Array Beamforming Research Articles

Robust Adaptive Beamforming Algorithm for Sparse Subarray Antenna Array Based on Hierarchical Weighting

Sparse antenna arrays based on subarrays have more and more broad application prospects for the limitation of array space, real-time algorithm and hardware costs. Aiming at the beamforming technology of sparse antenna arrays based on subarrays, this paper proposes a robust adaptive beamforming algorithm based on hierarchical weighting. The algorithm performs conventional beamforming to calculate the weights of each element in the subarray, then the synthetic signals output by each subarray are used as sparse array metadata. The Interference-plus-Noise Covariance Matrix (INCM) is reconstructed by integration in two-dimensional space, and a convex optimization model of a multi-constraint array containing the signal pointing error was established to estimate the real guide vector. Finally, using the reconstructed INCM and the estimation of the guide vector, we obtain a weighted vector between the subarrays and output signal for the whole array. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has better Signal-to-Interference-and-Noise Ratio (SINR) and robustness compared with other algorithms for sparse subarray antenna array beamforming.

A continuous underwater bubble localization method using passive acoustic array beamforming

The bubble is an effective carrier of underwater gas leakage detection, and its rapid localization is of great significance. In this paper, a continuous underwater bubble localization method using passive acoustic array beamforming is proposed. A specific array of hydrophones was constructed to capture the bubble acoustic signal. The signal of finite length is obtained by introducing the time window. Then, the time delay compensation is carried out according to the positions of the hydrophones in the array to estimate the direction of arrival. The influence of shape, number, and aperture of the hydrophone array on the algorithm performance is studied by simulation. Moreover, the experiment was carried out in a cuboid transparent tempered glass water tank in the laboratory, and a field programmable gate array is used as the core control unit of the data processing system to complete the signal acquisition and the algorithm execution. The localization results show that the passive acoustic cross array beamforming algorithm can accurately and stably estimate the leakage direction at different positions.

High-Resolution Phased-Subarray MIMO Radar With Grating Lobe Cancellation Technique

A collocated phased-subarray multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) radar system that reduces the number of MIMO channels to implement a large antenna array is proposed. Both the transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) arrays are divided into phased subarrays, which consist of several RF beamforming antenna elements. Each phased subarray is exploited as an MIMO channel. To estimate the angular information of targets, a hybrid beamforming technique that incorporates RF beamforming of the phased subarrays and digital beamforming of the MIMO virtual array is used. Antenna configurations of the phased-subarray MIMO radar and the corresponding virtual array are also presented. A space between the TX phased subarrays larger than one TX subarray aperture is introduced to facilitate the larger antenna aperture. Because this involves unwanted overall grating lobes, a grating lobe cancellation method is proposed using sum and difference RF subarray beams. This provides a higher angular resolution with the same number of antenna elements. The proposed phased-subarray MIMO radar concept with the corresponding grating lobe cancellation method is demonstrated by implementing a 60-GHz 16-element phased-subarray 2 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\times }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> 2 MIMO frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar system.

Performance Enhancement of Functional Delay and Sum Beamforming for Spherical Microphone Arrays

Functional delay and sum (FDAS) beamforming for spherical microphone arrays can achieve 360° panoramic acoustic source identification, thus having broad application prospects for identifying interior noise sources. However, its acoustic imaging suffers from severe sidelobe contamination under a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which deteriorates the sound source identification performance. In order to overcome this issue, the cross-spectral matrix (CSM) of the measured sound pressure signal is reconstructed with diagonal reconstruction (DRec), robust principal component analysis (RPCA), and probabilistic factor analysis (PFA). Correspondingly, three enhanced FDAS methods, namely EFDAS-DRec, EFDAS-RPCA, and EFDAS-PFA, are established. Simulations show that the three methods can significantly enhance the sound source identification performance of FDAS under low SNRs. Compared with FDAS at SNR = 0 dB and the number of snapshots = 1000, the average maximum sidelobe levels of EFDAS-DRec, EFDAS-RPCA, and EFDAS-PFA are reduced by 6.4 dB, 21.6 dB, and 53.1 dB, respectively, and the mainlobes of sound sources are shrunk by 43.5%, 69.0%, and 80.0%, respectively. Moreover, when the number of snapshots is sufficient, the three EFDAS methods can improve both the quantification accuracy and the weak source localization capability. Among the three EFDAS methods, EFDAS-DRec has the highest quantification accuracy, and EFDAS-PFA has the best localization ability for weak sources. The effectiveness of the established methods and the correctness of the simulation conclusions are verified by the acoustic source identification experiment in an ordinary room, and the findings provide a more advanced test and analysis tool for noise source identification in low-SNR cabin environments.

