Abstract: The system and method for standoff detection of human carried explosives (HCE) is a portable system that automatically detects HCE up to a range of 200 meters and within seconds alerts an operator to HCE threats. The system has radar only, or both radar and video sensors, a multi-sensor processor, an operator console, handheld displays, and a wideband wireless communications link. The processor receives radar and video feeds and automatically tracks and detects all humans in the field of view. Track data continuously cues the narrow beam radar to a subject of interest, the radar repeatedly interrogating cued objects, producing a multi-polarity radar range profile for each interrogation event. Range profiles and associated features are automatically fused over time until sufficient evidence is accrued to support a threat/non-threat declaration hypothesis. Once a determination is made, the system alerts operators through a handheld display and mitigates the threat if desired.

Abstract: A video amplifier for a radar receiver includes a temperature compensating attenuator. The attenuator includes a temperature sensitive device, such as a thermistor, arranged in a voltage divider network and is coupled in cascade between two filter stages. Each of the filter stages has a bandpass characteristic in order to filter low-frequency leakage signals and provide sensitivity control based on frequency and thus range, while also filtering high frequency signals to reduce aliasing.

Abstract: A plurality of image chips (202) (over 100), each of the chips containing the same, known target of interest, such as, for example an M109 tank are presented to the system for training. Each image chip of the known target is slightly different than the next, showing the known target at different aspect angles and rotation with respect to the moving platform acquiring the image chip. The system extract multiple features of the known target from the plurality of image chips (202) presented for storage and analysis, or training. These features distinguish a known target of interest from the nearest similar target to the M109 tank, for example a Caterpillar D7 bulldozer. These features are stored for use during unknown target identification. When an unknown target chip is presented, the recognition algorithm relies on the features stored during training to attempt to identify the target.

Abstract: To provide a radar system mounted on a vehicle that reliably detects the reception of the interference wave with high-performance and inexpensively. There is provided a radar system mounted on a vehicle for detecting a target object, including a transmitter for transmitting an electromagnetic wave, a receiver for receiving the electromagnetic wave reflected by the target object, a signal processor for measuring a distance between a vehicle of his/her own and the target object and a relative velocity on the basis of the transmitting electromagnetic wave and the receiving electromagnetic wave, and an interference detector for suspending a transmit operation of the transmitter under a control of the signal processor to detect an interference signal from another external device.

Abstract: A radar comprising transmitter means for generating bursts of radar pulses, each scan of a radar consisting of a number (Nb) of bursts, the method comprises, for each scan k: a first step, in which a radar cell is pre-selected in a validation gate; a second step, in which a Track-Before-Detect processing is initialized upon the pre-selected cells, using a track filter to construct the validation gate associated to the next scan k+1; the steps being repeated scan to scan. The invention can be applied to surveillance radars, for example with multi-beamforming in elevation, and more generally to all kinds of radars.

Abstract: An aircraft weather radar system is disclosed. The system comprises a radar antenna, aircraft sensors, and a database. The system also comprises a processing device receiving information from the radar antenna and from the aircraft sensors and able to retrieve information from the database. Further, the system comprises a cockpit display coupled to the processing device. The processing device is programmed to estimate storm system characteristics based on the received information from the aircraft sensors and the database and to display the storm system characteristics on a vertical weather profile display using a graphical representation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an arrangement suitable for embedded signal processing, comprising a number of computational units (100), each computational unit comprising a number of processing elements (20) capable of working independently and transmitting data simultaneously. Said computational units are arranged in clusters, work independently, and transmit data simultaneously, and that said processing elements (20) are globally and regularly inter-connected optically in a hypercube topology and transformed into a planar waveguide.

Abstract: An asynchronous pulse detector including a data estimator which estimates the return signal based on the corrected return signal, a detector for detecting an asynchronous pulse in the return signal, and a selector for selectively outputting the estimated return signal in place of the return signal as the corrected return signal in the event the detector detects an asynchronous pulse in the return signal.

Abstract: Signals-of-interest are identified by distinguishing such signals from signals constituting environmental or internal receiver noise. A received signal is rapidly sampled in order to set a dynamic, system threshold. Signals above the threshold constitute signals-of-interest.

