overall power consumption and interference.
2Reliability
If a transmitter device increases its transmit power to close a communication link, then the communication link reliability is improved, but the detectability of the transmitter device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication task is segmented across multiple transmitter devices, each contributing a portion of the total transmission power. This segmentation allows the system to achieve the required signal strength for reliable communication while each individual transmitter operates at lower power, thereby reducing detectability and avoiding the harmful effect of high-power transmission.
3Length of stationary object
If a transmitter device increases its transmit power to transmit data over long distance, then the transmission range is extended, but the interference with other communication links worsens
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple low-power transmitter devices are combined to achieve the transmission range of a single high-power device. The collaborative transmission from N devices produces a composite signal that reaches distant receivers while each individual device transmits at lower power, thereby extending range without proportionally increasing interference to other communication links.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly extends the communication range and reduces power consumption, minimizing interference and detectability, allowing for reliable communication in challenging environments and tactical situations.
Implementation Method 1
the contributing data signals combine coherently at the receiver to form a single combined data signal
Data Source
AI summary
A method of transmitting distributed data over a channel includes distributing data from a data source to N number of collaborating transmitter devices operable to synchronously transmit N number of contributing data signals based on the data to a receiver over a channel. Channel state information of the channel between each transmitter device and the receiver is obtained. A spatial spectral weight (SSW) filter for each transmitter device based on the obtained channel state information is determined. The SSW filter associated with each transmitter device is applied to each contributing data signal transmitted from the associated transmitter device. The N number of contributing data signals filtered by the SSW filters are transmitted through the channel to the receiver, such that the contributing data signals are received at the receiver synchronously and in substantial phase alignment such that the contributing data signals coherently combine to form a coherently combined data signal.