Radar Antenna Switching for Angle Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional FMCW radar systems for Angle of Arrival estimation require multiple receiving paths, leading to increased power consumption, larger chip size, and the need for complex phase correction.
Innovation Solution
A radar apparatus and transceiving method that uses a dual transmitting antenna and dual receiving antenna configuration, employing time-division transmission-reception combinations to achieve the effect of a single virtual transmitting antenna and multiple virtual receiving antennas, thereby reducing power consumption and chip size while minimizing phase errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple receiving paths are used for Angle of Arrival estimation, then the accuracy of angle estimation is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple receiving paths into a single receiving path by using a switching mechanism that sequentially connects different transmitting antennas to the same receiver. This merging approach maintains the ability to perform angle estimation by comparing signals from different antennas while reducing the number of active receivers, thereby lowering power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic switching between different transmitting antennas connected to a single receiver. By sequentially activating different antenna-transmitter combinations in periodic intervals, the system can gather phase information from multiple spatial positions while keeping the receiver active only during necessary time slots, thus reducing overall power consumption compared to having multiple continuously active receivers.
2Measurement precision
If multiple receiving paths are used for Angle of Arrival estimation, then the accuracy of angle estimation is improved, but chip size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple receiving functions into a single receiver unit that sequentially processes signals from different transmitting antennas. This consolidation eliminates the need for multiple parallel receiver chains, significantly reducing the chip area required while preserving the capability to perform angle estimation through time-division multiplexing of the single receiver.
Solution Approach 2:
By using periodic switching to activate different transmitting antenna connections to the single receiver, the patent enables the system to achieve multi-path signal processing capabilities without requiring multiple simultaneous receiver units. This temporal multiplexing approach reduces the spatial footprint on the chip while maintaining angle estimation functionality.
3Measurement precision
If multiple receiving paths are used for Angle of Arrival estimation, then the accuracy of angle estimation is improved, but phase correction complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines phase correction functionality into a centralized processing unit that handles signals from the single receiver sequentially. By merging what would otherwise require multiple independent phase correction circuits into one shared resource that operates in time-division mode, the system reduces the overall complexity of phase correction while maintaining the ability to correct phases for multiple antenna paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The periodic switching mechanism allows a single phase correction unit to service multiple transmitting antenna connections sequentially. By activating different antenna-receiver connections in periodic intervals, the same phase correction circuit can be reused for different signal paths at different times, significantly reducing the total number of phase correction components needed and simplifying the overall system architecture.
Data Source
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AI summary
A transceiving method of signals and a radar apparatus are provided. The radar apparatus includes a transmitting circuit, multiple transmitting antennas, multiple receiving antennas, a receiving circuit, a selection controller and a selection circuit. The transmitting circuit generates a transmission signal based on the detection signal. The receiving antenna receives multiple reflected signals. The selection controller generates a control signal based on the period of the detection signal. The selection circuit selects one of multiple transmitting antennas to transmit the transmission signal and selects one of multiple receiving antennas to receive the reflected signal to generate a radio frequency signal based on the control signal. Within one frame time, multiple transmission-reception combinations executed based on control signals at different times correspond to multiple time-division reflected signals, and the phase differences between at least two sets of two adjacent time-division reflected signals in time sequence are equal.