Abstract: A system time thresholds dwells executed by an electromagnetic signal receiver. The system includes a detection module and a processing module. The detection module receives electromagnetic signals from a surrounding environment. The electromagnetic signals are chronologically segregated into a plurality of dwells each with a dwell time. The processing module controls the scanning of the surrounding environment. The processing module sets dwell parameters and determines whether to skip the execution of particular dwells. The processing module receives data about the signals from the detection module.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for early detection and identification of a threat such as individuals carrying hidden explosive materials, land mines on roads, etc. are disclosed. Methods comprise transmitting radar signals in the direction of a potential threat, measuring the energy in reflected signals, dynamically generating a threat threshold value from signals received from multiple areas and comparing the energy in the reflected signals corresponding to different areas to the generated threat threshold value. The threat threshold value may be generated by averaging the weighted reflected energy measured from different areas during a single scan of a region including the different areas. The contribution to the threshold from different areas is weighted in some embodiments as a function of the distance from the transmitter and/or receiver to the particular area. Analysis of areas and treating different areas as segments facilitates accurate analysis and display of threat information.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for using signals scattered by targets to determine position and velocity for each of the targets and comprises a set of transmitters and receivers of electromagnetic or acoustic signals, said transmitters and receivers dispersed to known points. Each pair of transmitter and receiver, monostatic or bistatic, is named a measuring facility. The ranges of the transmitters are chosen so that a target at an arbitrary point within the position space can be measured via scattering in the target by at least four measuring facilities. For each measuring facility, target detection occurs with constant false alarm rate in the form of probabilities over resolution cells with regards to range and Doppler velocity and conceivable targets are placed in a 2-dimensional linear space belonging to the measuring facility.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automated detection and removal of solar interference in real time from NEXRAD or other similar radar products. The radar site latitude and longitude and scan elevation time are extracted from the radar data and a position of the Sun is determined for the extracted latitude and longitude and scan time. A radial that has been contaminated with solar interference is determined and the solar interference is removed from that radial; The removal process does not impact the timeliness of critical products, and conservatively removes solar interference. In addition inaccuracies with NEXRAD clock time synchronization are accounted for to ensure accurate results.

Abstract: A signal from CW radar is received, and the received power detected by the CW radar's swinging in all directions is averaged in each direction. Then, the maximum value and the minimum value of the received power are detected for each direction, and the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value is computed. An average power value of obtained power is also computed. On a 2-dimensional plane on which the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value and the average power value are used for coordinate axes, slice processing is performed using a threshold indicated by a line graph or a curve.

Abstract: Disclosed is a radar apparatus equipped with a function for detecting an abnormality of noise floor level. An abnormality of noise floor level is detected by measuring the level in a region not lower than 60 kHz when FM modulation is stopped or modulation width is made infinitely small by instruction from a CPU to a modulating signal generator.

Abstract: A satellite antenna switching apparatus has LNB ports to which LNBs are connected, receiver ports to which receivers that exchange signals with the LNBs are connected, cascade ports to which another switching apparatus is cascade-connected, and impedance circuits that function as means for detecting the signals exchanged between the LNBs and receivers. The impedance circuits provide impedances according to the connection states of the cascade ports, and are electrically disconnected from the signal paths when another switching apparatus is cascade-connected to the cascade ports. With this configuration, the satellite antenna switching apparatus suffers from less attenuation of the exchanged signals even in a cascade connection of a plurality of stages of switching apparatuses.

Abstract: Disclosed is a transmit-receive FM-CW radar apparatus which switches between transmission and reception by time division control, wherein amplifiers capable of controlling gain are provided in a transmitter signal path and a receiver signal path, respectively, and wherein the gain in the leading edge portion of a receive timing interval or the gain in the trailing edge portion of a transmit timing interval is suppressed by controlling the gain of the amplifier provided in the receiver signal path or the gain of the amplifier provided in the transmitter signal path, respectively.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for early detection and identification of a threat such as individuals carrying hidden explosive materials, land mines on roads, etc. are disclosed. Methods comprise transmitting radar signals in the direction of a potential threat, measuring the energy in reflected signals, dynamically generating a threat threshold value from signals received from multiple areas and comparing the energy in the reflected signals corresponding to different areas to the generated threat threshold value. The threat threshold value may be generated by averaging the weighted reflected energy measured from different areas during a single scan of a region including the different areas. The contribution to the threshold from different areas is weighted in some embodiments as a function of the distance from the transmitter and/or receiver to the particular area. Analysis of areas and treating different areas as segments facilitates accurate analysis and display of threat information.

