Virtual MIMO Beam Steering Beyond Phased-Array FoV Limits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional phase-array radar systems suffer from reduced antenna gain and broadened beam width when beams are steered to large angles, limiting the Field-of-View (FoV) to −120° to 120°.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a MIMO radar system with virtual beam steering using a virtual antenna array created through a linear transformation of the manifold matrix, eliminating the need for phase shifters and time delay lines, and allowing flexible beam steering without hardware complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If phase-array systems are used for beam steering, then Field-of-View coverage is improved, but antenna gain is reduced and beam width is broadened at large angles
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the beam steering function into two independent parts: a fixed physical antenna array that provides stable radiation patterns and gain, and a separate digital signal processing component that performs the beam steering through manifold transformation. This segmentation allows the physical array to operate in its optimal range while the digital processing extends the effective Field-of-View without compromising antenna gain.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the traditional mechanical beam steering approach (using phase shifters and time delay lines) with a digital signal processing method. By using manifold transformation on the received signals, the system achieves beam steering purely through digital processing, eliminating the need for complex hardware components and their associated losses.
2Ease of operation
If phase shifters and time delay lines are used for beam steering, then beam direction control is achieved, but hardware complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention substitutes mechanical beam steering components (phase shifters, time delay lines) with a digital signal processing approach using manifold transformation. The beam direction is controlled by digitally transforming the manifold matrix of the physical array, which can be implemented through software or digital signal processors, thereby eliminating complex hardware while maintaining precise beam direction control.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the control parameter from physical hardware adjustments (phase shifter settings, time delay line configurations) to digital signal processing parameters (manifold transformation matrices). This parameter change allows beam steering to be achieved through mathematical operations on the received signals rather than through complex hardware reconfiguration.
3Adaptability or versatility
If virtual arrays are created using active virtual arrays with multiple transmit antennas, then beam steering capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a virtual array by mathematically transforming the manifold matrix of the physical array, effectively creating a copy of the array response characteristics without physically duplicating the antenna elements. This digital copying approach achieves the beam steering capability of virtual arrays while avoiding the hardware complexity of active virtual arrays with multiple transmit antennas.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples disclosed herein relate to a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) radar for virtual beam steering. The MIMO radar has a plurality of transmit antennas and a receive antenna array having a plurality of radiating elements. The MIMO radar also includes a digital signal processor (DSP) configured to synthesize a virtual receive array having N×M receive subarrays from the plurality of transmit antennas and the receive antenna array, where N is the number of transmit antennas and M is the number of receiving elements. Other examples disclosed herein relate to a method of virtual beam steering.