Radar Device Virtual Array Antenna Angular Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing MIMO radar devices require increasing the number of transmit and receive antennas to enhance angular resolution, which complicates the circuit configuration and increases manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A radar device with a simple configuration that includes multiple transmit antennas, at least one receive antenna, a local oscillator, a transmit processor, a receive processor, and a signal processor, where the transmit processor sends separable and combinable transmit signals from the transmit antennas to create a virtual array antenna with more virtual transmit and receive antennas, enhancing angular resolution without increasing the number of actual antennas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If more transmit antennas or more receive antennas are provided to enhance angular resolution, then angular resolution is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual antenna copies through signal processing. By transmitting signals with different phases from multiple transmit antennas and combining the received signals, the system generates virtual receive antennas that do not physically exist. This allows achieving the effect of having more antennas without actually installing more hardware, thus improving angular resolution while maintaining simple circuit configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the existing transmit antennas serve multiple functions. The same transmit antennas are used both for transmitting signals and for creating virtual receive antenna elements through phase manipulation and signal combination. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate receive antennas, reducing device complexity while enhancing measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If more transmit antennas or more receive antennas are provided to enhance angular resolution, then angular resolution is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual antenna copies through signal processing. By transmitting signals with different phases from multiple transmit antennas and combining the received signals, the system generates virtual receive antennas that do not physically exist. This allows achieving the effect of having more antennas without actually installing more hardware, thus improving angular resolution while maintaining simple circuit configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the phase parameters of signals transmitted from the antennas. By adjusting phase shifts and combining signals with different phases, the system creates virtual antenna elements at different positions. This parameter manipulation allows achieving higher angular resolution without adding physical antennas, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.
3Measurement precision
If the maximum number of receive antennas of a virtual array antenna is determined by the product of the number of transmit antennas and that of receive antennas, then angular resolution can be enhanced, but the number of actual antennas must be increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual antenna copies through signal processing. By transmitting signals with different phases from multiple transmit antennas and combining the received signals, the system generates virtual receive antennas that do not physically exist. This allows achieving the effect of having more antennas without actually installing more hardware, thus improving angular resolution while maintaining simple circuit configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from the physical dimension to the signal processing dimension. Instead of increasing the physical number of antennas, the system creates additional antenna elements in the signal domain through phase manipulation and mathematical combination. This dimensional shift allows achieving higher angular resolution without increasing the physical antenna count.
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
The radar device achieves high angular resolution with a simplified configuration, reducing complexity and manufacturing costs by utilizing a time division multiple access (TDMA) and frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) MIMO system, allowing for more virtual antennas without additional hardware.
Implementation Method 1
a local oscillator that oscillates a local signal
Implementation Method 2
Radio waves radiated from the transmit antennas are reflected by a target to be detected
Implementation Method 3
The radar device receives the reflected waves by using the plural receive antennas at the same time
Implementation Method 4
a receive processor that outputs beat signals from the local signal and echo signals
Data Source
AI summary
A radar device includes plural transmit antennas, plural receive antennas, a local oscillator that oscillates a local signal, a transmit processor that sends transmit signals based on the local signal from the transmit antennas, a receive processor that outputs beat signals from the local signal and echo signals generated as a result of the transmit signals being reflected by a target and received by the receive antennas, and a signal processor that executes signal processing on the beat signals. The transmit processor sends the transmit signals from the plural transmit antennas at different timings and also simultaneously sends the transmit signals which are combinable with each other from the plural transmit antennas.