Abstract: Disclosed is a radar apparatus equipped with a function for detecting an abnormality of noise floor level. An abnormality of noise floor level is detected by measuring the level in a region not lower than 60 kHz when FM modulation is stopped or modulation width is made infinitely small by instruction from a CPU to a modulating signal generator.

Abstract: A diplex Doppler type radar system which can detect a preceding vehicle even when the range rate (e.g. a relative velocity, a relative distance) of a preceding vehicle relative to a vehicle having the radar system is small. A Radar system is mounted on a vehicle, the transmit antenna alternately transmits two signals on different frequencies. When the transmitted signals met an object (a preceding vehicle) and reflected, the reflected signals are received by a receive antenna. Usually, The first A/D converter digitizes IF signals (said received signals) and the DSP (digital signal processor) frequency-analyzes the digitized signals to compute the range rate of the preceding vehicle. When a peak spectrum exists in a low frequency range below a preset threshold as the result of the frequency analysis, the IF signals are digitized by the second A/D converter which has a higher sampling resolution than that of the second A/D converter.

Abstract: This invention relates to an adaptive detection system and method for analyzing range-doppler-azimuth data for target detection. The detection system has a threshold calculator for calculating a threshold value that is based on the standard deviation of the range-doppler-azimuth data and a predetermined probability of detection. The detection system also has a detection module in communication with the threshold calculator to receive the threshold value. The detection module calculates an estimated target amplitude and an estimated noise floor amplitude based on the range-doppler data that is located in a detection window. The detection module detects a target when the difference between the estimated target amplitude and the estimated noise floor amplitude is larger than the threshold value.

Abstract: A radar comprising transmitter means for generating bursts of radar pulses, each scan of a radar consisting of a number (Nb) of bursts, the method comprises, for each scan k:

Abstract: A method and apparatus of measuring a distance to a reflection object is disclosed. A sensitivity time control (STC) process is applied to a received signal from the reflection object to provide an STC-processed signal. The radar apparatus includes a controller. The controller obtains a quantity corresponding to the distance from a transmission time of the transmission signal and a detection time of the STC-processed signal. The quantity is corrected by using a first correction value associated with the intensity of the STC-processed reflection signal to provide a corrected quantity. The corrected quantity is further corrected by using a second correction value associated with the corrected quantity and the intensity of the STC-processed reflection signal to correct the error regardless of the intensity of the STC-processed reflection signal.

Abstract: A diplex Doppler type radar system which can detect a preceding vehicle even when the range rate (e.g. a relative velocity, a relative distance) of a preceding vehicle relative to a vehicle having the radar system is small.

Abstract: A method and system that include a first measurement signal and a second measurement signal that can be input to first and second filters. The filters can be subject to a first constraint to minimize the energy difference between the first and second measurement signals on a per frequency basis, and subject to a second constraint that includes a model frequency and phase response. By adapting the filters subject to the two constraints, coherent differences between the two measurement signals can be identified. In one embodiment, the system can be applied to Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data.

Abstract: A radar signal detecting apparatus is provided. The radar signal detecting apparatus includes a coupler diverging a part of signal from received signal, a local oscillator outputting local signal, a mixer converting the diverged signal multiplied the local signal into low frequency signal and a detector detecting, a radar signal from the low frequency signal by using a threshold above side lobe.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for alerting a flight crew of weather radar return data collected, yet not presently being displayed. The system includes a memory, a processor, and an output device. The memory stores radar return information in a three-dimensional buffer. The processor determines if any radar return information stored in a three-dimensional buffer is within a threshold distance from an aircraft's present position and generates an image based on target data stored in the three-dimensional buffer and selected display parameters. The processor also generates a target alert if any target data is determined to be within a threshold distance from the aircraft's present position and is not included in the generated image. The output device presents the generated target alert.

Abstract: A signal processing method is particularly for use in object detection systems which allows a sensed target signal to be “held” once it has raised above a detection-threshold. The method involves reducing the detection-threshold values of the detection-threshold function within the target region. This method is useful for such applications as automotive radar sensors, airbag deployment systems, communication systems demodulation, security sensor systems, sanitary flushing systems and lighting systems.

