Multi-Gain Current Signal Path Selection for Accurate AD Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laser radar devices face measurement accuracy deterioration due to signal saturation when handling light reception signals with wide intensity ranges, as conventional techniques relying on feedback control are ineffective for varying signal intensities.
Innovation Solution
A signal processing device that generates multiple branch signals with different gains from the input current signal, determines which paths have signal magnitudes within a preset range, and selects the path with the highest gain for optimal AD conversion without feedback control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single gain path is used for AD conversion, then the device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates when signal intensity varies widely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the signal processing path into multiple parallel channels, each with different gain settings (first gain, second gain, third gain). The input signal is segmented into multiple versions with different amplification levels, allowing the system to handle a wide dynamic range of signal intensities without saturation. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by maintaining measurement precision across varying signal intensities while keeping each individual processing path relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic gain selection by using a selection section that automatically chooses the appropriate gain path based on the input signal intensity. The determination section evaluates which gain path produces a signal within the optimal range for the AD converter, and the selection section dynamically switches between different gain paths accordingly. This dynamic adaptation maintains high measurement precision across varying signal conditions without requiring a permanently complex multi-path structure to be active simultaneously.
2Measurement precision
If feedback control is implemented to optimize gain, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity and data handling increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring multiple gain paths with different amplification factors before the signal reaches the AD converter. Instead of using feedback control to adjust gain dynamically, the system prepares multiple static gain options in advance, and the selection section chooses the appropriate pre-configured path based on signal intensity detection. This eliminates the need for complex feedback control mechanisms while achieving similar precision optimization goals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary selection section that acts as a mediator between the multiple gain paths and the AD converter. This selection section receives the input signal, determines the appropriate gain level through the determination section, and routes the signal through the suitable gain path before AD conversion. This intermediary structure simplifies the control system by replacing complex feedback loops with a straightforward selection mechanism that achieves precision optimization without the overhead of continuous feedback control.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple branch signals with different gains are processed simultaneously, then adaptability to varying signal intensities improves, but loss of time and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the signal processing into parallel independent paths, each handling a specific gain level. By processing multiple gain versions simultaneously in parallel rather than sequentially, the system achieves high adaptability to varying signal intensities without incurring sequential processing delays. The parallel architecture ensures that all gain paths are ready simultaneously, and the selection section can immediately route the appropriate signal without waiting for other paths to complete processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-amplifying the input signal through multiple fixed gain paths before the selection decision is made. The gain multiplication is performed in advance for all paths simultaneously, and only the selection and routing operations occur after the signal intensity is assessed. This preliminary processing of all gain versions in parallel minimizes processing time while maintaining full adaptability to different signal intensities.
Data Source
AI summary
In a signal processing device, a branch section generates, from an input signal which is a current signal, a plurality of branch signals that are proportional to the input signal and have different signal intensities, and supplies the plurality of branch signals to respective different individual paths. A selection section selects one of the plurality of individual paths and outputs a signal supplied through the selected individual path. A determination section determines whether in each of the plurality of individual paths, a magnitude of a signal supplied to the selection section is in a preset allowable range. A control section causes the selection section to select the individual path having a highest gain among the individual paths in which the magnitude of the signal is determined by the determination section to be in the allowable range.