Are universal beamformers passive cognitive sonar systems?

Cognitive sonars dynamically tune system parameters to improve performance in pursuit of specific goals. Most research on cognitive sonar focuses on active sonar, varying the transmitted waveform and ping rate. Although passive sonar also faces the challenges of pursuing goals in varying and unknown environments, little research has been done exploring cognitive approaches to passive beamforming for sonar arrays. Universal beamformers provide one implementation of a cognitive approach to passive sonar. Practical adaptive beamformers generally regularize the sample covariance matrix before estimating the array weights. Universal beamformers blend the array weights across a family of beamformers competing on different choices for the regularization parameters. The blend of array weights is performance driven based, including the largest portion from the beamformers best suited for the current environment. Universal are “doubly adaptive” in that each competing beamformer is adapting its array weight vector in response to the data observed at the sensor array, the universal algorithm is then meta-adapting the blend of these array weight vectors used to process the data based on the performance of each competing beamformer. We will present examples of beamformers, which are universal over dominant subspace dimension and beam pattern notch width for moving interferers. [Work supported by ONR 321US.]

Partial field visualization using an advanced circular aperture, continuous-scan acoustic array

ATA Engineering, Inc. designed, fabricated, and tested a novel circular aperture acoustic array for continuous-scan beamforming and acoustical holography applications. The array comprises an outer perimeter of stationary reference sensors coupled to a multi-arm inner rotating array that samples the entire aperture plane. The unique architecture allows the user to perform both fixed-receiver and continuous-scan beamforming with a single array with the latter method also enabling high-spatial-resolution partial field visualization. The presentation will show results from far- and near-field partial field visualizations over the rotating array circular aperture taken at different orientations. The presentation will also describe the use of the array to measure and model isolated sources, and experimentally verify their boundary element method-predicted sound fields in the presence of a scattering body.

Research on Underwater Acoustic Target Depth Classification Based on Modal Filtering Characteristics of Long Horizontal Line Array

Considering the problem of depth classification of underwater acoustic targets in shallow water, a classification method based on modal filtering characteristics of long horizontal line array(HLA) beamforming in a negative thermocline environment was proposed. Based on normal mode theory, the spatial filtering characteristics of long HLA are studied by beamforming, and it was found that this characteristic can filter a normal mode. In the negative thermocline environment, the acoustic fields excited by deep and shallow sources and received by deep receivers are controlled by different modes. Surface reflection bottom reflection (SRBR) mode and non-surface reflection bottom reflection (NSRBR) mode show different interference structures in range-spectrum. Based on the characteristics of modal filtering and sound field classification, a depth classification method for shallow water acoustic targets in a negative thermocline environment is established. Numerical results show that the proposed method is robust and can effectively distinguish the acoustic source targets above or below the thermocline (surface and underwater targets) without knowing the specific acoustic environment parameters in advance.

MIMO Monopulse Radar for Detecting Human Targets With I/Q Curve-Length Estimations

This letter proposes a method to detect the angular locations of human targets using a multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) monopulse radar system. Sum and difference beams used for monopulse processing are simply implemented by digital beamforming of a virtual array generated by collocated MIMO radar. Human targets are readily distinguished from stationary clutter based on the phase variations in their signals, which are detected by estimating the curve lengths (CLs) of the I/Q trajectories. A monopulse processing technique integrated with the CL method is thus proposed. This system resolves two human targets, of which the angular separation is less than the angular resolution of the conventional radar. The system is verified through both simulations and experiments in an indoor environment.

