Microwave Imaging Radar Fan-Beam Layout for Fast Spatial Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing microwave imaging radar sensors face challenges in providing fast and efficient imaging of their surrounding space with low analysis effort.
Innovation Solution
A microwave imaging radar sensor utilizing refractive beamformers with fan-shaped beams and dielectric lenses to achieve spatial selectivity and directivity, allowing for rapid image generation through discrete evaluation of transmit-receive channel pairs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional microwave imaging radar sensors are used, then imaging capability is provided, but analysis effort and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor divides the imaging task into discrete transmit-receive channel pairs, where each pair evaluates a specific region of space. This segmentation allows independent processing of channel pairs and enables parallel computation, reducing overall analysis effort while maintaining imaging capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor pre-establishes the geometric relationships between transmit and receive beams before actual imaging operation. By pre-defining beam patterns and their spatial intersections, the system eliminates the need for complex real-time calculations, significantly reducing processing complexity during image generation.
2Measurement precision
If uniform beam radiation is used, then simple antenna design is achieved, but spatial selectivity and imaging precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna system employs fan-shaped beams with non-uniform radiation patterns tailored to specific spatial regions. Each transmit and receive beam is designed with customized amplitude and phase distributions to optimize sensitivity in particular directions, enhancing spatial selectivity while maintaining manageable antenna design through standardized fan-beam generation techniques.
3Measurement precision
If isotropic energy distribution is used, then simple radiation pattern is achieved, but imaging resolution and contrast worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system concentrates electromagnetic energy into fan-shaped beams with specific angular distributions rather than isotropic radiation. This localized energy concentration improves imaging resolution by enhancing signal strength in target directions while reducing noise from other directions, achieving efficient energy utilization for high-resolution imaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The transition from isotropic (3D uniform) radiation to fan-shaped (2D concentrated) beams represents a dimensional reduction in energy distribution. This approach concentrates energy in specific angular planes, improving resolution and contrast by eliminating energy waste in irrelevant spatial dimensions.
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
Enables fast and easy analysis of the sensor's surroundings by correlating transmit and receive channels, enhancing spatial selectivity and reducing unwanted energy spread, thereby improving imaging efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The microwaves are refracted by the refractive beamformer, thereby generating transmit beams
Implementation Method 2
The dielectric member is configured to receive the beam output from the emerging area and to focus the beam in an elevation plane perpendicular to a planar face of the cylindrical electromagnetic lens
Data Source
AI summary
A microwave imaging radar sensor for creating an image of at least a part of its surrounding space includes at least one transmitter unit, a receiver unit and an evaluation unit having an output port to output an image connected to the transmitter and receiver units. The image has fields related to a pair of a transmit channel and a receive channel, where at least two transmit channels and at least two receive channels each correspond to a fan shaped beam having a first dimension (D1) which is significantly larger than and perpendicular to a second dimension (D2). The field is assigned to a radar result characteristic (RC) provided by the receive channel whose fan shaped receive beam overlaps with the fan shaped transmit beam of the transmit channel defining an overlap area. The transmit channel correlates with the transmitter unit, which comprises a refractive beamformer having a transmit reference plane to which the fan shaped transmit beams of the transmit channels are perpendicular with their first dimension (D1). The transmitter unit embodies transmit transition structures associated with the refractive beamformer at different transition positions, so that each transmit channel is related to at least one transmit transition structure. The receive channel correlates with the receiver unit that has a refractive beamformer having a receive reference plane to which the fan shaped receive beams of the receive channels are perpendicular with their first dimension (D1). The receiver unit includes receive transition structures associated with the refractive beamformer at different transition positions, so that each receive channel is related to at least one receive transition structure.