KR102243131B1 - Pulse radar system for changing period or width of pulse - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a pulse radar system with variable pulse period or width. The pulse radar system comprises: a transmission pulse unit for generating a transmission pulse and a clock signal based on the reference clock; a transmission unit that outputs a transmission signal according to a transmission pulse provided from the transmission pulse unit; and a period/width controller configured to control the transmission pulse unit to vary a period or width of the transmission pulse or a period or width of the clock signal. Here, the clock signal is used to generate a time-division clock for detecting an echo signal that is a transmitted signal reflected from the object. The period/width controller controls the transmission pulse unit to shorten the period of the transmission pulse and the clock signal when the object approaches the pulse radar system within a first distance, and as the period of the clock signal is shortened, the period of the time division clock generated based on the clock signal is also shortened, so that the width or period of the time division period, which is the period for detecting the echo signal, is shortened.

Description

Pulse radar system with variable pulse period or width{PULSE RADAR SYSTEM FOR CHANGING PERIOD OR WIDTH OF PULSE}

The present invention relates to a pulse radar system capable of varying a pulse period or width.

In the conventional pulse radar receiver, since the distance resolution is determined by the pulse width by determining the presence or absence of a pulse from one transmission pulse, there is a limitation in implementing a high resolution.

KR 10-2157583 B

The present invention is to provide a pulse radar system capable of variable pulse period or width.

In order to achieve the above object, a pulse radar system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a transmission pulse unit for generating a transmission pulse and a clock signal based on a reference clock; A transmission unit for outputting a transmission signal according to a transmission pulse provided from the transmission pulse unit; And a period/width control unit for controlling the transmission pulse unit to vary the period or width of the transmission pulse or the period or width of the clock signal. Here, the clock signal is used to generate a time-division clock for detecting an echo signal, which is a transmission signal reflected from the target, and the period/width control unit is the first distance or less when the target approaches the pulse radar system. The transmission pulse unit is controlled to shorten the period of the transmission pulse and the clock signal, and as the period of the clock signal is shortened, the period of the time-division clock generated based on the clock signal is also shortened, which is a period in which the echo signal is detected. The width or period of the time division section is shortened.

A pulse radar system according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a transmission pulse unit for generating a transmission pulse and a clock signal based on a reference clock; A transmission unit for outputting a transmission signal according to a transmission pulse provided from the transmission pulse unit; And a time division clock unit for generating a plurality of time division clocks for detecting an echo signal, which is a transmission signal reflected from an object, based on the clock signal generated from the transmission pulse unit. Here, the width or period of the time-division clock may vary according to a distance between the target and the pulse radar system, the type of the target, or the size of the target.

Since the pulse radar system according to the present invention varies the period or width of a time division clock for detecting a transmission pulse or an echo signal according to a distance to a target, resolution and resolution can be improved.

1 is a block diagram showing a pulse radar system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a timing diagram illustrating a signal flow in the pulsed radar system of FIG. 1.
3 is a schematic diagram of a pulse radar system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a diagram illustrating a signal flow in the pulsed radar system of FIG. 3.
5 is a block diagram showing a pulse radar system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a diagram illustrating a signal flow in the pulsed radar system of FIG. 5.

Singular expressions used in the present specification include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the present specification, terms such as “consisting of” or “comprising” should not be construed as necessarily including all of the various elements or various steps described in the specification, and some of the elements or some steps It may not be included, or it should be interpreted that it may further include additional components or steps. In addition, terms such as "... unit" and "module" described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software. .

The present invention relates to a pulse radar system, and the search frequency or resolution can be adjusted according to the proximity degree of an object such as an object.

According to an embodiment, the pulse radar system controls a time division section of a receiver for detecting an echo signal using a clock generated from a transmitter, and a transmission pulse or a time division clock provided to the receiver according to the proximity of the target The period or pulse width of can be varied.

For example, the closer the object is, the shorter the period of the transmission pulse or the time division clock or the smaller the width of the clock. As a result, the resolution can be improved and the minimum detection distance can be extended.

However, when the target is not detected for a certain period of time, the sleep mode may be entered to reduce power consumption. In this case, the period of the transmission pulse or the time division clock may be lengthened.

In addition, when the pulsed radar system enters a predetermined depth or more or the power of the pulsed radar system reaches a preset power, the pulsed radar system enters the sleep mode regardless of the distance to the target and whether the target is detected. You can enter.