Establishing density-dependent longitudinal sound speed in the vertebral lamina.

Focused ultrasound treatments of the spinal cord may be facilitated using a phased array transducer and beamforming to correct spine-induced focal aberrations. Simulations can non-invasively calculate aberration corrections using x-ray computed tomography (CT) data that are correlated to density (ρ) and longitudinal sound speed (cL). We aimed to optimize vertebral lamina-specific cL(ρ) functions at a physiological temperature (37 °C) to maximize time domain simulation accuracy. Odd-numbered ex vivo human thoracic vertebrae were imaged with a clinical CT-scanner (0.511 × 0.511 × 0.5 mm), then sonicated with a transducer (514 kHz) focused on the canal via the vertebral lamina. Vertebra-induced signal time shifts were extracted from pressure waveforms recorded within the canals. Measurements were repeated 5× per vertebra, with 2.5 mm vertical vertebra shifts between measurements. Linear functions relating cL with CT-derived density were optimized. The optimized function was cL(ρ)=0.35(ρ-ρw)+ cL,w m/s, where w denotes water, giving the tested laminae a mean bulk density of 1600 ± 30 kg/m3 and a mean bulk cL of 1670 ± 60 m/s. The optimized lamina cL(ρ) function was accurate to λ/16 when implemented in a multi-layered ray acoustics model. This modelling accuracy will improve trans-spine ultrasound beamforming.

Design of a Tile-Type Rx Multi-Beam Digital Active Phased Array Antenna System

This paper details the design, manufacture, and performance test results of a highly integrated Rx multi-beam active phased array antenna for aerial communications. The proposed Rx phased array antenna comprises three tile-phased array antennas consisting of array antennas, radio frequency, and beamforming units. A performance test of the Rx antenna system revealed the system achieved gain-to-noise temperature of -6 dB/K and beam pointing accuracy of below 0.4° with four independently operable multi-beams. It is designed with compact size and less weight for various platforms.

Area Noise Assessment at Surface Stone, Sand, and Gravel Mines: Application for Reducing Worker Noise Exposure.

Repeated noise exposure and occupational hearing loss are common health problems across industries and especially within the mining industry. Large mechanized processes, blasting, grinding, drilling, and work that is often in close quarters put many miners at an increased risk of noise overexposure. In stone, sand, and gravel mining, noise is generated from a variety of sources, depending on the type of ore being mined as well as the final consumer product provided by that mine. Depending on the source of noise generation, different strategies to reduce and avoid that noise should be implemented. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has evaluated the noise profile at three operational surface stone, sand, and gravel mines. A-weighted sound level meter data as well as phase array beamforming data were collected throughout the mines in areas with high noise exposure or high personnel foot or vehicle traffic. Sound level meter data collected on a grid pattern was used to develop sound profiles of the working areas. These sound contour maps as well as phase array beamforming plots were provided to the mines as well as guidance to modify work areas or personnel traffic to reduce noise exposure.

Air-Coupled Ultrasonic Spiral Phased Array for High-Precision Beamforming and Imaging

Sparse spiral phased arrays are advantageous for many emerging air-coupled ultrasonic applications, since grating lobes are prevented without being constrained to the half-wavelength element spacing requirement of well-known dense arrays. As a result, the limitation on the maximum transducer diameter is omitted and the aperture can be enlarged for improving the beamforming precision without requiring the number of transducers to be increased. We demonstrate that in-air imaging, in particular, benefits from these features, enabling large-volume, unambiguous and high-resolution image formation. Therefore, we created an air-coupled ultrasonic phased array based on the Fermat spiral, capable of transmit, receive and pulse-echo operation, as well as 3D imaging. The array consists of 64 piezoelectric 40-kHz transducers (Murata MA40S4S), spanning an aperture of 200mm. First, we provide an application-independent numerical and experimental characterization of the conventional beamforming performance of all operation modes for varying focal directions and distances. Second, we examine the resulting imaging capabilities using the single line transmission technique. Apart from the high maximum sound pressure level of 152 dB, we validate that unambiguous high-accuracy 3D imaging is possible in a wide field of view (&#x00B1;80&#x00B0;), long range (20cm to 5m+) and with a high angular resolution of up to 2.3&#x00B0;. Additionally, we demonstrate that object shapes and patterns of multiple reflectors are recognizable in the images generated using a simple threshold for separation. In total, the imaging capabilities achieved are promising to open up further possibilities, e.g. robust object classification in harsh environments based on ultrasonic images.

