Switchable Transmitting Antennas for Wide-Angle Radar Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing millimeter wave radar sensors for automotive applications face limitations in achieving a wide pivoting angle without increasing the physical size of the antenna array, leading to cross-coupling issues that hinder beam shaping and angular resolution at short distances.
Innovation Solution
A device with at least two switchable transmitting antennas and a large number of receiving antennas is designed, where the transmitting antennas are offset and arranged closer than the receiving antennas, allowing for a shorter distance between transmitting antennas to achieve large swivel angles without cross-coupling, utilizing the principle of transmitter location multiplexing to create a synthetic array and compensating for Doppler effects through filtering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the distance between antenna rows is reduced to increase pivoting angle, then the maximum swivel angle increases, but cross-coupling between antenna lines occurs that prevents beam shaping
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna array is divided into multiple independently controllable sub-arrays or antenna lines. Each antenna line can be individually activated or deactivated, allowing the system to selectively use only those antenna lines necessary for achieving the desired pivoting angle, thereby avoiding cross-coupling issues while maintaining beam shaping capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna array configuration is made dynamic by allowing real-time switching between different antenna lines based on the required beam direction and pivoting angle. This dynamic reconfiguration enables the system to adapt to different operational scenarios, using minimal antenna lines to achieve wide pivoting angles without suffering from cross-coupling effects.
2Measurement precision
If the physical size of the receiving antenna is increased to reduce antenna opening angle, then the angular resolution improves, but the device size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of physically enlarging the antenna aperture with a signal processing-based synthetic aperture technique. By using multiple transmitting antennas at different positions and combining their signals digitally, the system synthesizes a larger effective aperture without physically expanding the antenna structure, thereby achieving high angular resolution with compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a synthetic copy of the antenna aperture through signal processing. By recording signals from multiple transmitting antenna positions and combining them computationally, the system generates a virtual image of a larger antenna array, achieving the resolution benefits of a large physical aperture without the corresponding increase in physical size.
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 configuration enables swivel angles greater than 40 degrees, specifically up to 70 degrees, while preventing cross-coupling and maintaining beam integrity, allowing for effective detection in city traffic and heavy stop-and-go conditions with reduced sensor count.
Implementation Method 1
Imaging radar sensor with group antenna switched on the transmission side
Implementation Method 2
millimeter wave radar sensors
Implementation Method 3
compensating for Doppler effects through filtering
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for detecting objects within a swivel range, comprising at least two switchable transmitting antennas (10), a plurality of receiving antennas (20), the transmitting antennas (10) and the receiving antennas (20) extending in parallel along a first direction (y), and the receiving antennas (10) being arranged in a row and said row extending in a second direction (x). The receiving antennas (20) and the transmitting antennas (10) are arranged such that, owing to the sequential control of the transmitting antennas and of the positions of the transmitting and receiving antennas, they define a synthetic receiving antenna array for beam sweeping. The resulting distance between the positions of the receiving antennas in the synthetic receiving antenna array in the second direction is d, the neighboring receiving antennas in the apparatus having a distance of d2 or more and d2 being twice the value of distance d.