Delay-and-Sum Beamforming

for Plane Waves

ECE 6279: Spatial Array Processing
Fall 2013
Lecture 6
Prof. Aaron D. Lanterman
School of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
AL: 404-385-2548
<lanterma@ece.gatech.edu>
Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

Where We Are in J&D

Lecture material drawn from:

Secs. 4.1, 4.1.2, 4.2.1 (up to but
not including Point Focusing part
on p. 123), 4.2.3

Next lecture:
Secs. 4.1.1, 4.1.3, 4.2.1 (Point
Focusing part on p. 123)
Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

Integrating Across Apertures

Heres one way aperture smoothing
functions show up
Typically integrate across the aperture

z(t) =

w( x) f ( x, t)dx

Input a monochromatic plane wave to

the system

0
0
f ( x, t) = exp{ j( t k x)}

0
0
z(t) = exp( j t) w( x)exp( jk x)dx

0
W (k )
Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

Delay-and-Sum Beamforming

x0 xM 1

Array of M sensors at positions

For convenience, put the phase center at
the origin
M 1

xm = 0

m=0
Delay-and-sum beamforming
M 1

z(t) wm ym (t m )
m=0
Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

Beamforming for Plane Waves

f ( x, t) = s(t x)
0 0
= /c
0
ym (t) = s(t xm )
M 1

z(t) = wm ym (t m )
m=0
M 1

0
= wm s(t m xm )
m=0
Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

When Things Line Up

0
z(t) = wm s(t m xm )
M 1

m=0

0
0
xm
m = xm =
c

If we pick

then we get the signal back!

$ M 1 '
z(t) = wm s(t) = s(t) & wm )
% m=0 (
m=0
M 1

Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

When They Dont

0
z(t) = wm s(t m xm )
M 1

m=0

More generally, if we pick

xm
m = xm =
c

then we get a degraded

version of the signal

0
z(t) = wm s(t + ( ) xm )
M 1

m=0
Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

Strategy for Parameter Estimation

M 1

z(t) wm ym (t m )

m=0

xm
m = xm =
c
Find parameter that maximizes energy in z(t)

Radar and sonar: If you know c, sweep to find

direction of arrival

Seismology: If you know , sweep c to find wave

speed (determines material properties)
Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

Monochromatic Plane Waves (1)

0
f ( x, t) = exp{ j (t x)}
0
= s(t x)
0
where s(t) = exp( j t)

Plane wave delay-and-sum

beamformer response

0
z(t) = wm s(t + ( ) xm )
M 1

m=0
M 1

0
= wm exp( j [t + ( ) xm ])
0

m=0
Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

Monochromatic Plane Waves (2)

0
z(t) = wm exp( j [t + ( ) xm ])
M 1

m=0

$ M 1
'

0
0
0
= & wm exp( j ( ) xm )) exp( j t)
% m=0
(
0
0 0
Recall k =

$ M 1
'

0
0
0
= & wm exp( j( k ) xm )) exp( j t)
% m=0
(
Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

Monochromatic Plane Waves (3)

$ M 1
'

0
0
0
z(t) = & wm exp( j( k ) xm )) exp( j t)
% m=0
(

0
0
0
= W ( k )exp( j t)
where the aperture smoothing
function is

M 1

W (k ) = wm exp( jk xm )
m=0

Also called the array pattern

Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

General Wavefields

f ( x, t) =

1
F(k, )exp{ j( t k x)}dk d
4
(2 )

Delay-and-sum
beamformer

focused on

1
z(t) =
F(
k,

)W
(

k
)exp(
j

t)d
k
d

4
(2 )

Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

General Plane Waves (1)

f ( x, t) = s(t x)

0
3
F(k, ) = S( )(2 ) (k )

1
z(t) =
F(k, )W ( k )exp( j t)dk d
4
(2 )

1
=
2

0
S( )W ([ ])exp( jt)d

0
Z( ) = S( )W ([ ])
Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

General Plane Waves (2)

0
Z( ) = S( )W ([ ])
0
If we pick =
Z( ) = S( )W (0)
z(t) = s(t)W (0)
we get the original signal back!

0
If we pick

we get a filtered version

Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

Uniform Linear Array (1)

From earlier slide, the response of delayand-sum beamformer (tuned to ) to a
monochromatic plane wave is

0
0
0
z(t) = W ( k )exp( j t)

For a linear uniform array from the

last lecture

sin(Mk x d / 2)
W (k ) =
sin(k x d / 2)
0
0

sin(M[ x kx ]d / 2)
0
0
W ( k ) =
0
0
sin([ x kx ]d / 2)
Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

Uniform Linear Array (2)

0

kx = x
0
sin(M[kx kx ]d / 2)
0
W (kx kx ) =
0
sin([kx kx ]d / 2)

Using

In terms of angles, let k x

= (2 / )sin( )
"
%
0
sin $ M [sin sin ]d '
#
&
0
W (kx kx ) =
"
%
0
sin $ [sin sin ]d '
#
&
Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

Beam Pattern (Boresight)

sin(M[k x k x0 ]d / 2)
sin([k x k x0 ]d / 2)

kx = 0

M = 12

(notice the negative sign)

Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

Beam Pattern (60)

sin(M[kx kx0 ]d / 2)
sin([kx kx0 ]d / 2)

k x = (2 / )sin( )

= /3

M = 12

(notice the negative sign)

Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

Beam Pattern (Boresight)

"
%
0
sin $ M [sin sin ]d '
#
&
"
%
sin $ [sin 0 sin ]d '
#
&

=0

M = 12
Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

Beam Pattern (60)

"
%
0
sin $ M [sin sin ]d '
#
&
"
%
0
sin $ [sin sin ]d '
#
&

= /3

M = 12
Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman

Terminology

Beampattern: fix = k / = k / , k k

"
%

k
0
0
0
0
0
0
func( , k ) = W ( k ) = W $
k '
#
&

0
0
0
0
0
If k = k , = : func( ) = W (k [ ])

0
0

Steered response: fix ,k

"
%

k
0
0
0
0
k '
func( ) = W ( k ) = W $

#
&

0
0
0
0
If k = k , = : func( ) = W (k [ ])
Copyright 2013 Aaron Lanterman