Applications of Machine Learning in Antenna Array Processing [Book/Software Reviews

This book is intended to be a practical guide for students, engineers, and researchers in electromagnetics with minimal background in ML. It can also serve as a basic reference book for ML algorithms, advanced topics of electromagnetics, and applications of ML in antenna array processing. The book is divided into two parts. The first part contains five chapters, which cover the theoretical principles of the most common ML architectures and algorithms used today in machines, kernel methods for antenna array, neural networks, and deep learning for computational electromagnetics. The second part consists of four chapters that provide detailed applications of the algorithms of electromagnetic problems, such as in antenna array beamforming, angle of arrival detection, computational electromagnetics, antenna optimization, reconfigurable antennas, cognitive radio, and other aspects of electromagnetic design. This book is the front runner of ML as it applies to electromagnetics and antenna array processing. It requires extensive mathematics and statistics skills and knowledge by the reader to read, understand, and use this book. The original graphics and charts were in color, with explanations of the charts based on the color in the charts, but the color has been removed in the published copy, which may cause the reader some confusion.

Microphone Array Beamforming With High Flexible Interference Attenuation and Noise Reduction

This paper studies the problem of microphone array beamforming to enhance a speech signal of interest in adverse acoustic environments, where interference and additive background noise coexist. The problem is formulated as one of convex optimization whose solution under a specified level of interference attenuation leads to an interference controlled maximum noise reduction (ICMR) beamformer, which can be expressed as a linear combination of two MVDR beamformers: one attempts to extract the desired source signal while the other attempts to extract the interference. The combination coefficients are functions of the array manifold vectors, noise coherence matrix, and the specified interference attenuation factor. By tuning the interference attenuation factor, the ICMR beamformer can be implemented to achieve aggressive interference attenuation or even eliminate interference completely; but this may lead to less additive noise suppression or even noise amplification. To control the maximum sacrifice in gain (SG) of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) that is acceptable for additive reduction, a variant of ICMR is derived, which is named as the ICMR-SG beamformer. Simulations are performed and the results show that the ICMR beamformer is able to control the amount of interference attenuation. In comparison, ICMR-SG controls the maximum SG of SNR while achieving the optimal possible level of interference attenuation.

Phased array beamforming networks

The work is devoted to studying multibeam phased array beamforming networks based on the Butler matrix and Rotman lens. The study was performed under conditions similar to those in the telecommunication satellite service area. The microstrip circuit pattern was developed; the amplitude and phase frequency responses were investigated taking into account losses in materials. Array directional patterns for beamforming variants were calculated. Evaluation of adjacent ray overlay within the service area was carried out. Conclusions about acceptability of the proposed beamforming networks were made. Keywords: beamforming network, antenna array, Butler matrix, Rotman lens.

Reactively Loaded Dielectric-Based Antenna Arrays With Enhanced Bandwidth and Flat-Top Radiation Pattern Characteristics

This paper presents an antenna array organized in sub-arrays and composed of densely spaced dielectric-based radiating elements. To reduce the number of active components required in the array beamforming network, each sub-array consists of a single active element, directly fed, and several passive reactively loaded elements. State-of-the-art implementations of such arrays are typically based on rectangular air-filled waveguide radiators which provide a limited bandwidth and support a single linear polarization only. By utilizing the dielectric-based radiators presented in this work, a significant increase in the operating bandwidth of the array can be achieved. In this case, the aforementioned reactive loading is implemented through short-circuited dielectric-filled waveguides. By optimizing the position of the short circuits, the radiation pattern of the sub-array can be controlled and synthesized according to a given mask. To create a larger design flexibility, one can design the sub-array in the presence of the adjacent sub-arrays, so achieving their effective overlapping. By employing the considered design technique, a sub-array featuring flat-top radiation pattern characteristics in combination with low side-lobe levels and high gain was developed, manufactured, and thoroughly analyzed. An additional benefit of such design choice is the possibility of supporting two orthogonal polarizations.