Abstract: A method of signal conditioning and processing uses a ROSAR system for obtaining high-resolution elevation data using a fixed transmitting antenna, without requiring a turnstile. A telescope-like extensible transmitting antenna having large vertical dimensions illuminates an area to be imaged in a fanned pattern, creating overlapping elevation sectors. Reflected signals are relayed to a fixed receiving antenna via rotating transponders.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting radar system blockage includes a radar system having an antenna unit configured to transmit radar signals and receive reflected radar signals. In one embodiment, fixed frequency continuous wave radar signals are transmitted, and corresponding reflected signals are sampled and processed to determine a mainbeam clutter signal peak in frequency bins near those corresponding to vehicle speed. If this peak is less than a power threshold, the antenna unit is at least partially blocked. In another embodiment, a number of most recent reflected tracking signal amplitudes are sampled, normalized to a predefined range value and filtered to produce a smoothed tracking amplitude. If the smoothed tracking amplitude drops below an amplitude threshold, the antenna unit is at least partially blocked. The two embodiments may be combined to determine a radar antenna blockage status as a function of both techniques.

Abstract: In an object detecting system, a first discriminating unit discriminates an object which has a reflected wave having a reception level calculated by a reception level calculating unit, equal to or larger than a first reference level. A second discriminating unit discriminates an object, the distance to which, calculated by a distance calculated unit, is equal to the distance to the object discriminated by the first discriminating unit, and which has a reflected wave whose reception level calculated by the reception level calculating unit is equal to or smaller than a second reference level. A virtual image determining unit determines the object discriminated by the second discriminating unit as a virtual image of the actual existing object discriminated by the first discriminating unit. A virtual image deleting unit deletes the virtual image from the result of the recognition provided by an object recognizing unit, whereby only the actual existing object including no virtual image can be detected correctly.

Abstract: A radar wave reflected by a preceding automotive vehicle is received. The distance and the reception level of the received radar wave are repeatedly stored with relation therebetween. The reception levels are plotted with respect to distance. The distribution of the receptions levels is approximated with a linear equation as the characteristic of the radar apparatus. Variation in the distribution, that is, Y intercept of the linear equation represents the variation of the characteristic of the radar apparatus. A reference characteristic of the radar is measured with changing the distance to the preceding reflective object and the measured characteristic is measured with a moving preceding vehicle during actual traveling. The reference Y intercept is compared with the measured Y intercept to detect the deviation. Further, the divination amount or the measured value is classified to judge the cause of decries in the characteristic using conditional signals.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for a radar receiver, such as a wideband crystal video early warning receiver, to automatically detect the noise level of the radar receiver with immunity to high pulse repetition frequencies and high duty cycle signals. The noise riding threshold circuit utilizes high frequency components of the noise and, to the attenuated extent present, high frequency components of the video signal to produce the noise riding threshold voltage. An amplifier gain control permits adjusting the noise-riding threshold to a fixed relative level. In a preferred embodiment, the noise riding threshold control of the present invention utilizes current feedback amplifiers for wide bandwidth, high gain video amplifiers.

Abstract: FM-CW radar equipment to solve a conventional problem of failure detection caused by the carrier level of amplitude modulation dispersing too largely to adjust to a constant level within a criterion range. A novel method is applied based on that a noise level greatly varies on occurrence of a failure in radio-frequency circuit. A failure can be detected by comparing the varied noise level with a noise level in normal condition. using this method, FM-CW radar equipment can be configured with a simple structure for detecting a failure in transmission/reception circuit. The equipment provides with a noise-level extraction circuit in radio-frequency circuit, and a comparator for comparing an output of the noise-level extraction circuit with a predetermined criterion value. An alarm is output when the comparator detects the output of the noise-level extraction circuit decreases to less than the predetermined criterion value.

Abstract: A range gated microwave motion sensor having adjustable minimum and maximum detection ranges with little response to close-in false alarm nuisances such as insects or vibrating panels. The sensor resolves direction of motion and can respond to target displacement in a selected direction and through a selected distance, in contrast to conventional hair-trigger motion sensors. A constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detector prevents false triggers from fluttering leaves, vibrating machinery, and RF interference. The sensor transmits an RF pulse and, after a modulated delay, mixes echo pulses with a mixer pulse. Thus, the echo pulses are modulated at the mixer output while transmit and mixer pulse artifacts remain unmodulated and easily filtered from the output. Accordingly, the sensor only responds to echoes that fall within its minimum and maximum range-gated region, and not to close-in or far-out objects.

