US 11,933,907 B2Granted

Direction detection device, method of acquiring intensity difference table, direction detection method, and computer-readable storage medium

AssigneeMitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

InventorNoriyasu Kato

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Abstract

A direction detection device for detecting a received-wave arrival direction of a received wave, and includes: antennas for receiving the received wave; an intensity difference imparting unit that imparts intensity differences different depending on the received-wave arrival direction to intensities of the received wave; a storage unit that stores an intensity difference table in which the intensity difference between two of the antennas is associated with the received-wave arrival direction, for each combination of any two of the antennas; a detector that detects the intensity difference between the two antennas of the received wave; an extractor that extracts, from the intensity difference table, received-wave arrival directions corresponding to the intensity difference detected by the detector, for each combination; and a comparator that compares the received-wave arrival directions extracted by the extractor between the combinations of the antennas to acquire a matched received-wave arrival direction as a detection result.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A direction detection device for detecting a received-wave arrival direction of a received wave, the arrival direction of the received wave being defined by an AZ angle and an EL angle, the direction detection device comprising:

three or more antennas for receiving the received wave, the three or more antennas including a first combination of any two of the three or more antennas and a second combination of any two of the three or more antennas, wherein the three or more antennas are arranged linearly;
an intensity difference imparting unit configured to impart different intensity differences depending on the received-wave arrival direction to intensities of the received wave to be received at the antennas;
a detector configured to detect:
a first intensity difference between the any two of the three or more antennas in the first combination of the received wave to be received at the antennas, and
a second intensity difference between the any two of the three or more antennas in the second combination of the received wave to be received at the antennas;
a storage unit storing:
a first intensity difference table having a plurality of first cells each identified by an AZ angle and an EL angle, and in which an intensity difference between the any two of the three or more antennas in the first combination is set in each of the first cells, and
a second intensity difference table having a plurality of second cells each identified by an AZ angle and an EL angle, and in which an intensity difference between the any two of the three or more antennas in the second combination is set in each of the second cells;
an extractor configured to extract:
from the first intensity difference table stored in the storage unit, a plurality of first candidate cells corresponding to the first intensity difference detected by the detector, and
from the second intensity difference table stored in the storage unit, a plurality of second candidate cells corresponding to the second intensity difference detected by the detector;
and
a comparator configured to compare AZ and EL angles associated with the first candidate cells with AZ and EL angles associated with the second candidate cells to acquire cells which match one another, wherein the AZ and EL angles corresponding to the acquired cells are a detection result,
wherein provision of different intensity differences according to the arrival direction of the received wave by the intensity difference imparting unit is due to at least one of:
(i) the intensity difference imparting unit having a non-uniform shape in three-dimensional space;
(ii) the intensity difference imparting unit having a non-uniform structure in three-dimensional space;
(iii) the intensity difference imparting unit having a material that changes an electrical characteristic of the received wave;
and
(iv) the three or more antennas being circularly polarized, and elements of the circularly polarized antennas having spatially non-uniform gains.

16 more elements

A direction detection method of detecting a received-wave arrival direction of a received wave by a direction detection device for detecting a received-wave arrival direction of the received wave, the direction detection device comprising a plurality of antennas for receiving the received wave;

an intensity difference imparting unit to impart different intensity differences depending on the received-wave arrival direction to intensities of the received wave to be received at the antennas;
a storage unit to store an intensity difference table in which an intensity difference between two of the antennas is associated with the received-wave arrival direction, for each combination of any two of the antennas;
a detector to detect the intensity difference between the two antennas of the received wave to be received at the antennas;
an extractor to extract, from the intensity difference table stored in the storage unit, a plurality of received-wave arrival directions corresponding to the intensity difference detected by the detector, for each combination of any two of the antennas;
and a comparator to compare the received-wave arrival directions extracted by the extractor between the combinations of the antennas to acquire a matched received-wave arrival direction as a detection result, the direction detection method comprising:
receiving the received wave by the plurality of antennas;
detecting, by the detector, an intensity difference between two of the antennas of the received wave to be received at the antennas;
extracting, by the extractor, from the intensity difference table stored in the storage unit, a plurality of received-wave arrival directions corresponding to the intensity difference detected by the detector, for each combination of any two of the antennas;
and
comparing, by the comparator, the received-wave arrival directions extracted between the combinations of the antennas to acquire a matched received-wave arrival direction as a detection result,
wherein the intensity difference table is acquired by:
setting up a radio wave source for generating the received wave so that the received wave is in a predetermined arrival direction with respect to the plurality of antennas;
causing the radio wave source to generate the received wave;
receiving the received wave by the antennas;
and
acquiring the intensity difference table in which an intensity difference of the received wave between two of the antennas is associated with a received-wave arrival direction.

13 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a direction detection program for detecting a received-wave arrival direction of a received wave, the direction detection program, when executed by a computer of a direction detection device for detecting a received-wave arrival direction of the received wave, the direction detection device comprising a plurality of antennas for receiving the received wave;

an intensity difference imparting unit to impart different intensity differences depending on the received-wave arrival direction to intensities of the received wave to be received at the antennas;
a storage unit to store an intensity difference table in which an intensity difference between two of the antennas is associated with the received-wave arrival direction, for each combination of any two of the antennas;
a detector to detect the intensity difference between the two antennas of the received wave to be received at the antennas;
an extractor to extract, from the intensity difference table stored in the storage unit, a plurality of received-wave arrival directions corresponding to the intensity difference detected by the detector, for each combination of any two of the antennas;
and a comparator to compare the received-wave arrival directions extracted by the extractor between the combinations of the antennas to acquire a matched received-wave arrival direction as a detection result, causing the direction detection device to:
receive the received wave by the plurality of antennas;
detect an intensity difference between two of the antennas of the received wave to be received at the antennas;
extract, from the intensity difference table stored in the storage unit, a plurality of received-wave arrival directions corresponding to the detected intensity difference, for each combination of any two of the antennas;
and
compare the received-wave arrival directions extracted between the combinations of the antennas to acquire a matched received-wave arrival direction as a detection result,
wherein the intensity difference table is acquired by:
setting up a radio wave source for generating the received wave so that the received wave is in a predetermined arrival direction with respect to the plurality of antennas;
causing the radio wave source to generate the received wave;
receiving the received wave by the antennas;
and
acquiring the intensity difference table in which an intensity difference of the received wave between two of the antennas is associated with a received-wave arrival direction.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/693,709Filed 14 Mar 2022
Priority: JP 2021-07123120 Apr 2021
Published: US 2022/0334210 A120 Oct 2022
Granted: 19 Mar 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G01S 3/28
Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction: using amplitude comparison of signals derived simultaneously from…
G01S 3/023
Using radio waves: monitoring or calibrating
G01S 3/043
Details: receivers
G01S 3/06
Details: means for increasing effective directivity, e.g. by combining signals having differently oriented directivity characteristics or by…