A technique for reducing such power consumption may be useful in an environment where the pulse radar system must have a small size, and thus the capacity of the battery is inevitably small. That is, the pulsed radar system can be usefully used in an environment where it is necessary to be driven with low power.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram showing a pulse radar system according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a timing diagram showing a signal flow in the pulse radar system of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, the pulse radar system of this embodiment is used to detect an object such as an object, and may be implemented as a single device.

Such a pulse radar system may include a transmitter 100, a receiver 102, and a control unit (not shown). The control unit may exist separately from the transmitter 100 and the receiver 102, or may be implemented by being included in the transmitter 100 or the receiver 102.

The transmitter 100 may include a clock generation unit 110, a transmission pulse unit 112, a period/width control unit 114, a transmission unit 116, a delay unit 120, and a transmission antenna.

The receiver 102 may include a receiving antenna, an amplifying unit 122, a time division signal unit 124, a storage unit, and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 126.

Hereinafter, detailed structures and operations of the transmitter 100 and the receiver 102 will be described in detail.

Looking at the transmitter 100, the clock generator 110 may generate a reference clock for driving the pulsed radar system.

The transmission pulse unit 112 may generate a transmission pulse having a specific period based on the reference clock output from the clock generation unit 110 and provide the generated transmission pulse to the transmission unit 116.

The transmitter 116 may output a transmission signal through a transmission antenna in response to the provided transmission pulse. For example, the transmission unit 116 may output a transmission signal at a rising edge of the provided transmission pulse.

In addition, the transmission pulse unit 112 may output a clock signal to the delay element 120 for controlling a time division period that is a detection period of the echo signal received by the receiver 102 based on the reference clock. Meanwhile, in that the time division section is determined according to the transmission pulse, the transmission pulse unit 112 may be referred to as a synchronization unit.

According to an embodiment, a transmission pulse generated by the transmission pulse unit 112 may be used as the clock signal. That is, the transmission pulse that does not generate the clock signal separately from the transmission pulse may be used as the clock signal.

According to an embodiment, a period or width of a transmission pulse or a clock signal may vary depending on whether a target is in proximity to the pulsed radar system.

For example, when the target is far from the pulse radar system, the transmission pulse unit 112 generates a first transmission pulse based on the input reference clock, and transmits the generated first transmission pulse to the transmission unit 116 and It can be transmitted to the delay unit 120.

As another example, when a target is close to the pulse radar system, for example, when the distance between the pulse radar system and the target is 5m or less, the transmission pulse unit 112 is controlled by the cycle/width control unit 114 A second transmission pulse having a shorter period than the first transmission pulse may be generated based on the reference clock, and the generated second transmission pulse may be transmitted to the transmission unit 116 and the delay unit 120.

As another example, when a target is very close to the pulse radar system, for example, when the distance between the pulse radar system and the target is less than 1m, the transmission pulse unit 112 is controlled by the period/width control unit 114 A third transmission pulse having a width and a period smaller than that of the second transmission pulse may be generated based on the reference clock, and the generated third transmission pulse may be transmitted to the transmission unit 116 and the delay unit 120. Here, the period of the third transmission pulse may be formed by adjusting the frequency of the second transmission pulse.

According to an embodiment, the transmission pulse unit 112 may be a phase locked loop (PLL). The transmission pulse unit 112 may include a phase detection unit, a charge pump, a loop filter, and a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO).

The period/width control unit 114 may be in a deactivated state when an object is not detected or is far away, and may be activated by the control unit when the object is close or very close.

Specifically, the control unit analyzes the output from the ADC 126 of the receiver 102 to detect the distance between the target and the pulse radar system, and when the target approaches a preset value or less, the period/width The control unit 114 can be activated.

The period/width control unit 114 may shortly vary the period of the transmission pulse when it is detected by the control unit that the target is close to the pulse radar system.

In addition, the period/width control unit 114 may change the period and width of the transmission pulse small when it is detected that the target is very close to the pulse radar system by the control unit.

That is, when the target is close or very close, the number of transmission pulse outputs increases, so that precise search of the target is possible and resolution can be improved.

On the other hand, if detection of the direction in which the target is located is possible, the period/width control unit 114 changes only the period of the transmission pulse of the sector corresponding to the direction in which the target is located, and does not change the period of the transmission pulse of the remaining sectors. The unit 112 can be controlled.

The delay unit 120 may delay the clock signal output from the transmission pulse unit 112 and finely adjust the timing of the echo signal detection so as to be synchronized with the transmission pulse. As a result, mutual interference that the transmission pulse affects reception can be prevented and the reception resolution can be improved.

According to an embodiment, the delay unit 120 may be a Delay Locked Loop (DLL). Of course, there is no limitation as long as the delay unit 120 delays the clock signal output from the transmission pulse unit 112.