Abstract: A device for increasing the dynamic range of frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar includes a transmitter, a send/receive antenna, a receiver circuit and a circulator. The circulator relays the transmission signals of the transmitter to the send/receive antenna and sends the echo signals of a target object to the input of the receiver circuit, which generates on the basis of the transmission signals and echo signals an intermediate frequency signal having a differential frequency corresponding to the distance from the target object. A reflected power canceler circuit equipped with a control amplifier is provided between the input and output of the receiver circuit. The frequency response of the control amplifier is selected so that the degree of suppression drops to a predeterminable extent with an increase in differential frequency above the cut-off frequency of the control amplifier.

Abstract: The present invention provide a method and system of dynamically estimating a coefficient of variation of the fluctuation of a waveform and an optimal binary detection threshold using the estimated coefficient of variation. The system discriminates between noise signals and signal-plus-noise signals of a digitized signal by comparison with a threshold. The noise and signal-plus-noise signals are further used to determine a mean noise floor level and a standard deviation, respectively. Subsequently, the system determines the coefficient of variation based on the ratio of standard deviation to mean. The optimal binary detection threshold is calculated using the coefficient of variation, presets for cumulative probability of false alarm and collection time.

Abstract: A method for the detection of a target by a radar in the presence of noise, the detection being performed on M antenna rotations, comprises at least: a first step for the estimation of the Doppler frequency ({circumflex over (f)}) of the target; a detection step, the target being detected if an associated variable Z is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold S, the variable Z being defined according to the following relationship: Z = MAX t ∈ D t , f ∈ D f ⁢ ( ∑

Abstract: A signal processing method is particularly for use in object detection systems which allows a sensed target signal to be “held” once it has raised above a detection-threshold. The method involves reducing the detection-threshold values of the detection-threshold function within the target region. This method is useful for such applications as automotive radar sensors, airbag deployment systems, communication systems demodulation, security sensor systems, sanitary flushing systems and lighting systems.

Abstract: An electronic counter-measure receiver can be colocated with a threat simulator radar, which transmits a radar signal. As a pulsed-Doppler signal, this transmitted radar signal is sampled as a reference signal by the receiver to determine quadrature, coherent matched filter coefficients. A return signal is received and processed with the reference signal as quadrature signal components with the quadrature, coherent matched filter coefficients within a matched filter. The return signal is processed as a first intermediate frequency via a mixer and local oscillator and a second quadrature intermediate frequency via a digital local oscillator and mixer. A fast Fourier transform is performed to determine Doppler information. In a continuous wave transmission for sampling arbitrary but unevenly spaced in time pulses are generated from a pulse generator source internal to the receiver.

Abstract: A Radon transform based method that provides for target azimuth aspect estimation and target shape measurement. A Radon transform is applied to a binary (N×N pixels) target chip to extract target features that are then used to measure length, width, and diagonal features of the target. In parallel, these features are used to estimate the azimuth aspect angle, or size, of the target. The method is effective in discriminating targets from clutter. The method is also very time efficient and highly flexible in its operation because the features can automatically account for any target rotation or shift. The present invention also provides for a target acquisition system that employs the Radon transform based method for target azimuth aspect estimation.

Abstract: A radar processing system is disclosed with an improved cluster target resolution capability. The invention provides a system and method for processing radar returns and generating first and second contiguous range/doppler cells. Within the cells, first and second dichotomous angle measurements corresponding to radar returns in the first and second contiguous range/doppler cells are derived. An adaptive threshold is then applied to the angle measurements to determine whether the first and second measurements correspond to first and second targets in the first and second range/doppler cells respectively.

Abstract: An automotive obstacle detecting system is provided which includes a radar to measure the distance to a target present within a detectable zone. The system monitors a distance limit measurable by the radar and determines a reduction in ability to measure the distance to the target by comparing the distance limit with a given reference value.

