JP2010096612A - Radar system and log conversion method for signal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a radar system for expanding the dynamic range of a received signal by a simple constitution. <P>SOLUTION: This radar system includes a log detector 132a for detecting a log waveform representing the amplitude value of the received signal, a phase detector 132b for detecting a phase waveform representing the frequency and phase of the received signal, and a gain regulator 132d for regulating the amplitude of the phase waveform detected by the phase detector 132b correspondent to the amplitude value represented by the log waveform detected by the log detector 132a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a radar apparatus that transmits a signal (radio wave) to a target, receives a signal (radio wave) corresponding to the transmitted signal, and detects the target, and a signal log conversion method.

  Radar devices are used in various fields such as weather radar and aviation radar (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). For example, the weather radar apparatus 1a shown in FIG. 2A transmits a radio wave (signal) A1 from the antenna 11 and receives a radio wave (signal) B1 reflected from the target 2a such as a cloud or rain. The position of the target 2a is detected from the intensity (amplitude), frequency, angle, etc. of the radio wave B1.

  A target 2b of the aviation radar apparatus 1b shown in FIG. 2B is an aircraft on which the transponder 3 is mounted. When the aerial radar apparatus 1b transmits the radio wave A2 that is a question signal from the antenna 11 to the target 2b and receives the radio wave B2 of the response signal transmitted from the transponder 3, the intensity (amplitude) of the radio wave B2 of the response signal is received. The position information and the aircraft information are detected using the frequency, the angle, etc., and the flight of the aircraft is monitored.

  An example of the configuration of a general radar device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The radar apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 3 includes an antenna 11, a transmission / reception unit 12 that performs transmission / reception of signals (radio waves) via the antenna 11, a data conversion unit 13a that converts the format of signals to be transmitted / received, and signal transmission control. And a signal processing unit 14a for processing the received signal.

  At the time of signal transmission, the radar apparatus 1 converts the signal output from the transmission controller 141 from a digital signal to an analog signal by the D / A converter 131, and converts the analog converted signal from the IF signal by the transmitter 121. After converting to an RF signal, the signal is transmitted from the antenna 11 via the transmission / reception switch 122.

  When the radar device 1 is the weather radar device 1a, when the signal is received, the signal transmitted from the radar device is reflected from the target 2a. When the radar apparatus 1 is the aerial radar apparatus 1b, the antenna 11 receives a signal transmitted from the transponder 3 of the target 2b in response to the transmitted signal.

  Thereafter, the receiver 123 receives a signal received by the antenna 11 via the transmission / reception switch 122, converts the RF signal into an IF signal, and outputs the signal to the detection unit 132. The detector 132 detects a log waveform and a phase waveform from the signal, and then outputs them to the A / D converters 133a and 133b. The A / D converters 133a and 133b convert the input waveform from analog to digital and output it to the detectors 142a and 142b. Thereafter, the target is detected by the detectors 142a and 142b.

  The signals detected by the detectors 142 a and 142 b are output to the report generation unit 143, generated in an output format by the report generation unit 143, and then output to the data collection device 15. Further, the signals detected by the detectors 142a and 142b are displayed on the display device 16.

  Here, for example, the weather radar apparatus 1a may receive the noise signal C in which the signal A1 reflects the mountain 4a or the building 4b in addition to the signal B1 reflected from the target 2a. In addition to the signal B2 transmitted from the target 2b, the aviation radar apparatus 1b also receives the noise signal C reflected from the mountain 4a by the signal A2 and the noise signal C transmitted from the aircraft 4c other than the target 2b. Sometimes.

  When the radar apparatus 1 receives such a noise signal C, the noise signal C overlaps with the signals B1 and B2 from the targets 2a and 2b, and the amplitude of the signals B1 and B2 may increase. There is a problem that B2 is buried in the noise signal C.

  Further, since the amplitude value of the signal received by the radar apparatus 1 varies depending on the distance from the radar apparatus 1 to the targets 2a and 2b, there is a problem that the signal is large when the distance is short and small when the distance is long.

  In the radar apparatus 1, the range in which the received signal can be A / D converted depends on the bit width and input level of the A / D converter. Therefore, it is difficult to expand the dynamic range without changing the design of the A / D converter. However, if the dynamic range is narrow, everything from a signal with a high amplitude to a small signal with which the signal is buried in a noise signal can be accurately detected. It is difficult to detect.

  Even in such an environment, as a method of accurately detecting a signal from a target in the radar apparatus 1, a method of expanding the effective range of signal amplitude (log detection method) is used. When the log detection method is used, the dynamic range can be substantially expanded by expressing the amplitude in logarithm, and the signal can be accurately detected even when the amplitude of the signal is large or small. Can be distinguished from noise signals.

