Transponder Antenna Arrays With Independent Transmission Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current transponder/repeater systems lack robustness and reliability, particularly in handling failures of hardware components, and are unable to apply predetermined angular shifts, time delays, and coding to radio frequency signals effectively.
Innovation Solution
A transponder system with paired antenna elements in arrays, each connected via independent transmission modules that include samplers, memory units, and signal generation modules, allowing for manipulation of signals with temporal and phase delays, and modulation to apply angular shifts and coding to the transmitted signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional transponder/repeater systems use shared or centralized transmission modules, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to single points of failure
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the transponder into multiple independent antenna elements, each with its own dedicated transmission module. This segmentation eliminates single points of failure, as each element-module pair operates autonomously. If one element fails, others continue functioning, thereby improving reliability while the modular architecture keeps individual module complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
Each antenna element is equipped with locally dedicated transmission modules rather than sharing centralized resources. This local quality approach ensures that each element has full control over its signal processing, improving reliability through redundancy while the distributed nature of the system prevents complexity concentration in any single location.
2Adaptability or versatility
If transponder systems use simple antenna arrays without independent transmission modules, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to apply angular shifts and time delays deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the signal processing function by providing dedicated transmission modules at each antenna element. This enables independent control of phase and time delay for each element, allowing precise angular shifts and time delay applications. The segmentation distributes complexity across multiple simple modular units rather than requiring one complex centralized processor.
Solution Approach 2:
Each transmission module can dynamically adjust its output signal's phase and timing independently. This dynamic capability allows the system to apply predetermined angular shifts and time delays by controlling each element's transmission characteristics, providing versatile signal manipulation without requiring complex mechanical or centralized electronic systems.
3Reliability
If transponder systems lack independent transmission modules per antenna element, then device complexity is reduced, but robustness to hardware failures deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the system into independent antenna-element-transmission module units, the patent ensures that failures in one segment do not propagate to others. Each unit is self-contained and autonomous, so hardware failures are isolated locally. This segmentation improves robustness while keeping each segment's complexity low and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
Each antenna element has locally dedicated transmission modules with independent signal processing capabilities. This local quality ensures that each element can continue operating independently even if other elements fail, providing robustness through distributed autonomy rather than centralized control that would be vulnerable to single points of failure.
4Reliability
If transponder systems use paired antenna elements with independent transmission modules, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transponder system into multiple identical paired antenna-element-transmission module units. This segmentation creates redundancy and independence, improving reliability. The modular paired structure allows the system to maintain functionality even when individual pairs fail, while each pair's complexity remains contained and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
Each paired antenna element has its own dedicated transmission module with local signal processing capability. This local quality approach ensures that each pair operates autonomously, improving reliability through distributed intelligence. The complexity is distributed across multiple simple identical units rather than concentrated in a single complex system, making the overall system more reliable and easier to maintain.
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 system provides robust and reliable operation with improved reliability due to independent transmission modules, enabling precise angular shifts and time delays in signal transmission, and the ability to encode information, thus enhancing the accuracy and reliability of signal propagation.
Implementation Method 1
configured for receiving and transmitting electro-magnetic signals
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C~3
AI summary
A transponder system including first and second arrays of receiving and transmitting antenna elements arranged in spaced apart relationship with a predetermined spacing. The antenna elements of the first array are connected, via respective transmission modules, to respective antenna elements of the second array in accordance with their positions in the arrays thus forming receiving and transmitting pairs of antenna elements, which are operable together to receive an input signal and transmit a collective output signal that is indicative of the received input signal. The transmission modules include: a sampler adapted for digitizing signals received by the receiving antenna element of the corresponding pair, a memory connectable to the sampler for storing digital representation of the received signals, and a signal generation module connectable to the memory and operable for generating from the digital representation a signal to be transmitted by the transmitting antenna element of the corresponding pair. The signal generation module is operable for introducing a predetermined temporal delay to the signal to be transmitted with respect to the received signal to thereby provide a predetermined angular shift between a waveform of the received input signal and a waveform of the collective output signal.