High Frequency Imaging Receiver Digital Beam Forming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radiometric imaging systems face challenges in achieving high temperature resolution while maintaining a simple structure, often requiring lengthy integration times or costly parallel receiver setups to achieve sufficient sensitivity.
Innovation Solution
A receiving apparatus with multiple receiver channels, each comprising antenna elements that process high-frequency signals into baseband signals, which are then analog-to-digital converted, phase-shifted, and combined to form digital signals, enabling digital beam forming and reducing the need for wideband RF phase shifters, thus allowing for high sensitivity imaging with a simpler structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If integration time is increased to achieve sufficient temperature resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to slow scanning speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the imaging function into multiple parallel receiver channels, each capable of independently processing signals from different spatial locations. This segmentation allows simultaneous measurement of multiple pixels, achieving high temperature resolution through parallel integration while maintaining fast scanning speed through electronic beam steering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from mechanical scanning in one dimension to electronic beam steering in multiple dimensions using phased array technology. By controlling phase shifts across multiple antenna elements, the system can electronically steer the beam to different pixels without mechanical movement, achieving fast scanning while maintaining integration time for temperature resolution.
2Productivity
If parallel receivers are implemented to achieve reasonable scanning speed, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases due to costly structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a phased array antenna system where multiple antenna elements share common receiving components through electronic beam steering. Each antenna element can be directed to different pixels by adjusting phase shifts, allowing a single receiver channel to serve multiple spatial locations through time-division multiplexing, thereby reducing the total number of receivers needed while maintaining fast scanning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical scanning systems with electronic beam steering using phased array technology. Instead of physically moving antennas or receivers, the system uses electronic phase control to redirect the beam to different pixels, achieving fast scanning speed without the mechanical complexity and cost of moving parts.
3Device complexity
If mechanical scanning is used to achieve two-dimensional imaging, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity deteriorates due to slow scanning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical scanning with electronic beam steering using phased array technology. By controlling the phase of signals across multiple antenna elements, the system can electronically steer the beam to different pixels without mechanical movement, achieving fast imaging speed while maintaining relatively simple system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses electronic phase control across multiple antenna elements to achieve two-dimensional imaging without mechanical scanning. By varying phase shifts in different directions, the system can electronically sweep the beam across the entire field of view, achieving fast imaging while keeping the physical structure stationary and simple.
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 enables faster processing and higher temperature sensitivity with lower signal processing complexity, eliminating the need for extensive mechanical scanning and costly parallel receiver systems, while maintaining high resolution imaging capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
antenna elements adapted to receive high frequency signals; a receiving means to process the high frequency signals received by the antenna elements into baseband signals
Data Source
AI summary
A receiving apparatus, a receiving method, and an imaging apparatus and method, adapted to receive high frequency image signals. The apparatus includes two or more receiver channels, each receiver channel including an antenna pattern including plural antenna elements to receive high frequency image signals, a receiving mechanism to process the high frequency image signals received by the antenna elements into baseband signals, an analog-to-digital conversion mechanism to convert the baseband signals from the receiving mechanism into digital signals, a phase shifting mechanism to phase shift the digital signals, and a combining mechanism to combine the phase shifted digital signals from the receiver channels into combined signals.