Interleaved Beam Coherent Radar Doppler Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern electronically-steered pulse-Doppler radar systems face limitations in Doppler resolution due to short coherent integration times, which restrict their ability to detect targets effectively, especially at close ranges, and existing techniques require increased timeline or energy loss to enhance resolution.
Innovation Solution
The method involves interleaved coherent beam pointing and Doppler processing, allowing simultaneous transmission and processing of multiple beams in spatially diverse directions, increasing coherent integration time without extending the radar timeline, thereby enhancing Doppler resolution and unambiguous Doppler coverage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional pulse-Doppler radar uses simple processing with consecutive pulses at common angle location, then device complexity is reduced, but Doppler resolution is insufficient for effective target detection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the radar processing into multiple independent beam channels, each processing pulses at different angle locations. This segmentation allows parallel Doppler processing across multiple beams, achieving higher overall Doppler resolution without requiring a single complex processing system. Each beam channel operates independently with standard processing, and results are combined to provide enhanced resolution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension by processing multiple beams simultaneously at different angle locations. Instead of sequentially processing pulses at one location, the system processes pulses across multiple spatial directions in parallel, adding a spatial dimension to the Doppler processing and thereby increasing resolution without proportionally increasing processing complexity.
2Measurement precision
If radar uses long coherent integration time to enhance Doppler resolution, then Doppler resolution is improved, but radar timeline is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the coherent integration time across multiple beam channels, allowing simultaneous processing of pulses at different angles. This segmentation enables the system to achieve the desired Doppler resolution by processing multiple beams in parallel rather than sequentially, thereby reducing the total radar timeline while maintaining resolution performance.
Solution Approach 2:
By adding the spatial dimension of multiple beam locations, the patent enables parallel processing that reduces time requirements. The system achieves enhanced Doppler resolution not by extending the integration time in one beam, but by distributing the integration across multiple spatial dimensions simultaneously, thereby shortening the overall radar timeline.
3Productivity
If radar transmits pulses at high rate to reduce timeline, then productivity is improved, but unambiguous Doppler coverage is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the Doppler coverage across multiple beam channels, each contributing to the overall unambiguous Doppler measurement. By processing multiple beams simultaneously, the system maintains high productivity while distributing the Doppler measurement burden, allowing each beam to operate at optimized rates that collectively provide comprehensive coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a spatial dimension to Doppler coverage by measuring Doppler information across multiple angle locations simultaneously. This dimensional expansion allows the system to maintain high update rates while achieving comprehensive unambiguous Doppler coverage through the combined information from multiple beams, rather than being limited by a single beam's Doppler range.
4Measurement precision
If radar uses short pulse width to improve range resolution, then range resolution is improved, but coherent integration time is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the coherent integration time across multiple beam channels, allowing short pulses to be processed in parallel. This segmentation enables the system to use short pulse widths for improved range resolution while compensating for the reduced integration time by processing multiple beams simultaneously, thereby maintaining overall detection performance.
Solution Approach 2:
By introducing the spatial dimension of multiple beam locations, the patent enables the system to use short pulses without sacrificing coherent integration time. The parallel processing across multiple beams effectively extends the integration opportunity, allowing short pulse widths to provide improved range resolution while the collective processing time across beams maintains adequate integration for Doppler analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for interleaved pulsed-Doppler processing. Radar energy management and associated processing techniques take advantage of spatial degrees of freedom available on modern, short range, wide angle, volume search ESA radar systems. The method creates an advantage in Doppler resolution when compared to currently utilized Doppler processing techniques. An Electronically Scanned Array (ESA) radar system includes one or more processors that may be programmed to read and execute instructional commands including transmit a plurality of synchronized, coherent pulsed transmit beams having substantially repeatable gain and phase pattern characteristics; electronically steer the plurality of transmit beams in a respective, sequential plurality of spatially diverse directions in a temporally-interleaved manner; sequentially collect a respective plurality of receive beams in a respective plurality of time vs. range buffers; determine a range-Doppler output at a selected, common receive position in each of the plurality of buffers.