Combined With Determining Direction Patents (Class 342/139)
  • Patent number: 12140657
    Abstract: Provided is method for determining free space surrounding a device, the method comprising: acquiring radar data regarding each of one or more radar antennas, the acquired radar data comprising range data and range rate data; extracting, from the acquired radar data, a specific set of radar data having values equal to or below a noise-based threshold; and determining a free space around the device based on the extracted specific set of radar data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
    Inventors: Alexander Ioffe, Uri Iurgel, Dariusz Cieslar
  • Patent number: 11592523
    Abstract: Processing of a range-Doppler matrix of a radar system is described. For easy, efficient and rapid ascertainment of a detection threshold of the range-Doppler matrix, only a partial quantity of the cells of the range-Doppler matrix is selected, and the detection threshold is ascertained on the basis of the selected partial quantity of cells of the range-Doppler matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Eugen Schubert, Martin Stolz
  • Patent number: 11061142
    Abstract: The disclosed method for determining atmospheric time delays involves receiving at least two signals, where the signals each have a different carrier frequency. The method further involves amplifying each of the signals with a respective amplifier for each of the signals to produce amplified signals. Also, the method involves digitizing each of the amplified signals with a respective analog to digital converter (ADC) for each of the amplified signals to produce digital signals. In addition, the method involves correlating each of the digital signals with a code using a respective correlator for each of the digital signals to determine the time group delay differential between the signals. Further, the method involves calculating, with at least one processor, the time group delay coefficient of the signals by using the time group delay differential. The time group delay coefficient is used to correct for the atmospheric time delays in the signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Cornel Prunean
  • Patent number: 10477495
    Abstract: A Sensor Web formed of a number of different sensor pods. Each of the sensor pods include a clock which is synchronized with a master clock so that all of the sensor pods in the Web have a synchronized clock. The synchronization is carried out by first using a coarse synchronization which takes less power, and subsequently carrying out a fine synchronization to make a fine sync of all the pods on the Web. After the synchronization, the pods ping their neighbors to determine which pods are listening and responded, and then only listen during time slots corresponding to those pods which respond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Kevin A. Delin, Shannon Jackson
  • Patent number: 10126417
    Abstract: A radar transmitter (Tx) transmits a radio-frequency radar transmission signal from a transmission antenna (Tx_ant1). An antenna branch processor (D1) receives a reflection signal produced by reflection, by an object, of the radar transmission signal by a reception antenna (Rx-ant1) and calculates correlation between the reflection signal and the radar transmission signal. An object detection processor (10) detects presence or absence of an object by using, based on (Tp+1) outputs of the antenna branch processor (D1), where Tp is an integer, amplitude differences between an amplitude of a (Tp+1)-th output of the antenna branch processor (D1) and amplitudes of first to Tp-th outputs of the antenna branch processor (D1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Maiko Shikatani, Asako Hamada, Takaaki Kishigami
  • Patent number: 9507016
    Abstract: In a preceding vehicle selection apparatus, for each object ahead, a relative position, a relative speed, and width information indicating a lateral width are determined. A lateral position of the object ahead with reference to a traveling direction of the own vehicle is corrected by using the width information of the object ahead. Based on the relative position of the object ahead of, which the lateral position has been corrected, an own vehicle lane probability is calculated for each object ahead. A preceding vehicle is selected from the objects ahead based on the calculated own vehicle lane probability. Based on a value of a correlated parameter that has correlation with error in the lateral position or error in the width information, a correction amount of the lateral position is reduced as error in the lateral position or error in the width information becomes large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuma Sudou, Jin Kurumisawa, Toyohito Nozawa, Tatsuya Namikiri
  • Patent number: 9385825
    Abstract: A Sensor Web formed of a number of different sensor pods. Each of the sensor pods include a clock which is synchronized with a master clock so that all of the sensor pods in the Web have a synchronized clock. The synchronization is carried out by first using a coarse synchronization which takes less power, and subsequently carrying out a fine synchronization to make a fine sync of all the pods on the Web. After the synchronization, the pods ping their neighbors to determine which pods are listening and responded, and then only listen during time slots corresponding to those pods which respond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Kevin A. Delin, Shannon P. Jackson
  • Patent number: 8994581
    Abstract: In an example method, a vehicle is configured with a radar system used to aid in vehicle guidance. The method could include an array of antennas plurality of antennas configured to receive a radar signal. The array of antennas has a respective spacing between the given antenna and an adjacent antenna; however, the plurality of spacings includes at least two different spacings. A portion of the method may be performed by a processor configured to calculate a detection channel, based on a difference between differential phases associated with two antenna pairs in the array. The processor may also calculate an unambiguous angle based on the detection channel and the plurality of antenna spacings. Additionally, the processor may control the radar unit based on the calculated unambiguous angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Inventor: Adam Brown