Large Horizontal Near-Field Scanner Based on a Non-Tethered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

A horizontal planar scanner with an approximate size of 40 m <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times40$ </tex-math></inline-formula> m has been implemented using the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology. The UAV is not wired to the ground to maintain the flexibility and short setup time of a non-tethered flight. In this configuration, the UAV-mounted continuous-wave source is not phase-locked to the on-the-ground receiver. A dual-polarized reference antenna placed on the ground is hence used to retrieve the relevant phase information. The presented approach has been applied on the Pre - Aperture Array Verification System (Pre -AAVS1) of the Square Kilometre Array, which is a digital beamformed array with 16 active elements. An inverse source technique has been applied on measured Near-Field (NF) data acquired on two different sets of points (one for each electric field component) from all the receiver channels. In this way, Embedded Element Patterns (EEPs), array calibration coefficients and pattern have been determined from NF data only. The achieved results have been validated using a complementary set of Far-Field (FF) measurements and simulations.

Focused tracking beamforming of frequency diversity array with multiple repeated subpulses

A range-angle–dependent beam pattern can be produced by frequency diversity array (FDA) due to the small frequency offsets between the array elements. The beam pattern can be used to automatically scan an area in its entirety and estimate the distance and angle to a target. However, for constant tracking of the target after recognition, energy is wasted in the scanning mode because of periodic scanning of the main lobe of the beam. To eliminate this energy waste, we propose multiple repeated subpulses of FDA. This scheme achieves stable tracking without range–angle coupling. This special transmission method considerably improves the transmission energy and signal-to-noise ratio, while ensuring accurate range detection and high resolution. The results of a feasibility analysis and simulation experiments verify the superiority of the proposed method.

A Generic Approach for Computation of Near-Field and Far-Field Pattern of Beamforming Acoustic Transducer Array

This paper addresses a mathematical formulation to determine the radiation performance of an acoustic beamforming array, which is valid for both near-field and far-field regions. The developed beamforming analysis is generic for application to any array configuration, with the array elements having a radiating aperture of canonical contours. The beamforming analysis presented in this paper for the acoustic transducer array is obtained by the process of vector summation of radiated fields from the elements of the acoustic transducer array with an array factor and beam steering phase factor. The initial validity of the beamforming analysis is examined by considering the far-field region as a particular case of the near-field region with the relevant distance criterion. The numerous simulation studies presented in this paper show that the proposed method produces excellent results with the distinct structure of sidelobes at a distance RNF ≥ 0.5D2/λ from the acoustic aperture of (7(1) linear and (7(7) planar array of acoustic transducers. If the distance between the transducer array and the point of observation is very low (RNF &lt; 0.5D2/λ), simulation results indicate a less directive main beam. The two-dimensional near field beam steering method proposed in this paper finds the significant utility in many practical applications such as Underwater Acoustic Imaging (UAI) systems and Underwater Acoustic Communication (UAC).

Irregular microphone array design for broadband beamforming

Sparse microphone array design is receiving a great deal of attention, largely due to the capacity to reduce the number of microphones. However, in general, using a sparse array for broadband beamforming still requires a large number of microphones for a complex/higher-order beam pattern, while a sparse array deployment is normally designed for a specific beam pattern. This paper aims to design a versatile sparse microphone array that can be used for different beam patterns. Furthermore, we aim to reduce the number of microphones in the sparse array while ensuring that its performance can continue to compete with a highly dense and uniform array in terms of broadband beamforming. An irregular microphone array in a planar surface with the maximum number of different distances between the microphones is proposed. It is demonstrated that the irregular microphone array is well-suited to the sparse recovery algorithms that are used to reconstruct the sound sources. From the reconstructed sound sources, an array interpolation method is presented to obtain an interpolated dense and uniform microphone array that performs well with broadband beamforming. This manuscript covers the theoretical background of the method as well as the experimental results.