Remote Sensing Receiver Timing for Long-Range Noise Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional remote sensing systems face challenges in noise reduction, particularly at long distances, where the strength of return signals is small and noise, such as thermal noise and background radiation, significantly affects detectability and false alarm rates.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves narrowing the reception interval for return electromagnetic radiation, either by adjusting the time the receiver module senses the radiation or by processing the data to remove noise from the leading interval of the emission period, thereby enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio and preserving the beat signal from the terminal portions of the emission period.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the reception interval is narrowed to reduce noise power, then the signal-to-noise ratio is improved, but the reception time is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal-to-noise ratioVSAvoidreception time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The reception interval is segmented from the emission period, extracting only the terminal portion that contains the useful beat signal while excluding the leading portion that contains noise. This segmentation allows the system to receive signals during a narrowed interval corresponding to the terminal portion of the emission period, thereby reducing noise power while preserving the necessary reception time for accurate detection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The useful terminal portion of the emission period is extracted and isolated for reception, while the noisy leading portion is excluded. This extraction process enables the system to focus reception efforts on the time window where the beat signal is present, improving the signal-to-noise ratio without requiring the receiver to operate continuously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If the reception interval is narrowed to reduce noise, then the detectability is improved, but the duty cycle of return signals is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovedetectabilityVSAvoidduty cycle

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The receiver module dynamically adjusts its operation to coincide with the terminal portion of the emission period when the beat signal is present. This dynamic timing adjustment ensures that the receiver is active only when useful signals are expected, improving detectability while maintaining an effective duty cycle for the actual detection function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If the receiver module operates continuously to maintain duty cycle, then the productivity is maintained, but the noise power increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveduty cycleVSAvoidnoise power

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The receiver module operates periodically during the terminal portion of each emission period rather than continuously. This periodic operation synchronized with the signal structure maintains the necessary duty cycle for productivity while minimizing exposure to noise during intervals when no useful signal is present

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

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 noise power while maintaining the signal strength, improving the signal-to-noise ratio and enabling more accurate detection of objects and their velocities, even at long distances, without requiring modifications to existing hardware.

Implementation Method 1

a receiver module that can receive return electromagnetic radiation in response to the emitted electromagnetic radiation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic radiation detection:

Implementation Method 2

a switching component that can adjust the duty cycle of the receiver module

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDuty cycle adjustment:

Implementation Method 3

a processing unit that can filter or otherwise remove a portion of data representative of a mixed signal resulting from mixing probe electromagnetic radiation and return electromagnetic radiation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSignal filtering:

Implementation Method 4

Detection in such a remote sensing system includes the identification of the frequencies of CW return signals to determine delay (or range) and Doppler shift (or relative speed)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDoppler shift detection: Doppler Effect

Data Source

PatentUS12019446B2Filter for noise reduction in detection in remote sensing systems

Publication Date: 2024.06.25 GM CRUISE HOLDINGS LLC

AI summary

Vehicles, systems, and techniques are provided for noise reduction in detection in remote sensing systems. Noise reduction can be accomplished, in some embodiments, by narrowing a time interval to receive return EM radiation (or, in other embodiments, EM signals representative of the return EM radiation) at a system mounted in a vehicle. The time interval can be narrowed by adjusting the time during which the system can receive the return EM radiation. In other embodiments, rather than adjusting the time interval, a processing unit can remove a portion of data representative of a signal resulting from mixing probe EM radiation and return EM radiation. The data that is removed can be representative of the signal during a leading interval of the defined period during which probe EM radiation is emitted. Such a removal can result in second data representative of the signal during a terminal interval of the defined period.