  • Publication number: 20140333471
    Abstract: A method for measuring the position of a surface of a vehicle on a roadway comprising the following steps: transmitting and receiving radar beams at transmitting and receiving positions in various primary transmitting and primary receiving directions and converting these beams into received signals; selecting the received signal having the greatest signal strength; and determining the aforementioned position from the transmitting and receiving positions and the primary transmitting and primary receiving directions of the received signal having the greatest signal strength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: Kapsch TrafficCom AG
    Inventor: Oliver Nagy
  • Patent number: 8854252
    Abstract: A system for providing a multi-mode, multi-static interferometer may include a transmitter array, a receiver array and a processor. The transmitter array includes at least a first transmitter and a second transmitter spatially separated from each other by a first known distance. The receiver array includes at least a first receiver and a second receiver spatially separated from each other by a second known distance. The receiver array is positioned to enable receipt of a return signal from transmissions provided by the transmitter array and reflecting off an object. The processor is configured to enable the transmitter array to generate uniquely coded signals and configured to distinguish, based on the uniquely coded signals, a first signal transmitted by the first transmitter from a second signal transmitted by the second transmitter in response to reception of a combined signal including reflected signals corresponding to at least the first and second signals by the receiver array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Propagation Research Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Ernest Jefferson Holder
  • Patent number: 8823578
    Abstract: A driving assist apparatus for a vehicle is disclosed. The driving assist apparatus includes a transmitter for transmitting a transmission wave, a receiver for receiving a reflected wave, an obstacle presence determination section for detecting a presence of an obstacle in the surrounding of the vehicle based on the reflected wave, a measurement section for measuring a frequency of phase delay and advance of the reflected wave with respect to a reference signal, and a detection section for detecting the obstacle having a specific relation with the vehicle based on the presence of the obstacle determined by the obstacle presence determination section and the frequency of delay and the frequency of advance measured by the measurement section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Hattori, Mitsuyasu Matsuura
  • Patent number: 8816896
    Abstract: System and method for calculating three dimensional residual motion errors of a moving platform with respect to a point of interest by receiving a radar signal from the point of interest (302); forming a radar image including a plurality of scatterers (304); using an MLE method to obtain range, radial velocity and acceleration of the moving platform for a first peak scatterer in the radar image (306); correcting a location of the first peak scatterer with respect to a scene center of the point of interest (312); updating the obtained radial acceleration responsive to the corrected location (314); and updating the obtained radial velocity of the moving platform responsive to the updated radial acceleration (316).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Theagenis J. Abatzoglou, Johan E. Gonzalez, Joel K. McWilliams, Raymond Samaniego
  • Patent number: 8791855
    Abstract: A method for detection of wind power installations using a radar installation is provided. The method involves transmitting a number N of predetermined sequences of modulated transmission pulses at a predetermined pulse repetition frequency successively in time and receiving and processing transmission pulses reflected by an object to determine whether the object is a wind power installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Weiss
  • Patent number: 8730089
    Abstract: There are provided an object distinguishing unit that distinguishes an object every predetermined calculation cycle; and a state determination unit that determines a relative state between the object distinguished by the object distinguishing unit and a vehicle and that performs switching control in which based on the result of the determination, there is performed switching from one of a first angle detection unit and a second angle detection unit to the other in the next calculation cycle, and the value of an incident angle is inputted to the object distinguishing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Yuji Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8665140
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a signal processing device, which includes an echo signal input unit for being inputted with echo signals caused by electromagnetic waves discharged from an antenna and reflected on one or more target objects, an echo signal level detector for detecting a level of each of the echo signals with reference to an azimuth and a distance to the antenna, a level change detector for detecting a level change between the echo signals from locations close to each other, the locations of the echo signals being such that the distances from the antenna are substantially the same but the azimuths are different, a pattern output module for comparing the level change with a predetermined reference pattern and outputting a level change pattern, and a missing determining module for determining a missing of a signal based on at least two of the level change patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Company Limited
    Inventors: Kazuya Nakagawa, Hitoshi Maeno
  • Patent number: 8587467