Looking at the receiver 102, the amplifying unit 122 may amplify the echo signal received through the receiving antenna. Here, the echo signal is a transmission signal reflected from the target. For example, the amplification unit 122 may be a low noise amplifier (LNA).

The time division signal unit 124 may detect the amplified echo signal during a time division period corresponding to the clock signal output from the delay unit 120. In particular, the time division signal unit 124 may sample the amplified echo signal during the time division period and store it in a storage unit, for example, a capacitor C.

Here, the time division period may be a period between transmission pulses in FIG. 2. That is, the time division signal unit 124 may sample the amplified echo signal during a period between the transmission pulses.

The analog-to-digital converter 126 may convert the analog signal stored in the storage unit into a digital signal and output it to the control unit.

The controller may analyze the output of the ADC 126 to detect a distance between the pulse radar system and the target, whether the target exists, the type of the target, or the size of the target.

In summary, the pulse radar system can precisely search the target by varying the period or width of the transmission pulse or clock signal according to the proximity of the target.

Looking at the driving process of the pulse radar system with reference to FIG. 2, in normal times, the transmission pulse unit 112 generates transmission pulses based on a reference clock, and transmits the generated transmission pulses to the transmission unit 116 and the delay unit 120. ).

Subsequently, when a target approaches and is close to the pulse radar system, that is, when the distance between the target and the pulse radar system becomes less than or equal to the first distance, the control unit detects that the target is close and the period/width control unit 114 ) Can be activated.

Subsequently, the period/width control unit 114 shortly changes the period of the transmission pulse by adjusting the frequency of the transmission pulse under the control of the control unit, and provides a transmission pulse having a variable period to the transmission unit 116, and , The transmission pulse may be provided as a clock signal to the time division signal unit 124 through the delay unit 120. As a result, the length and period of the time division section are shortened, so that the resolution can be improved.

Subsequently, when the target is very close to the pulsed radar system, that is, when the distance between the target and the pulsed radar system is less than or equal to a second distance that is less than the first distance, the control unit detects that the target is very close. do.

Subsequently, the period/width control unit 114 changes the period and width of the transmission pulse to be small under the control of the control unit, provides a transmission pulse having a variable period and width to the transmission unit 116, and provides the transmission pulse. As a clock signal, it may be provided to the time division signal unit 124 through the delay unit 120. As a result, resolution and resolution can be improved.

Of course, when the object is away from the pulsed radar system, the period and width of the transmission pulse and the clock signal may be restored to the normal period and width.

These pulsed radar systems have good gain, but may have a slightly lower resolution. Therefore, even if the gain is reduced, the following pulse radar system is additionally proposed to improve the resolution.

3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a pulse radar system according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a signal flow in the pulse radar system of FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 3, the transmitter 300 of the pulse radar system according to the present embodiment includes a clock generator 310, a transmission pulse unit 312, a period/width control unit 314, a transmission unit 316, and a delay unit 320. , A time division extension unit 330, a switching control unit 332, and a transmission antenna. Here, the time division expansion unit 330 and the switching control unit 332 may be referred to as a time division clock unit in that they control a time division clock.

The receiver 302 may include a receiving antenna, an amplifying unit 322, a time division signal unit 324, a storage unit, and an ADC 326.

The remaining components except for the time division expansion unit 330 and the switching control unit 332 are the same as in the first embodiment, and thus detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The transmission pulse unit 312 generates a transmission pulse and a clock signal based on the reference clock output from the clock generation unit 310, provides the generated transmission pulse to the transmission unit 316, and delays the generated clock signal. It can be provided to the unit 320. Here, the transmission pulse may be used as the clock signal.

The delay unit 320 may delay the clock signal output from the transmission pulse unit 312.

The time division extension unit 330 is, for example, a demultiplexer (DEMUX), and may generate a plurality of time division preliminary clocks based on a clock signal output from the delay unit 320.

The switching control unit 332 may select some time-division preliminary clocks from the time-division preliminary clocks output from the time-division extension unit 330, and provide the selected time-division preliminary clocks as time-division clocks to the time-division signal unit 324.

As a result, the time division signal unit 324 may detect the echo signal during the time division clocks. Of course, the echo signal may be detected through sampling during the time division clock as shown in FIG. 4.

That is, unlike in the first embodiment in which the time division section is determined based on the clock signal output from the transmission pulse unit 112, in this embodiment, the clock signal output from the transmission pulse unit 312 is divided into a plurality of time division clocks. Can be extended to detect the echo signal. As a result, the resolution of the pulsed radar system can be increased.

