Adaptive Conformal Arrays for Next-Generation Wireless Communications

用于下一代无线通信的自适应共形阵列

• 批准号: 0098547
• 负责人: Kathleen Melde
• 金额: $ 24万
• 依托单位: University of Arizona
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-06-01 至 2005-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0098547&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Adaptive; Conformal; Arrays; Next; Generation

0098547VirgaThe rapid explosion in the number of wireless communications systems demands an everincreasing system performance capacity. It is imperative that innovative design paradigms thatmaximize system performance be pursued. Significant attention has been given to maximizingperformance in the communications protocols, while less has been given to the systemthroughput available from "smart" array antenna design. Adaptive conformal antenna arrays arearrays with radiating elements that are placed in arbitrary locations and the elements may bedirected in different directions. The interest in adaptive conformal antennas at the base stationand on the mobile terminals is motivated by previous work reported on indoor wireless channelsand on novel space-time coding techniques that suggests the use of conformal arrays improvesthe reliability of the communications over multi-path propagation effects and fading, and ingeneral, improves the overall quality of service of the entire wireless network.This proposal addresses the development of simulation, design, and analysis approaches foradaptive conformal array antennas and provides an in-depth investigation to quantify theperformance capabilities available from conformal arrays. The result will be a new class of arrayantennas and design tools for fourth generation wireless systems and beyond. This work will befocused in two main areas. The first area involves developing novel simulation algorithms tounderstand how the particular array weights for several conformal array configurationsinfluences the spatial distribution of the transmitted or received signal. This work will includethe development efficient tools to determine the optimal set array weights necessary to obtain aspecified spatial response. The research will use the results of previous antenna modeling effortsto factor in the effects of realistic designs of typical antenna elements, (element patterns, gainand phase imbalance, and mutual coupling etc.) and real-time processing resources. The secondarea involves developing processing methods to determine space-time characteristics forconformal arrays. This will allow the determination of the angle-of-arrival of an incoming signaland will allow the PI's to adapt the array weights in order to maximize signal to noise ratio and quality of the wireless channel.The intellectual and creative aspects of the proposed activities include advancing thestate-of-the-art for general conformal array antennas for wireless communications, implementingevolutionary programming methods that take into account multi-design criteria for conformalantenna arrays, quantifying fundamental characteristic design formulas to understand thecapabilities and limitations of conformal array antennas, and utilizing directional elements in thedesign of conformal arrays and quantifying the performance enhancements obtained from the useof directional elements in conformal arrays. Other activities include investigating the mutualcoupling between radiators in conformal arrays, and developing novel adaptive processingmethods specifically for conformal arrays for angle-of-arrival and time-of-arrival estimation. ThePIs plan to interface with research activities in this proposal with work in a wireless networkingproject when applicable. This will have broader impact beyond the research described in thepresent proposal.

无线通信系统数量的快速增长要求系统性能容量不断增加。当务之急是创新的设计范式，最大限度地提高系统性能的追求。通信协议中的性能最大化受到了极大的关注，而“智能”阵列天线设计中的系统吞吐量却很少得到关注。自适应共形天线阵是一种辐射单元位于任意位置且辐射方向不同的天线阵。对基站和移动的终端上的自适应共形天线的兴趣是由先前关于室内无线信道和新颖的空时编码技术的工作所激发的，所述工作表明共形阵列的使用提高了通信在多径传播效应和衰落下的可靠性，并且一般而言，提高了整个无线网络的整体服务质量。该建议涉及仿真，设计，和分析方法为自适应共形阵列天线，并提供了一个深入的调查，以量化的性能能力，可从共形阵列。其结果将是一种新的阵列天线和设计工具，用于第四代无线系统及以后。这项工作将集中在两个主要领域。第一个领域涉及开发新的仿真算法，以了解如何特定的阵列权重为几个共形阵列configurationsaffects的空间分布的发送或接收信号。这项工作将包括开发有效的工具，以确定必要的最佳设置阵列权重，以获得指定的空间响应。本研究将利用先前天线建模工作的结果，考虑典型天线单元的实际设计的影响（单元方向图、增益和相位不平衡以及互耦等）。和实时处理资源。第二个领域涉及发展处理方法，以确定共形阵列的时空特性。这将允许确定一个输入信号的到达角，并将允许PI的调整阵列权重，以最大限度地提高信噪比和无线信道的质量。拟议活动的智力和创造性方面包括推进无线通信的一般共形阵列天线的最新技术水平，实现了考虑共形天线阵列多设计准则的进化规划方法，量化了基本特性设计公式以了解共形阵列天线的能力和局限性，在共形阵设计中利用方向性阵元，并量化了共形阵中使用方向性阵元所获得的性能提高。其他活动包括研究共形阵列中辐射器之间的相互耦合，并开发专门用于共形阵列的到达角和到达时间估计的新的自适应处理方法。PI计划与本提案中的研究活动进行接口，并在适用时与无线网络项目中的工作进行接口。这将产生超出本提案所述研究范围的更广泛影响。