Hybrid Scanning Radar Assembly for Compact Ku-Band Beam Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radar systems face challenges in achieving compact, high-efficiency designs, particularly at higher frequency bands like Ku-band, due to increased heat density and spatial constraints, which affect angular accuracy and cost.
Innovation Solution
The radar assembly incorporates a hybrid scanning architecture with separate transmit and receive antennas, utilizing active and passive beam-steering circuits, and passive cooling to manage heat dissipation, allowing for efficient beam-steering in two dimensions while reducing complexity and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If higher frequency bands (Ku-band) are used to improve target detection performance, then detection capability is improved, but heat density increases and spatial constraints worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The radar assembly is divided into separate transmit and receive antenna sub-assemblies, each with dedicated beam-steering circuits. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each subsystem's thermal management and spatial arrangement, reducing overall heat density in any single location while maintaining high-frequency operation for improved target detection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs two-dimensional beam-steering capability (azimuth and elevation) through orthogonal phase-shifting mechanisms. This dimensional approach allows the radar to achieve superior target detection performance by scanning three-dimensional space without increasing the physical footprint, thereby addressing spatial constraints while operating at higher frequencies
2Volume of moving object
If compact design is implemented to reduce spatial constraints, then device size is reduced, but angular accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical beam-steering mechanisms with electronic phase-shifting circuits (both active and passive). This substitution eliminates the need for large mechanical structures, enabling a compact radar assembly design while maintaining precise angular control through electronic phase manipulation, thus preserving angular accuracy in a small form factor
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes phase-shifting parameters to control beam direction in both azimuth and elevation. By changing phase parameters electronically rather than mechanically, the system achieves high angular accuracy within a compact volume, as phase shifts can be precisely controlled without physical movement
3Productivity
If active beam-steering circuits are used to improve scanning capability, then beam-steering performance is improved, but heat generation and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines active and passive beam-steering circuits in a hybrid architecture. The active circuits provide primary beam-steering control while passive circuits assist in signal routing and phase adjustment. This merging allows the system to achieve comprehensive scanning capability while distributing complexity across different functional blocks, managing overall system complexity
4Device complexity
If passive cooling is implemented to reduce heat dissipation requirements, then device complexity is reduced, but thermal management capability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the active cooling subsystem from the radar assembly, relying solely on passive cooling mechanisms. By removing active cooling components (pumps, fans, control systems), the design reduces device complexity while using natural convection and radiation for heat dissipation. This is made possible by the segmented architecture that distributes heat sources and improves natural thermal management
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 maximized target detection and tracking performance while maintaining reasonable cost, by optimizing scanning methods, cooling strategies, and digital processing architecture, thus overcoming the spatial and thermal challenges at higher frequencies.
Implementation Method 1
the first means or the second means may be a phase-shifted means of control, which may correspond to active beam-steering (e.g., using integrated circuitry, such as phase shifters or transmit/receive modules)
Implementation Method 2
passive cooling to manage heat dissipation
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an array antenna divided into a plurality of sub-arrays disposed along a first dimension, wherein each sub-array comprises: a plurality of frequency scannable elements disposed along the first dimension and a plurality of phase shifters or transmit/receive (T/R) modules disposed along a second spatial dimension, each phase shifter or T/R module connected to a plurality of frequency scannable elements disposed along the first spatial dimension; and one or more processors being configured to generate a recurring radar waveform having a transmit portion, the transmit portion having multiple successive pulses at different frequencies to generate transmit beams by the array antenna at different angles in the first dimension; control at least one of the plurality of phase shifters or T/R modules along the second dimension to cause the transmit beams to be generated by the array antenna at different angles in the second dimension; and process return signals received by the plurality of sub-arrays to estimate a target location.