  In order to realize the log detection method, the data conversion unit 13a includes a detection unit 132 having a log detector 132a, a phase detector 132b, and a gain adjuster 132c, and a log detected by the detection unit 132, as shown in FIG. A / D converters 133a and 133b for converting the waveform and the phase waveform from analog to digital are provided.

  The log detector 132 a detects a log waveform from the signal input from the receiver 123. When the radar apparatus 1 is the weather radar apparatus 1a, this log waveform is a signal representing only the radar apparatus amplitude value used for calculating the size of the target 2a. When the radar apparatus 1 is the aerial radar apparatus 1b, the log waveform is a signal representing only the amplitude value used for calculating the distance between the radar apparatus 1b and the target 2b. The log waveform detected by the log detector 132a is output to the A / D converter 133a, and the A / D converter 133a converts the input log waveform from an analog signal to a digital signal and outputs it to the signal processing unit 142. .

  Further, the phase detector 132 b detects a phase waveform from the signal input from the receiver 123. The angle between the radar apparatus 1 and the target is represented by a phase, and this phase waveform is a signal representing only the phase and the frequency of the signal among the signals received by the radar apparatus 1. The phase waveform detected by the phase detector 132b is output to the gain adjuster 132c. The gain adjuster 132c converts the input phase waveform into a fixed amplitude corresponding to the input level of the A / D converter 133b, and then outputs it to the A / D converter 133b. The A / D converter 133b converts the phase waveform of the input analog signal into a digital signal and outputs the digital signal to the signal processing unit 142.

In this radar apparatus 1, the effective range of the amplitude can be expanded by using the log waveform. However, since the data converter 13 a handles the log waveform and the phase waveform separately, two A / D units are used. Converters 133a and 133b and two detectors 142a and 142b were required.
Supervised by Takashi Yoshida "Revised Radar Technology" The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, published on October 1, 1996, p.91 Figure 3.23 Michael C. Stevens “Secondary Surveillance Radar” 1998, ISBN 0-89006-292-7, p.93 Fig5.20 (a)

  As described above, when the log detection method is used, the dynamic range can be substantially expanded because the logarithm is used to represent the amplitude value. However, two A / D converters 133a and 133b are required to A / D convert the log waveform related to the amplitude value and the phase waveform related to the frequency and phase. Also, two detectors 142a and 142b are necessary to detect the target from the log waveform and the phase waveform. Therefore, there has been a problem that the device configuration becomes complicated.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a radar apparatus capable of expanding the dynamic range of the amplitude of a received signal with a simple configuration.

  A radar apparatus according to a feature of the present invention is a radar apparatus that transmits a signal to a target, receives a signal corresponding to the signal, and detects the position of the target based on the received signal, the amplitude of the received signal A log detector for detecting a log waveform representing a value, a phase detector for detecting a phase waveform representing the frequency and phase of the received signal, and an amplitude value represented by the log waveform detected by the log detector, A gain adjuster for adjusting the amplitude of the phase waveform detected by the phase detector.

  A data log conversion method according to a feature of the present invention is a data conversion method used in a radar apparatus that transmits a signal to a target and receives a signal corresponding to the transmission signal to detect the position of the target. Detecting a log waveform representing the amplitude value of the received signal; detecting a phase waveform representing the frequency and phase of the received signal; and detecting the log waveform representing the amplitude value represented by the detected log waveform. Adjusting the amplitude of the phase waveform, and converting the phase waveform including the frequency, phase, and amplitude information with the adjusted amplitude from analog to digital.

  According to the present invention, the dynamic range of the amplitude of the received signal can be expanded with a simple configuration.

  A radar apparatus 1 according to the best embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. A radar apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a radar apparatus such as a weather radar apparatus or an aeronautical radar apparatus. In the following description, the same components as those shown in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those described above, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a radar apparatus 1 according to the best embodiment of the present invention includes an antenna 11, a transmission / reception unit 12 that transmits / receives a signal via the antenna 11, and a signal that is connected to the transmission / reception unit 12 and transmits / receives the signal. A data conversion unit 13 that performs data conversion and a signal processing unit 14 that executes processing such as generation of a signal to be transmitted and output of a result according to the received signal are provided.

  The transmission / reception unit 12 has the same configuration as the transmission / reception unit 12 illustrated in FIG. 3, and includes a transmitter 121 that transmits a signal, a transmission / reception switch 122 that switches transmission / reception of the signal, and a receiver 123 that receives a signal.

  The data conversion unit 13 includes a D / A converter 131 and a detection unit 132 in the same manner as the data conversion unit 13a illustrated in FIG. On the other hand, although the data converter 13a includes two A / D converters 133a and 133b, the data converter 13 requires only one A / D converter 133.

