Phased Antenna Arrays for Low-Power Angular Velocity Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional radar systems are too bulky, inefficient, and insensitive to detect small objects or surfaces, such as human fingers, and are not suitable for wearable devices or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) due to high power consumption and data bandwidth requirements.
Innovation Solution
A compact radar antenna array system using phased arrays to measure the angle of departure and arrival of objects, employing Hadamard matrices and singular-value decomposition to improve signal-to-noise ratio and enable efficient detection of small objects with low power consumption, suitable for wearable devices and UAVs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional radar systems are used to detect objects, then detection capability is provided, but the systems are too bulky and consume high power
Solution Approach 1:
The radar system is segmented into multiple antenna elements arranged in arrays, where each element contributes to the overall detection capability. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high detection performance while keeping individual elements small and power-efficient, resolving the contradiction between reliable detection and low power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical rotating antennas with electronically controlled antenna arrays. By using electronic beamforming and signal processing instead of mechanical movement, the system achieves comparable or superior detection capability with significantly reduced power consumption and no moving parts, directly addressing the power efficiency issue.
2Reliability
If traditional radar systems are used to detect objects, then detection capability is provided, but the systems are inefficient and too bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The radar system is divided into multiple small antenna elements that can be arranged in compact arrays. This segmentation enables the system to achieve high detection capability through cooperative signal processing while maintaining a compact overall form factor, resolving the contradiction between detection reliability and device size.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna arrays are designed to perform multiple functions including transmission, reception, and beamforming using the same physical structures. This multi-functionality reduces the overall system complexity and size by eliminating the need for separate mechanical scanning components, thereby achieving reliable detection in a compact form.
3Measurement precision
If traditional radar systems are used to detect small objects, then detection capability is provided, but the systems are insensitive to small objects
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple antenna elements to create an array that provides spatial diversity and enhanced signal processing capabilities. This segmentation allows the system to detect small objects with high sensitivity by combining signals from multiple elements, achieving high measurement precision without requiring a single overly complex antenna structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs sophisticated signal processing and feedback mechanisms to enhance detection sensitivity for small objects. By continuously processing and refining signals from the antenna array, the system can detect subtle reflections from small objects, achieving high measurement precision through iterative signal enhancement rather than through complex hardware alone.
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
The system reliably detects objects smaller than 0.5cm with high resolution, consuming less than 250mW of power, making it suitable for wearable devices and UAVs, and provides efficient position and angular velocity measurements.
Implementation Method 1
measuring a set of channel responses between the antenna array and a nearest point of the object... determining a directional vector to or from the object based on the measured channel responses
Implementation Method 2
JP04147079 describes a system to calculate the velocity of a target moving in a parallel direction of a radar by calculating phase differences and rate of time change between elements on an antenna array
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 2D~2E
AI summary
Various techniques are provided to efficiently detect the position and angular velocity of an object relative to a compact radar system including a transmitter antenna array and a receiver antenna array. In one example, a method includes repeatedly scanning a transmitter antenna array and a receiver antenna array of an object sensing system through a plurality of designated transmitter and receiver channels over a period of time to generate a time series of measured channel responses corresponding to each one of the designated channels, determining a time series of directional vectors to or from an object scanned by at least one of the designated channels, and/or a corresponding time series of average phase differences, based, at least in part, on the time series of measured channel responses, and determining an angular velocity of the object from the time series of directional vectors and/or the corresponding time series of average phase differences.