Interleaved MIMO Radar Antenna Virtual Aperture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Typical automotive MIMO radar systems have limited virtual aperture size and angular resolution due to the spatial arrangement of transmit and receive antennas, which restricts their sensing and imaging capabilities.
Innovation Solution
The arrangement of transceiver circuits and antennas is modified by interleaving transmit and receive antennas of different transceiver circuits within a common area, increasing the physical distance between antennas without expanding the overall assembly size, thereby enhancing angular resolution and reducing target detection ambiguities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If transmit and receive antennas are arranged side by side in separate areas for each transceiver circuit, then the system structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the virtual aperture size is limited and angular resolution is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges transmit and receive antennas from different transceiver circuits into a common area, creating an interleaved arrangement where antennas of different transceivers are spatially combined. This merging increases the virtual aperture span without requiring separate dedicated areas for each transceiver, thereby improving angular resolution while managing structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes spatial dimensionality by arranging antennas in an interleaved pattern within the common area, effectively using the spatial distribution of antennas across different transceiver circuits to extend the virtual aperture. This dimensional arrangement allows the system to achieve larger angular resolution without proportionally increasing the physical footprint of each individual transceiver assembly.
2Measurement precision
If the physical distance between antennas is increased to improve angular resolution, then the sensing capability is enhanced, but the overall area of the transceiver assembly must be increased
Solution Approach 1:
By merging antennas from multiple transceiver circuits into a shared common area, the patent achieves a larger effective virtual aperture span without each individual transceiver needing to occupy more space. The interleaved arrangement allows antennas to be distributed across the common area, increasing the maximum span between furthest antennas while keeping each transceiver's local footprint compact.
3Ease of manufacture
If transmit and receive antennas are grouped together in separate areas for each transceiver circuit, then the system is easy to manufacture and maintain, but the virtual aperture span is limited by the available space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines antennas from different transceiver circuits into a common spatial area with an interleaved arrangement, enabling the virtual aperture span to extend beyond what would be possible with strictly separate groupings. This merging approach maintains manufacturability by using standardized transceiver components while achieving extended aperture through clever spatial distribution.
Data Source
AI summary
A MIMO radar transceiver assembly includes a plurality of transceiver circuit regions and a plurality of antennas. The plurality of antennas include a first transmit antenna coupled to a first transceiver circuit region among the plurality of transceiver circuit regions, a first receive antenna coupled to the first transceiver circuit region, a second transmit antenna coupled to a second transceiver circuit region among the plurality of transceiver circuit regions, and a second receive antenna coupled to the second transceiver circuit region. At least one of the second transmit antenna and the second receive antenna is interleaved between the first transmit antenna and the first receive antenna. Interleaving of the antennas can increase virtual aperture and angular resolution of the radar system without increasing physical dimensions of the transceiver assembly.