    Abstract: A method for determining locations of a moving emitter is disclosed. Initially, a set of emitter pulses is collected when a collector platform moves over a collection baseline. In addition, the time and location of the collection platform are recorded each time an emitter pulse is collected. A set of time-tagged pulse time-of-arrival (TOA) values is then generated by associating a recorded collection time value to each of the collected emitter pulses. Next, a set of time-tagged and position-tagged pulse TOA values is generated by associating a recorded collection location value to each of the time-tagged pulse TOA values. Finally, a set of location values and velocity values of a moving emitter is estimated based on the time-tagged and position-tagged pulse TOA values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Paul D. Zemany
  • Patent number: 8547273
    Abstract: The invention provides a pulse radar apparatus, and a control method thereof, that permits to readily downsize and to lower its cost and allows information on an object to be detected in high precision by removing an influence of noise when a gain of a variable gain amplifier is discontinuously changed corresponding to detected distance, with a simple configuration. A variable gain amplifier 135 configured to adjust a gain corresponding to a distance gate is used to be able to detect weak reflected wave from a distant object and to amplify a reflected wave from a short distance with a low gain. An offset noise from the variable gain amplifier 135 is prepared together with interference noise and self-mixing noise in advance as a replica signal of unwanted wave and the replica signal is removed from a baseband signal in detecting the object T.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignees: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., Furukawa Automotive Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Aoyagi, Kazutaka Kamimura, Yoshihito Ishida
  • Patent number: 8482455
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a radar device with high angular accuracy. The solution provided by the invention simultaneously combines an interferometer that is accurate but, for example, ambiguous when receiving; and a space coloring mode when transmitting. The coloring of the space consists notably in transmitting on N transmitting antennas N orthogonal signals. These signals are then separated by filtering on reception using the orthogonality properties of the transmission signals. It is, for example, possible, with two contiguous antennas in transmission associated with two orthogonal codes to produce a single-pulse type system when transmitting. The invention applies notably to the obstacle sensing and avoidance function, also called “Sense & Avoid”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Stéphane Kemkemian, Pascal Cornic, Patrick Le Bihan
  • Patent number: 8436762
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a coordinate determiner is operable to identify at least first and second surfaces that each approximately intersect an object, and to determine at least two approximate coordinates of the object from the first and second surfaces, where at least one of the surfaces is nonplanar. For example, if the coordinate determiner is disposed on a fighter jet having at least two short-baseline-interferometers (SBIs), then two surfaces may be the surfaces of two cones having two of the SBIs as respective vertices, the object may be a close-in target, and the coordinate determiner may determine the azimuth and elevation of the target from the cone surfaces. Furthermore, the coordinate determiner or another computation unit onboard the jet may determine the slant range of the target from the elevation and the altitude of the jet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald M. Yannone
  • Patent number: 8179303
    Abstract: A signal processing apparatus for a radar transceiver, which receives a reflected signal generated by a target object in response to a frequency modulated transmission signal, and generates a beat signal having a frequency difference between the transmission signal and a reception signal, includes: an azimuth angle detection unit that detects an azimuth angle of the target object on the basis of a peak signal in a frequency spectrum of the beat signal; a peak signal extraction unit that prioritizes extraction of a peak signal corresponding to a predetermined azimuth angle range and a predetermined relative distance range of the target object; and a target object detection unit that detects the target object from the extracted peak signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayuki Kishida, Hisateru Asanuma, Tomoya Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 8164510
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a quantity smoother includes a first stage and a second stage. The first stage is operable to receive a sequence of raw samples of a quantity and to generate from the raw samples intermediate samples of the quantity, the intermediate samples having a reduced level of fluctuation relative to the sequence of raw samples. The second stage is coupled to the first stage and is operable to generate from the intermediate samples resulting samples of the quantity, the resulting samples having a reduced level of fluctuation relative to the sequence of intermediate samples. For example, such a quantity smoother may be part of a target-ranging system on board a fighter jet, and may smooth an error in an estimated target range so that the fighter pilot may more quickly and confidently determine in his head a range window within which the target lies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald M. Yannone
  • Patent number: 8138968
    Abstract: A High Performance Unattended Ground Sensor (HiPer-UGS) system and methods comprising low-power fully functional and independent radar-nodes that communicate directly with a remote radar information gathering or relay point using a long distance communications transceiver co-located in the radar-node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Camgian Microsystems Corp.