Abstract: A process for determining the distance between a distance sensor and an object, wherein an analog input signal is directed to a transmitter of the distance sensor. The transmitter emits a wave which is reflected by the object. A receiver of the distance sensor receives the reflected wave and thereupon emits an analog output signal whose level is dependent upon the distance and/or the type of object. The output signal is amplified by a subsequently added amplifier. The amplifier signal is directed to an analog/digital converter and is converted into a digital signal. The digital signal is directed to an evaluation circuit for the computation of a distance value. The signal amplification of the amplifier is controlled in an adaptively dependent manner on the level of the output signal and/or in a manner dependent on the signal value of an amplification signal made available by the evaluation circuit which is characteristic of an anticipated distance range.

Abstract: A radar signal processing (RSP) chip is used to process massive radar signals. The RSP chip includes a multiply and accumulate (MAC) array and a programmable delayer. The programmable delayer provides a concurrence alignment of the radar signals. The MAC array includes several MAC units. Each MAC unit can be set to either a parallel operation mode or a pipeline operation mode. Moreover, the RSP chip also includes a reference code generator, which further includes a look-up table circuit to store a data table for fast computation uses. A control unit is also included in the RSP chip for producing several control signals to control the operations. The RSP chips can be fabricated using VLSI technology and can be serially coupled one after another.

Abstract: Data is acquired by transmitting radio waves or by receiving radio waves by means of a fixed beam provided in a vehicle-mounted radar apparatus, and an antenna unit is provided which has such an antenna gain that a straight line-of-sight distance with respect to each straight line-of-sight angle from a subject vehicle to a preceding vehicle traveling on a subject-vehicle lane is set as a maximum detection distance. Therefore, it is possible to detect a preceding vehicle traveling on a subject-vehicle lane from a subject vehicle, and not detect objects such as vehicles which are present in a longer distance than is necessary, thereby alleviating a burden on signal processing.

Abstract: A processing technique suitable for use with a search radar system which minimizes the false detection of targets. Rather than rely on a predetermined target trajectory, such as a straight line trajectory in range time space, the processing technique in accordance with the present invention is not based on a target dynamics model. The system in accordance with the present invention relies on past detections and assigns a confidence level to detections which are in the wake of a previous detection. A wake function is used to determine the amount by which each detection recursively accrues confidence based on a limited record of past detections. A detection is declared when the confidence level exceeds a predetermined threshold. As detections are encountered in range time space, such detections are used to form wakes based on the wake function which are used to assign confidence levels for future detections.

Abstract: An UWB receiver utilizing a microwave tunnel diode as a single pulse detector for short pulse, impulse, baseband or ultra wideband signals. The tunnel diode detector's bias point is set at system start-up, through an automatic calibration procedure to its highest sensitivity point relative to the desired bit error rate performance (based upon internal noise only) and remains there during the entire reception process. High noise immunity is achieved through the use of a high speed, adaptive dynamic range extension process using a high speed, Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) voltage variable attenuator (VVA) whose instantaneous attenuation level is determined by a periodic sampling of the ambient noise environment. Microprocessor-controlled detector time-gating is performed to switch the tunnel diode detector to the receiver front end circuitry for reception of an incoming UWB pulse, and alternately to ground through a resistor to discharge stored charge on the tunnel diode detector.

Abstract: A highly precise range measurement instrument is made possible through the use of a novel and efficient precision timing circuit which makes use of the instrument's internal central processing unit crystal oscillator. A multi-point calibration function includes the determination of a "zero" value and a "cal" value through the addition of a known calibrated pulse width thereby providing the origin and scale for determining distance with the constant linear discharge of capacitor.

Abstract: A radar range finder and hidden object locator is based on ultra-wide band radar with a high resolution swept range gate. The device generates an equivalent time amplitude scan with a typical range of 4 inches to 20 feet, and an analog range resolution as limited by a jitter of on the order of 0.01 inches. A differential sampling receiver is employed to effectively eliminate ringing and other aberrations induced in the receiver by the near proximity of the transmit antenna, so a background subtraction is not needed, simplifying the circuitry while improving performance. Uses of the invention include a replacement of ultrasound devices for fluid level sensing, automotive radar, such as cruise control and parking assistance, hidden object location, such as stud and rebar finding. Also, this technology can be used when positioned over a highway lane to collect vehicle count and speed data for traffic control.