APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FORMING BEAM FOR PROCESSING RADAR SIGNAL

• US 20160131741A1
• Filed: 06/21/2015
• Published: 05/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: PARK, Ki Hyuk
• Granted Patent: US 9,977,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/345 using triangular modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/032 Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/358 using I/Q processing

Abstract

An apparatus and method for forming a beam for processing a radar signal is provided. In order to form a beam, by processing signals that are received through a plurality of antennas, a first symbol signal and a second symbol signal, which are complex signals are generated. The first and second symbol signals include a plurality of symbols that are arranged in an antenna array order. By applying a weight value on each antenna basis and a window coefficient for windowing processing to sequentially input each symbol of the first and second symbol signals, and by accumulating on a beam basis to generate, a beam symbol signal is generated.

Claims

1. A beam forming apparatus comprising:

a symbol formatter that generates a first symbol signal and a second symbol signal, which are complex signals, by processing signals that are received through a plurality of antennas, wherein the first and second symbol signals comprise a plurality of symbols that are arranged in antenna array order; and

a digital beamforming unit that applies a window coefficient for windowing processing and a weight value on each antenna basis to sequentially input each symbol of the first and second symbol signals and that generates a beam symbol signal by accumulating on a beam.

2. The beam forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital beamforming unit comprises:

a memory in which a weight value on each antenna basis and window coefficients for a windowing processing are stored;

a first operation processor that multiplies and outputs the weight value and the window coefficient;

a second operation processor that multiplies and outputs each symbol of the input first and second symbol signals by a signal that is output from the first operation processor; and

an accumulation unit that accumulates signals that are output from the second operation processor on a beam basis and that outputs the beam symbol signal based on signals that are accumulated on a beam basis at a preset time point.

3. The beam forming apparatus of claim 2, wherein the accumulation unit outputs the beam symbol signal at a segment in which a symbol corresponding to a final antenna of the first and second symbol signals is input.

4. The beam forming apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a selection unit that selects a weight value and a window coefficient that are stored at the memory based on a beam type and the beam number to generate and the antenna number to provide the weight value and the window coefficient to the first operation processor.

5. The beam forming apparatus of claim 4, wherein the beam type comprises a beam for a short distance for detecting a target corresponding to a short distance that is shorter than a predetermined distance, and a beam for a long distance for detecting a target corresponding to a long distance that is longer than the predetermined distance.

6. The beam forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the symbol formatter comprises:

a plurality of segmentation units that divide data that are included in a signal that is received on, an antenna basis in a preset symbol unit; and

a multiplexer that multiplexes data that are divided in the plurality of segmentation units and that outputs the first symbol signal and second symbol signal by rearranging the data in an antenna array order.

7. The beam forming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna unit comprising a plurality of antennas;

a receiver that converts and outputs signals that are received through each antenna to a signal of a baseband; and

a signal converter that provides signals that are output from the receiver to the symbol formatter that converts and outputs the signals to digital data.

8. The beam forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the beam forming apparatus is applied to a radar system in which the number of radar beams to generate is changed.

9. A method of forming a beam in a radar system, the method comprising:

generating a first symbol signal and a second symbol signal, which are complex signals, by processing signals that are received through a plurality of antennas, wherein the first and second symbol signals comprise a plurality of symbols that are arranged in an antenna array order;

generating a weight value signal by applying a weight value on each antenna basis and a windowing coefficient for windowing processing to sequentially input each symbol of the first and second symbol signals; and

generating a beam symbol signal by accumulating on a beam basis to generate the weight value signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the, generating of a weight value signal comprises:

multiplying and outputting the weight value and the window coefficient; and

outputting the weight value signal by multiplying a signal in which the weight value and the window coefficient are multiplied to each symbol of the input first and second symbol signals.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating of a weight value signal further comprises, before the multiplying and outputting of the weight value, selecting a weight value and a window coefficient based on a beam type and the beam number to generate and the antenna number.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the generating of a beam symbol signal comprises accumulating the weight value signal on a beam basis to generate and outputting the beam symbol signal based on an accumulated signal at a segment in which a symbol corresponding to a final antenna of the first and second symbol signals is input.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the generating of a first symbol signal and a second symbol signal comprises:

dividing data that are included in a signal that is received on an antenna basis in a preset symbol unit; and

outputting the first symbol signal and the second symbol signal by multiplexing the divided data and rearranging the divided data in an antenna array order.