Looking at the signal flow with reference to FIG. 4, in normal times, clocks of the clock signal (transmission pulse) output from the transmission pulse unit 312 are expanded and used as time-division clocks.

Subsequently, when the target is close to the pulse radar system, that is, when the distance between the target and the pulse radar system becomes less than or equal to the first distance, the control unit activates the period/width control unit 314, and the period width control unit 314 ) May shortly vary the period of the transmission pulse by controlling the transmission pulse unit 312 under the control of the controller. As a result, the period of the clock signal output to the delay unit 320 is shortened, and as a result, the period of the time division period for detecting the echo signal may be shortened.

Subsequently, when the target is closer to the pulse radar system, that is, when the distance between the target and the pulse radar system becomes less than or equal to the second distance smaller than the first distance, the period width control unit 314 May control the transmission pulse unit 312 under the control of the control unit to change the period and width of the transmission pulse to be small. As a result, the period and width of the clock signal output to the delay unit 320 are also shortened, and as a result, the period and width of the time division period for detecting the echo signal may be shortened.

In summary, in the pulse radar system of the present embodiment, the width and period of the transmission pulse and the clock signal are varied according to the proximity of the object, but the echo signal can be detected by expanding the clock of the clock signal to a plurality of time-division clocks. As a result, the resolution of the pulsed radar system can be improved.

In the above, it has been described that the time division expansion unit 330 expands the clock signal input from the delay unit 320 to a plurality of time division preliminary clocks according to a preset setting, but the time division expansion unit 330 is additionally added by the control unit. It can also be controlled.

For example, when the size of the approaching object is large, the controller may make the period or width of the time-division preliminary clocks smaller than the period or width of the time-division preliminary clocks when an object having a small size approaches. That is, even if the same clock signal is input from the delay unit 320, the time division expansion unit 330 may generate time division preliminary clocks having different periods or widths according to the size and type of the object under the control of the control unit. I can. Accordingly, the larger the size of the object, the smaller the period or width of the time-division preliminary clocks to increase the resolution, so that the object can be detected more precisely.

On the other hand, power management is important for pulsed radar systems that require ultra-power. Therefore, a pulse radar system capable of precisely managing power is additionally proposed as follows.

5 is a block diagram illustrating a pulse radar system according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a signal flow in the pulse radar system of FIG. 5.

Since the remaining components except for the sleep mode control unit 500 are the same as in the second embodiment, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

When the pulse radar system enters a preset depth or more or reaches a preset power, the controller may operate the pulse radar system in a sleep mode regardless of whether or not a target is close to reduce power consumption.

When entering the sleep mode, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the period of the transmission pulse and the period of the time division clock may be lengthened.

Even though power consumption is reduced through this process, if power reaches a limit value, the pulsed radar system may enter a DEEP sleep mode and the pulsed radar system may be switched to a standby state.

Conversely, when the power is restored to the normal level, the sleep mode is changed to the active mode, and the operation of the first embodiment or the second embodiment is performed.

Meanwhile, the constituent elements of the above-described embodiment can be easily grasped from a process perspective. That is, each component can be identified as a respective process. In addition, the process of the above-described embodiment can be easily grasped from the viewpoint of the components of the device.

In addition, the above-described technical contents may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed through various computer means and recorded in a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, and the like alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the medium may be specially designed and configured for the embodiments, or may be known and usable to those skilled in computer software. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, and magnetic media such as floptical disks. -A hardware device specially configured to store and execute program instructions such as magneto-optical media, and ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include not only machine language codes such as those produced by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware device may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the embodiments, and vice versa.

The above-described embodiments of the present invention are disclosed for the purpose of illustration, and those skilled in the art who have ordinary knowledge of the present invention will be able to make various modifications, changes, and additions within the spirit and scope of the present invention. It should be seen as falling within the scope of the following claims.

