Active Homing Radar Duty Ratio Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Active homing radar devices face challenges in handling both head and tail aspect targets without degrading detection and tracking performance, leading to increased size and performance constraints due to longer radar-wave transmission times and heat generation.

Innovation Solution

An active homing radar device that uses coherent integration processing to observe clutter levels and control transmission duty ratios, ensuring the clutter level is equal to or closer to the receiver noise level, thereby optimizing power usage and reducing device size and heat generation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If radar-wave transmission time is extended to handle tail aspect targets, then detection capability for tail aspect targets is improved, but device size increases due to larger battery capacity and cooling mechanism requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection capability for tail aspect targetsVSAvoiddevice size
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the transmission duty ratio adjustable based on target aspect. The system dynamically switches between high duty ratio (for head aspect targets requiring fast detection) and low duty ratio (for tail aspect targets requiring longer transmission time), allowing the device to adapt transmission parameters to mission requirements rather than being constrained by a fixed duty ratio design

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the transmission duty ratio parameter based on target aspect classification. By identifying whether a target is head aspect or tail aspect and adjusting the duty ratio accordingly, the system optimizes power consumption and transmission time for each scenario, avoiding the need for oversized battery and cooling components that would be required if the system were designed for the worst-case scenario

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If high duty ratio transmission is used to improve detection performance for head aspect targets, then detection and tracking performance is improved, but heat generation increases requiring larger cooling mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection and tracking performanceVSAvoidheat generation
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts transmission duty ratio based on target aspect. For head aspect targets where high detection performance is needed, high duty ratio is used temporarily. For tail aspect targets, low duty ratio is used extending transmission time. This dynamic adjustment prevents continuous high-power transmission and reduces overall heat generation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs periodic transmission with variable duty ratios. Instead of continuous high-power transmission, the system uses periodic pulses with adjusted duty ratios based on target aspect, allowing thermal management between transmission cycles while maintaining detection effectiveness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Duration of action of moving object

If transmission duty ratio is increased to reduce transmission time, then transmission time is reduced, but power consumption increases requiring larger battery capacity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission timeVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the transmission duty ratio parameter based on target aspect classification. By identifying whether a target is head aspect or tail aspect and adjusting the duty ratio accordingly, the system optimizes power consumption and transmission time for each scenario

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts transmission duty ratio based on target aspect classification. By identifying whether a target is head aspect or tail aspect and adjusting the duty ratio accordingly, the system optimizes power consumption and transmission time for each scenario

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3428676B1Radar device and radar signal processing method
Publication Date: 2019.12.18 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP3428676B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3428676B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3428676B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An active homing radar device using a radar wave generated thereby includes an antenna device 4 to irradiate a target with the radar wave; a receiver 8 to receive a reflected wave from the target through the antenna device 4; and a signal processor 9 to perform coherent integration processing on a reception signal from the receiver 8, to observe a clutter level by using a signal on which the coherent integration processing has been performed, and to control a transmission duty ratio such that the clutter level observed becomes equal to or closer to a receiver noise level.