Oblique Radar Antenna Array for 3D Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radar devices require a large number of antennas to achieve reliable three-dimensional imaging, which is inefficient and costly, especially for applications like automotive electronic assistance systems where reduced antenna count is necessary for effective object detection and differentiation.
Innovation Solution
A radar device configuration using a transmit antenna array and a receive antenna array with phase centers aligned on non-parallel straight lines, employing a Golomb ruler arrangement to minimize redundancy, allowing for effective three-dimensional imaging with a reduced number of antennas, and incorporating dummy antennas for beam shaping and increased gain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a large number of antennas are used in uniform rectangular arrays, then good three-dimensional imaging results are achieved, but the number of antennas becomes excessively large and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional uniform rectangular array to a three-dimensional configuration by arranging transmit and receive antennas at different heights and positions in space. This spatial dimensionality change enables the system to achieve equivalent or superior imaging performance with fewer total antennas by exploiting the additional degree of freedom in the vertical dimension.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna array is segmented into separate transmit and receive sub-arrays with distinct spatial configurations. The transmit antennas are arranged according to one pattern while receive antennas follow a different pattern, allowing each sub-array to be optimized independently for its specific function while contributing to the overall three-dimensional imaging capability.
2Productivity
If multiple transmit and receive antennas are used according to MIMO principles, then the capacity is multiplied, but the system complexity and number of antennas increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the spatial parameters (positions, heights, orientations) of the transmit and receive antennas to create a configuration that maximizes the information content of the received signals. By carefully selecting the geometric parameters of the antenna locations, the system achieves high imaging capacity without requiring a proportional increase in the number of antennas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces vertical separation between transmit and receive antennas, creating a three-dimensional MIMO configuration rather than a planar arrangement. This additional spatial dimension increases the diversity of signal paths and improves imaging capacity while allowing for a more efficient use of the total antenna count.
Data Source
AI summary
Radar device comprising a transmit antenna array comprising a plurality of transmit antennas each having a phase center; and a receive antenna array comprising a plurality of receive antennas each having a phase center, the transmit antennas being arranged such that their phase centers lie on a first straight line, and the receive antennas being arranged such that their phase centers lie on a second straight line; wherein the transmit antenna array and the receive antenna array are positioned relative to each other such that the first straight line and the second straight line extend in an oblique angle relative to each other.