    Inventor: Gary D. Butler
  • Publication number: 20120056775
    Abstract: A method for detection of wind power installations using a radar installation is provided. The method involves transmitting a number N of predetermined sequences of modulated transmission pulses at a predetermined pulse repetition frequency successively in time and receiving and processing transmission pulses reflected by an object to determine whether the object is a wind power installation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: EADS Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Weiss
  • Patent number: 8120526
    Abstract: Measurements of the differential and/or absolute time-of-arrival of separable signals transmitted from a set of spatially-distributed (SD) transmitters are obtained by one or more receivers. The signals transmitted by each transmitter are made separable by encoding them in a manner that enables each signal to be distinguished from the others by the receiver or receivers. An accurate time-of-arrival of each signal at the receiver is determined, from which the path lengths from the transmitters to the receiver and from the receiver to the object are determined based on the known propagation speed of the signals. Any Doppler frequency shifts in each signal can also be determined from this information. From all of this information, the receiver is able to determine its own position, motion and orientation (roll, pitch and yaw), as well as the position and motion of the moving object being tracked by the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Inventor: Ernest Jefferson Holder
  • Patent number: 8081106
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a detector, direction finder, receiver, and range finder. The detector is operable to detect a target, and the direction finder is operable to determine a first direction to the target from the apparatus. The receiver is operable to receive a second direction to the target from a remote object, and the range finder is operable to determine from the first and second directions a range of the target from the apparatus. For example, the apparatus may be a first fighter jet, and the remote object may be a second fighter jet. By using directional information from both the first and second jets, a computer system onboard the first jet may compute a range to the target from the first jet more quickly and more accurately than by using directional information from only the first jet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electric Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald M. Yannone
  • Patent number: 8055395
    Abstract: A system for providing crosswind component information to a pilot of an aircraft is disclosed. The system is comprised of a navigation system; datalink system; devices for manual input of data; a crosswind component module consisting of, in part, a processor and database; and an indicating system consisting of, in part, a tactical display unit system of an aircraft. A navigation system may provide flight parameters for measured and intended flight data as inputs. Other data may also be provided from manual input devices and a datalink system as inputs. The processor of the crosswind component module receives the data, retrieves runway direction data, and determines the data of the crosswind components. An indicating system receives the data of the crosswind components and displays this information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles B. Dirks, Michael J. Krenz, Pamela K. Hahn, David W. Jennings, Tod J. Santel, Robert F. Dancer
  • Patent number: 7999726
    Abstract: A system for estimating an antenna boresight direction. The novel system includes a first circuit for receiving a Doppler measurement and a line-of-sight direction measurement corresponding with the Doppler measurement, and a processor adapted to search for an estimated boresight direction that minimizes a Doppler error between the Doppler measurement and a calculated Doppler calculated from the estimated boresight direction and the line-of-sight direction measurement. The line-of-sight direction measurement is measured relative to the true antenna boresight, and the calculated Doppler is the Doppler calculated for a direction found by applying the line-of-sight direction measurement to the estimated boresight direction. In a preferred embodiment, the first circuit receives a Doppler measurement and a line-of-sight direction measurement from each of a plurality of pixels, and the processor searches for an estimated boresight direction that minimizes a sum of squares of Doppler errors for each of the pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Ralph Guertin, David Faulkner, John Treece, Donald Bruyere
  • Patent number: 7961139
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for angular determination and/or for increasing the angular resolution or a detectable angular range when operating antenna groups using the technique of digital beam forming (DBF), as well as a device for carrying out the method. In the method, a measurement signal with a carrier signal and a frequency-modulated signal component are received via at least one antenna group directly or after reflection on one or several objects. The angle, at which the measurement signal is received, is determined by evaluating a phase difference in the received measurement signal which occurs between adjacent antenna elements of the antenna group. The method is characterized in that for determining the phase difference the frequency-modulated signal component is also evaluated, exclusively or additionally to an evaluation of the carrier signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Werner Wiesbeck, Karin Schuler, Denis Becker
