Broad-Beam UWB Radar Collision Warning Without Precise Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drone collision avoidance systems often require precise object location and use narrow radar beams, which can lead to inefficiencies and increased costs due to the need for larger, more power-hungry antennas, and may fail to detect objects within the collision disk due to limited beam coverage.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an ultra-wide band (UWB) radar system with a broad antenna pattern that sends multiple pings to define hemispheres of possible object locations, allowing for collision detection without precise object location and enabling a smaller, lighter, and more cost-effective drone design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If narrow radar beams are used for collision detection, then object location precision is improved, but antenna size and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the collision detection process into multiple discrete radar pings sent at different times. Instead of using a single narrow beam that requires high power, the system sends multiple lower-power pings and processes them separately to achieve the same detection precision through temporal segmentation of the detection task.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from spatial dimension (narrow beam directionality) to temporal dimension (multiple pings over time). By adding the time dimension to the detection process, the system achieves precise object location without requiring high-power narrow beams, as the precision emerges from processing multiple temporal samples rather than spatial concentration.
2Measurement precision
If narrow radar beams are used for collision detection, then object location precision is improved, but antenna size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection function is segmented across multiple time instances rather than requiring a single high-performance narrow beam antenna. This allows the use of a smaller antenna that can support broader beams, as the segmentation compensates for the reduced spatial precision of each individual ping.
Solution Approach 2:
The system moves from relying solely on spatial dimension (antenna beam width) to incorporating temporal dimension (multiple pings). This dimensional shift allows smaller antennas with broader beam patterns to achieve the same effective precision by processing multiple temporal observations.
3Use of energy by moving object
If broad antenna patterns are used, then antenna size and power consumption are reduced, but object detection precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic radar pings sent at regular time intervals. Each individual ping uses a broad, low-power antenna pattern, but the periodic repetition of pings allows the system to accumulate detection information over time, achieving precision that no single broad ping could provide alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection process maintains continuous monitoring through repeated pings rather than relying on a single high-power transmission. This continuous action with broad beams ensures that object detection precision is maintained through temporal integration of multiple observations, keeping the antenna small and power consumption low.
4Weight of moving object
If broad antenna patterns are used, then antenna size and power consumption are reduced, but device complexity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The broad antenna pattern inherently provides wide coverage without requiring complex beam-steering mechanisms or multiple antenna elements. The system leverages the natural property of broad patterns to reduce hardware complexity, while the processing complexity is minimized by using straightforward temporal comparison of ping results.
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 UWB radar system effectively determines imminent collisions by comparing the object ring radius to the collision cylinder radius, reducing false alarms and enabling autonomous or remote-controlled drone maneuvers to avoid collisions, while also reducing the drone's power consumption and size.
Implementation Method 1
broad beam UWB antenna to: emit a first radar ping from the broad beam UWB antenna; receive a first return signal identifying an object; emit a second radar ping from the broad beam UWB antenna; and receive a second return signal identifying the object
Data Source
AI summary
A method of collision warning using broad antenna pattern ultra-wide band (UWB) radar includes emitting a first radar ping from a broad beam UWB antenna and receiving a first return signal identifying an object. A first hemisphere with a first radius is determined for the object. A second ping, second return and second hemisphere is defined for the object. At the intersection of the hemispheres, an object ring is defined. The radius of the object ring is compared with the radius of a collision cylinder (e.g., representing a safe distance around a system or device, such as a drone). The object may be identified as posing a collision threat when the radius of the object ring is smaller than the radius of the collision cylinder.