100, 300: transmitter 102, 302: receiver
110, 310: clock generation unit 112, 312: transmission pulse unit
114, 314: period/width control unit 116, 316: transmission unit
120, 320: delay unit 122, 322: amplification unit
124, 324: time division signal unit 126, 326: ADC
330: time division expansion unit 332: switching control unit
500: sleep mode control unit

Claims (13)

In the pulse radar system,
A transmission pulse unit that generates a transmission pulse and a clock signal based on a reference clock;
A transmission unit for outputting a transmission signal according to a transmission pulse provided from the transmission pulse unit;
A period/width control unit for controlling the transmission pulse unit to vary the period or width of the transmission pulse or the period or width of the clock signal; And
A time division extension unit that generates a plurality of time division preliminary clocks based on the clock signal generated from the transmission pulse unit; And
And a switching control unit for selecting some of the time-division preliminary clocks output from the time-division extension unit,
The clock signal is used to generate a time division clock for detecting an echo signal, which is a transmission signal reflected from a target,
The period/width control unit controls the transmission pulse unit to shorten the period of the transmission pulse and the clock signal when the target approaches the pulse radar system within a first distance, and the period of the clock signal is shortened. Accordingly, the period of the time-division clock generated based on the clock signal is also shortened, so that the width or period of the time-division period that is the period for detecting the echo signal is shortened
The selected time division preliminary clock means the time division clock, and the echo signal is detected during a time division period of the time division clock. The pulse radar system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission pulse is used as the clock signal. The method of claim 1,
A delay unit for delaying the clock signal to synchronize the transmission pulse and the time-division clock; And
By detecting the echo signal, the distance between the target and the pulse radar system is measured, and the period/width control unit is normally deactivated, and it is detected that the target approaches the pulse radar system within the first distance. In case of further comprising a control unit for activating the period / width control unit,
The period/width control unit controls the transmission pulse unit to vary a period of the transmission pulse or the clock signal under the control of the control unit. The transmission pulse according to claim 1, wherein the period/width control unit makes the width of the transmission pulse and the clock signal smaller when the target is in close proximity to the pulse radar system within a second distance less than the first distance. A pulse radar system, characterized in that the width and period of a time division period, which is a period in which the echo signal is detected, becomes shorter as the width of the clock signal decreases and the width of the clock signal decreases. delete The method of claim 1,
Further comprising a control unit for determining the type or size of the object by detecting the echo signal,
The control unit controls the time division extension unit according to the type or size of the object to make the period or width of the time division preliminary clocks different,
Even if the distance between the target and the pulse radar system is the same, the period or width of the time division preliminary clocks is different according to the type or size of the target. The method of claim 1,
Receiving antenna;
An amplifying unit amplifying the echo signal received through the receiving antenna;
Storage;
A time division signal unit for sampling the amplified echo signal during the time division period and storing the amplified echo signal in the storage unit; And
And an analog-to-digital converter for converting the analog signal stored in the storage unit into a digital signal. The method of claim 1, wherein when the pulse radar system enters a preset depth or more or reaches a preset power, the pulse radar system enters a sleep mode,
The pulse radar system, characterized in that the period of the transmission pulse and the clock signal increases regardless of a distance between the target and the pulse radar system when entering the sleep mode. The method of claim 1, wherein the period/width control unit shortens the period of the transmission pulse output to the sector in which the target is located when the target approaches the pulse radar system within a first distance, but is output to an area other than the sector. A pulse radar system, characterized in that the period of the transmission pulse is maintained as it is. In the pulse radar system,
A transmission pulse unit that generates a transmission pulse and a clock signal based on a reference clock;
A transmission unit for outputting a transmission signal according to a transmission pulse provided from the transmission pulse unit; And
A time division clock unit for generating a plurality of time division clocks for detecting an echo signal, which is a transmission signal reflected from a target, based on the clock signal generated from the transmission pulse unit,
The width or period of the time-division clock may vary depending on the distance between the target and the pulse radar system, the type of the target, or the size of the target,
The time division clock unit,
A time division extension unit that generates a plurality of time division preliminary clocks based on the clock signal generated from the transmission pulse unit; And
And a switching control unit for selecting some time-division preliminary clocks from among the time-division preliminary clocks output from the time-division extension unit,
The selected time division preliminary clock means the time division clock, and the echo signal is detected during a time division period of the time division clock. The method of claim 10,
Further comprising a period/width control unit for controlling the transmission pulse unit to vary the period or width of the transmission pulse or the period or width of the clock signal,
The period/width control unit controls the transmission pulse unit to shorten the period of the transmission pulse and the clock signal when a target approaches the pulse radar system within a first distance, and as the period of the clock signal becomes shorter A pulse radar system, characterized in that the period of the time division clock is also shortened, so that the width and period of the time division period, which is a period for detecting the echo signal, are shortened. delete The method of claim 10,
Further comprising a control unit for determining the type or size of the object by detecting the echo signal,
The control unit controls the time division extension unit according to the type or size of the object to make the period or width of the time division preliminary clocks different,
Even if the distance between the target and the pulse radar system is the same, the period or width of the time division preliminary clocks is different according to the type or size of the target.

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