Multistatic Radar Communication With Wireless Timing Synchronization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Multistatic radar systems face challenges in synchronizing the transmission of pulses by transmit devices with the reception of echoes by receive devices and exchanging radar measurement information between spatially diverse devices without wired communication.

Innovation Solution

Implementing multistatic radar communications using wireless communication techniques defined by the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, where a transmitting device synchronizes receive clocks of receiving devices with a transmit clock using codeword sequences and timing information, and radar pulses are transmitted directionally to detect echoes, with feedback provided via packet formats conforming to IEEE 802.11 standards.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If multistatic radar systems use multiple spatially diverse devices without wired communication, then spatial diversity and target location accuracy are improved, but synchronization complexity and device coordination difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetarget location accuracyVSAvoidsynchronization complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A master device acts as an intermediary to coordinate timing between spatially diverse radar devices. The master device generates timing information and distributes it to slave devices, enabling synchronized operation without wired communication. This mediator approach resolves the synchronization complexity while maintaining spatial diversity for accurate target location.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Slave devices provide feedback to the master device regarding their received signal measurements and timing information. This feedback mechanism allows the master device to adjust timing parameters and maintain synchronization across the distributed radar system, resolving the coordination difficulty while preserving measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If multistatic radar systems use separate clocks for pulse transmission and echo detection, then device independence and spatial diversity are improved, but timing synchronization accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice independenceVSAvoidtiming synchronization accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The master device performs preliminary action by generating and distributing timing information to slave devices before radar pulse transmission begins. This advance timing distribution enables slave devices to synchronize their echo detection with the master device's pulse transmission, maintaining both device independence and timing synchronization accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical connection (wired communication) with an electromagnetic field-based solution (wireless timing information exchange). Slave devices receive timing information wirelessly from the master device, maintaining device independence while achieving synchronization accuracy through electromagnetic signal coordination rather than physical connection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Area of stationary object

If radar pulses are transmitted in various directions by transmit devices, then coverage area and target detection capability are improved, but signal synchronization and echo attribution difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoverage areaVSAvoidecho attribution difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

Slave devices provide feedback to the master device about received signal measurements, including signal strength, timing, and directional information. The master device uses this feedback to attribute echoes to specific transmitted pulses and directions, resolving the echo attribution difficulty while maintaining wide coverage area through multi-directional transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

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 multistatic radar functionality in existing wireless communication systems, allowing accurate ranging and Doppler shift measurements while adhering to link access rules, thus enhancing target location and object detection capabilities.

Implementation Method 1

the transmitting device transmits a respective codeword of the codeword sequence, using beamforming, in the direction of each of the one or more receiving devices; the transmitting device transmits the one or more pulses, using beamforming, in a plurality of directions

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBeamforming:

Implementation Method 2

The radar system may determine the distances of the objects or surfaces based on a round trip time between the transmission of a pulse to the reception of an echo of that pulse

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTime of flight: Time of Flight

Implementation Method 3

Some of the pulses reflect off objects or surfaces along the transmission path, producing 'echoes.'

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentEP4150374B1System for multistatic radar communication
Publication Date: 2025.11.05 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP4150374B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4150374B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4150374B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for multistatic radar communications. In one aspect, a wireless communication device may determine a distance and direction of one or more receiving devices. The wireless communication device may transmit, to the one or more receiving devices, timing information indicating a timing relationship between a codeword sequence and one or more pulses. The wireless communication device may transmit a respective codeword of the codeword sequence in the direction of each of the one or more receiving devices. The wireless communication device may further transmit the one or more pulses in a plurality of directions. The wireless communication device may receive feedback from at least one of the one or more receiving devices and determine ranging information about an object based on the feedback and the distance or direction of at least one receiving device.