  The detector 132 has a log detector 132a, a phase detector 132b, and a gain adjuster 132d. The log detector 132a detects a log waveform representing the amplitude value from the signal input from the receiver 123, and outputs it to the gain adjuster 132d.

  The phase detector 132b detects a phase waveform representing the frequency and phase from the signal input from the receiver 123, and outputs the phase waveform to the gain adjuster 132d.

  The gain adjuster 132d adjusts the amplitude of the phase waveform input from the phase detector 132b according to the amplitude specified by the log waveform input from the log detector 132a. At this time, the gain adjuster 132d adjusts the amplitude of the phase waveform in real time with the maximum input level of the A / D converter 133 as the maximum value. Further, the gain adjuster 132d outputs the phase waveform whose amplitude has been adjusted to the A / D converter 133.

  That is, in the gain adjuster 132c of the conventional radar apparatus 1a shown in FIG. 3, the phase waveform is adjusted with a fixed amplitude, so the phase waveform has only frequency and phase information. On the other hand, in the gain adjuster 132d of the radar apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, the amplitude of the phase waveform is adjusted in real time based on the amplitude value detected by the log detector 132a. In addition to frequency and phase information, amplitude information is also included.

  The A / D converter 133 converts the phase waveform including the frequency information, phase information, and amplitude information input from the gain adjuster 132 d into a digital signal and outputs the digital signal to the signal processing unit 14. Therefore, it is sufficient that the radar apparatus 1 has only one A / D converter 133.

  Similar to the signal processing unit 14a illustrated in FIG. 3, the signal processing unit 14 includes a transmission controller 141 and a report generation unit 143. On the other hand, the signal processing unit 14a includes the target distance detector 142a and the target angle detector 142b, but the signal processing unit 14 includes only the target detector 142. The target detector 142 detects information on both the distance and the angle specifying the position of the target from the phase waveform input from the data conversion unit 13.

  Since the current data conversion unit 13 has separately input a log waveform representing amplitude and a phase waveform representing frequency and phase to the signal processing unit 14, the distance and the angle are detected by separate detectors 142a and 142b. is doing. In the present invention, since the phase waveform input from the data conversion unit 13 by the signal processing unit 14 includes amplitude as well as frequency and phase, the target detector 142 detects both distance and angle information from the phase waveform. be able to.

  In the radar apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the log waveform output from the log detector 132a is output to the gain adjuster 132d together with the phase waveform output from the phase detector 132b, and the log waveform is output by the gain adjuster 132d. And the amplitude of the phase waveform is adjusted in real time with the maximum input level of the A / D converter 133 as the maximum value. Therefore, the data converter 13 does not need to perform A / D conversion for both the log waveform and the phase waveform, and it is only necessary to perform A / D conversion on the phase waveform including the amplitude value information. Therefore, it is possible to have only one A / D converter 133 and one target detector 142, and the configuration of the radar apparatus 1 can be simplified.

It is a functional block diagram explaining the structure of the radar apparatus which concerns on the best embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining an example of the target which a radar apparatus and a radar apparatus transmit a signal. It is a functional block diagram explaining the structure of the conventional radar apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Radar apparatus 11 ... Antenna 12 ... Transmission / reception part 121 ... Transmitter 122 ... Transmission / reception switch 123 ... Receiver 13 ... Data conversion part 131 ... D / A converter 132 ... Detection part 132a ... Log detector 132b ... Phase detector 132d ... gain adjuster 133 ... converter 14 ... signal processing unit 141 ... transmission controller 142 ... target detector 143 ... report generation unit 15 ... data collection device 16 ... display device

Claims (4)

A radar device that transmits a signal to a target, receives a signal corresponding to the signal, and detects a position of the target based on the received signal,
A log detector for detecting a log waveform representing the amplitude value of the received signal;
A phase detector for detecting a phase waveform representing the frequency and phase of the received signal;
A gain adjuster that adjusts the amplitude of the phase waveform detected by the phase detector according to the amplitude value represented by the log waveform detected by the log detector;
A radar apparatus comprising:   2. An A / D converter for converting a phase waveform representing a frequency and phase detected by the phase detector and an amplitude value adjusted by the gain adjuster from analog to digital. The radar apparatus described.   The radar apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a target detector that detects a position of a target from a phase waveform digitally converted by the A / D converter. A data conversion method for use in a radar device that transmits a signal to a target, receives a signal corresponding to the signal, and detects the position of the target based on the received signal,
Detecting a log waveform representing the amplitude value of the received signal;
Detecting a phase waveform representing the frequency and phase of the received signal;
Adjusting the amplitude of the detected phase waveform according to the amplitude value represented by the detected log waveform;
Converting the phase waveform including frequency, phase and amplitude information with adjusted amplitude from analog to digital;
A log conversion method for a signal, comprising:

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