Radar Device Time-Diluted Measurement Method
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pulse-based radar systems, particularly in the millimeter wave band, face challenges with high power consumption, computational complexity, and long measurement times due to the need for direct sampling of high-frequency signals, which is impractical for efficient data processing.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a 'time-diluted measurement approach' that uses four radar measurements with varying delay times corresponding to a quarter wavelength spacing, allowing for the estimation of amplitude and phase information through mixing and integration of radar pulses with reference pulses, thereby reducing the need for direct sampling and enabling efficient data processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If direct sampling of mmWave radar pulse is performed with sufficient fidelity, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase due to high bandwidth and speed requirements for analog-to-digital conversion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing mixing of the received radar signal with a reference signal before analog-to-digital conversion. This downconversion to a lower intermediate frequency is done in advance, reducing the bandwidth requirements for subsequent sampling and conversion stages while preserving the essential signal information needed for accurate target detection and ranging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary intermediate frequency signal as a mediator between the high-frequency mmWave radar signal and the lower-frequency digital processing stage. By converting the signal to this intermediate frequency through mixing with a reference signal, the system achieves accurate measurement without requiring direct high-speed sampling of the original high-frequency signal, thus reducing device complexity.
2Measurement precision
If direct sampling of high-frequency radar signals is performed, then measurement precision is improved, but power consumption increases due to high bandwidth and speed requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs signal downconversion to an intermediate frequency before analog-to-digital conversion, reducing the sampling rate and bandwidth requirements. This preliminary frequency reduction significantly lowers the power consumption of the ADC and associated high-speed digital processing circuits while maintaining sufficient measurement precision for the application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the frequency parameter of the radar signal by downconverting it from the original high mmWave frequency to a lower intermediate frequency. This parameter transformation reduces the bandwidth and sampling rate requirements, thereby decreasing power consumption while preserving the essential signal characteristics needed for accurate target detection.
3Measurement precision
If substantial amounts of data are collected and processed from direct sampling, then measurement precision is improved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs mixing with a reference signal and filtering to extract the intermediate frequency component before digitization. This preliminary signal processing reduces the amount of data that needs to be processed in subsequent stages by eliminating high-frequency components and noise, thereby reducing computational complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the relevant intermediate frequency signal components from the received radar signal through mixing and filtering operations. By taking out and isolating the specific frequency band containing the target information, the system reduces the overall data volume requiring processing while preserving the essential measurement data needed for accurate target detection and ranging.
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
This approach reduces measurement time and computational complexity, achieving power-efficient and low-complexity radar measurements while maintaining high accuracy, allowing for precise estimation of radar target properties.
Implementation Method 1
receiving a signal comprising a reflection of the radar pulse from the radar target
Implementation Method 2
mixing the received signal with the reference pulse to obtain a mixing product
Data Source
AI summary
A method for performing radar measurements, comprising first through fourth measurements, each including: generating a radar pulse, transmitting the radar pulse towards a radar target, generating a reference pulse, receiving a signal comprising a reflection of the radar pulse after being reflected, mixing the received signal with the reference pulse, and integrating the mixing product; wherein generating the reference pulse is delayed with respect to generating the radar pulse by a first, second, third and fourth delay time, respectively, wherein a difference between the second and first delay time, between the third and second delay time, and between the fourth and third delay time, each corresponds to a quarter of a wavelength of the radar pulses; and determining a first and second value representing a difference between the integrated mixing product of the first and third radar measurements, and between the integrated mixing product of the second and fourth radar measurements, respectively.