  • Patent number: 7948431
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for increasing the accuracy of a measurement of a radio-based locating system comprising a mobile station and at least one fixed station, wherein the movement of a mobile station from an initial position is detected by way of measuring data of an absolute sensor system and a relative sensor system, a virtual antenna is embodied in the form of synthetic aperture by way of measuring data and the mobile station is focused on the fixed station and/or vice versa by using the synthetic aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Symeo GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Gulden, Stephan Max, Martin Vossiek
  • Publication number: 20110109494
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an radar apparatus includes a signal processor, a transmitting unit, an antenna, a first receiving unit, and a second receiving unit. The signal processor generates first or second pulses, and generates a control signal having first or second states. The transmitting unit converts the first and second pulses into first and second transmission pulses. The antenna radiates the first and second transmission pulses and receives reflection pulses to generate a reception signal. The first receiving unit includes first and second receiving circuits which processes the reception signal to generate first and second processed signals, respectively, and outputs one of the first and second processed signals depending on the state of the control signal. The second receiving unit processes the one of the first and second processed signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Inventors: Toshio ASANO, Toshio Namba, Takashi Murano
  • Patent number: 7932854
    Abstract: In an azimuth detecting apparatus, a receiver includes a plurality of first antenna elements and a second antenna element. The first antenna elements are arranged at first intervals d1 to form an array. The second antenna element is arranged to define a second interval d2 between itself and one of the first antenna elements which is located at an end of the array, where d2 is less than d1. A first azimuth detector detects, within a first azimuth detection area whose angular range is defined by d1, the azimuth of a target based on the signals generated by all the first antenna elements. A second azimuth detector detects, within a second azimuth detection area whose angular range is defined by d2, the azimuth of the target based on the signals generated by the second antenna element and the first antenna element located at the end of the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Takamasa Ando
  • Patent number: 7928898
    Abstract: In a method for determining the kinematic state of an object by evaluating a sequence of discrete polar measured values of a sensor, the polar measurements rm, ?m are converted to Cartesian coordinates and subsequently scaled to Cartesian pseudo-measurements using a scaling factor ? calculated as a function of measured range rm. Associated pseudo-measurement error variance matrices are determined, each comprising nominal measurement error variances in the range direction R2m and transversely thereto C2m as a function of the measured range rm. The state of the object is estimated, with an estimated variance {circumflex over (?)}2cross being determined transversely with respect to the range direction in an estimation device, based on the Cartesian pseudo-measurements and the pseudo-measurement error variance matrices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Dietrich Fraenken
  • Patent number: 7924214
    Abstract: In an azimuth detecting apparatus, a receiver includes antenna elements arranged at predetermined intervals d. A first signal producer produces, based on reception signals generated by the antenna elements, first signals which are equivalent to signals generated by antenna elements arranged at first intervals d1, d1 being an integral multiple of d. A second signal producer produces, based on the reception signals, second signals which are equivalent to signals generated by antenna elements arranged at second intervals d2, d2 being an integral multiple of d and greater than d1. A first azimuth detector detects, within a first azimuth detection area whose angular range is defined by d1, the azimuth of the target based on the first signals. A second azimuth detector detects, within a second azimuth detection area whose angular range is defined by d2, the azimuth of the target based on the second signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Takamasa Ando
  • Patent number: 7924213
    Abstract: A method of tracking an object including the steps of: collecting N measurements of range Ri and Doppler velocity Di associated with the object from a plurality M of radar sensors Si each measurement being assigned a time stamp ti; time aligning each Range Ri measurement to a common time stamp tN to provide a corresponding time aligned range Pi for each of the N measurements; using each time aligned Range measurement Pi to define a corresponding spherical equation such that N spherical equations are defined; and deriving analytical solutions from three of the N spherical equations to determine the position vector of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Thales Nederland B.V.
