Radar Clock Delay Control for Azimuth Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pulse radar apparatuses face challenges in achieving high distance and azimuth resolution due to difficulties in finely adjusting the delay between transmission and reception clocks, and the large size and high power consumption associated with multiple receivers.
Innovation Solution
A radar apparatus with a controller generating a variable delay control signal to adjust the delay between transmission and reception clocks, using multiple receivers or transmitters to obtain target distance and azimuth angle information, while minimizing size and power consumption by employing a clock generator with delay elements, phase comparators, and amplifiers to process echo pulses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the delay between transmission clock and reception clock is not finely adjusted, then the radar apparatus structure remains simple, but distance resolution is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic delay adjustment by making the reception clock delay variable rather than fixed. The delay time is dynamically changed based on the round-trip time of the transmission pulse, allowing the reception clock to be precisely synchronized with the returning echo pulse at different distances. This dynamic adjustment mechanism resolves the contradiction by enabling fine delay control without requiring complex manual adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback control where the delay amount of the reception clock is determined based on the round-trip time of the transmission pulse. The system measures the time for the pulse to travel to the target and return, then uses this information to automatically adjust the reception clock delay. This feedback mechanism achieves high distance resolution while keeping the adjustment process automatic and the structure relatively simple.
2Measurement precision
If multiple receivers are used to obtain high azimuth resolution, then azimuth measurement precision improves, but device size and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the single receiver multi-functional by combining it with a variable delay mechanism. The same receiver can process echo pulses from different azimuth directions by dynamically adjusting the delay time based on the expected round-trip time for different targets. This multi-functionality allows one receiver to perform the work that would traditionally require multiple receivers, thus reducing device size while maintaining azimuth resolution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the delay parameter of the reception clock dynamically to achieve azimuth discrimination. By adjusting the delay time according to the round-trip time of pulses reflected from targets at different azimuths, the system can distinguish between targets in different directions using a single receiver. This parameter change approach replaces the need for multiple physical receivers with a temporal parameter adjustment strategy.
3Measurement precision
If multiple receivers are deployed for high azimuth resolution, then azimuth measurement capability improves, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The single receiver is made to serve multiple azimuth detection functions through dynamic delay adjustment. Instead of having multiple receivers simultaneously consuming power, one receiver dynamically adapts its operation by changing the delay parameter to detect echoes from different azimuth directions sequentially. This eliminates the need for multiple power-consuming receiver units while maintaining the capability to measure azimuth with high resolution.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic adjustment of the reception clock delay to scan through different azimuth ranges. By periodically changing the delay parameter in synchronization with the pulse repetition cycle, the single receiver can systematically detect targets at different azimuths over time. This periodic action allows one receiver to replace multiple receivers, significantly reducing power consumption while maintaining azimuth resolution capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a radar apparatus. The radar apparatus includes a controller configured to generate a variable delay control signal whose value varies with time, a clock generator configured to generate a transmission clock and a reception clock delayed by a delay time varying according to the variable delay control signal than the transmission clock, a transmitter configured to emit a transmission pulse through a transmission antenna based on the transmission clock, a first receiver configured to receive a first echo pulse that the transmission pulse is reflected from a target through a first reception antenna and configured to generate a first recovery signal corresponding to the first echo pulse based on the reception clock, and a second receiver configured to receive a second echo pulse that is the transmission pulse reflected from the target through a second reception antenna and configured to generate a second recovery signal corresponding to the second echo pulse based on the reception clock. The controller is configured to obtain a distance of the target based on at least one of a first delay time between the transmission clock and the reception clock corresponding to the first recovery signal and a second delay time between the transmission clock and the reception clock corresponding to the second recovery signal.