Radar Transceiver Tx Windowing for Side Lobe Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing radar transceivers face challenges in efficiently reducing side lobe levels, which can lead to negative effects on data processing and increase power consumption.

Innovation Solution

A radar transceiver is designed with a control unit that applies a Tx window function to radar waveforms before transmission, using a controllable amplifier arrangement to reduce output power according to predetermined window function characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-generated harmful factors

If windowing is applied to reduce side lobe level, then side lobe level is reduced, but power consumption increases and data processing is attenuated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveside lobe levelVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies windowing in the transmitter path before radar waveform generation, performing the side lobe reduction action in advance rather than processing all data with full windowing. This preliminary application reduces side lobes while avoiding the need to process entire data sets with attenuating window functions, thereby reducing power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the windowing application into specific transmitter paths and time periods rather than applying it uniformly to all radar operations. By selectively applying windowing only where and when needed in the transmitter chain, the system achieves side lobe reduction without the excessive power consumption that would result from comprehensive data processing with windowing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-generated harmful factors

If windowing is applied to reduce side lobe level, then side lobe level is reduced, but data processing capability is attenuated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveside lobe levelVSAvoiddata processing capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies windowing preliminarily in the transmitter path before signal transmission and processing. This early application suppresses side lobes at the source, preventing them from interfering with subsequent data processing operations, thereby preserving data processing capability while still achieving side lobe reduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the windowing function application to specific transmitter paths and operational phases rather than applying it to all data processing stages. This selective application maintains data integrity and processing capability in receiver paths while achieving side lobe suppression in transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Use of energy by moving object

If Tx window function is applied to reduce output power, then power consumption decreases, but radiated power is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidradiated power
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the Tx window function preliminarily to shape the transmitted signal before it enters the power amplifier. This preliminary power reduction occurs only in specific transmitter paths and time periods, reducing overall power consumption while maintaining sufficient radiated power for effective radar operation through selective rather than uniform application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4498112A1Windowing in a radar tranceiver
Publication Date: 2025.01.29 MAGNA ELECTRONICS SWEDEN AB
  • EP4498112A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4498112A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4498112A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A radar transceiver (101) comprising a control unit (102), a transmitter unit (103) and a receiver unit (104). The transmitter unit (103) is adapted to generate and transmit a plurality of subsequent radar waveforms (108) via a transmitter unit antenna arrangement (105) comprised in the transmitter unit (103). The transmitter unit (103) further comprises a controllable amplifier arrangement (113), where the control unit (102) is adapted to control the amplifier arrangement (113) to apply at least one Tx window function (301, 501) to a plurality of the generated radar waveforms (108, r1-r8). This is accomplished by controlling the amplifier arrangement (113) to reduce output power according to predetermined characteristics of the Tx window function (301, 501).