    Inventors: Huub De Waard, Piet Griffioen, Henk Regtop, Gert Van De Brug
  • Patent number: 7903023
    Abstract: The present invention relates to system for detecting obstacles (13, 55, 56, 57) on the ground (15) onboard a carrier (1). The detection system comprises at least two continuous-wave radars (2, 3, 4). The radars (2, 3, 4) are linked to a system (15) for utilizing the detection data arising from the radars (2, 3, 4). The detection system performs localization of an obstacle (13, 55, 56, 57): along a radial axis (12) between a radar (2, 3, 4) and the obstacle (13, 55, 56, 57), by calculating the distance between the radar (2, 3, 4) and the obstacle (13, 55, 56, 57); along a vertical axis (14) with respect to a radar (2, 3, 4), by calculating the elevation of the obstacle (13, 55, 56, 57) using monopulse deviation-measurement processing. The detection system performs localization of an obstacles along a horizontal axis (18) transverse with respect to a sighting axis (11) of a radar (2, 3, 4), by calculating the azimuthal position of the obstacle (13, 55, 56, 57).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Pascal Cornic, Patrick Le Bihan, Yves Audic, Philippe Lacomme
  • Patent number: 7898466
    Abstract: The radar tracking or pulse refresh rate is calculated for a target. The refresh rate is selected which makes a sum equal to a predetermined fraction of the radar beamwidth, where the sum is the sum of the bias error and a multiplicative product. The multiplicative product is the product of the random error multiplied by a number associated with the containment probability of the total error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Kourken Malakian, Tamara A. Vosbikian
  • Patent number: 7880669
    Abstract: To provide a radar apparatus capable of rapidly detecting an object at the end of a detecting range. The present invention provides a radar apparatus comprising a radar sensor that transmits a transmitting wave to a predetermined angular range and receives a reflected wave reflected by an object and a processing unit that obtains a peak of strength from a distribution of strength for angle of the received reflected wave and determines the direction of the object based on the peak. The processing unit detects the reflected wave at the end of the angular range and, when the peak is not detected, determines whether the object exists in the direction of the end of the angular range, based on the distribution of strength of the detected reflected wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited
    Inventors: Tokio Shinagawa, Shinichi Shibata
  • Patent number: 7864103
    Abstract: A height-finding 3D avian radar comprises an azimuthally scanning radar system with means of varying the elevation pointing angle of the antenna. The elevation angle can be varied by employing either an antenna with multiple beams, or an elevation scanner, or two radars pointed at different elevations. Heights of birds are determined by analyzing the received echo returns from detected bird targets illuminated with the different elevation pointing angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Accipiter Radar Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter T. Weber, Timothy J. Nohara
  • Patent number: 7859451
    Abstract: A method for determining target angles based on data received from a monopulse radar array antenna includes receiving from a beamformer that generates beams from signals generated by the monopulse radar antenna signals having data indicative of a sum beam, an azimuth difference beam, an elevation difference beam, and a delta-delta beam; based on the received signals, determining by the processor an azimuth monopulse ratio, an elevation monopulse ratio, a first complementary monopulse ratio based on the ratio of the delta-delta beam to the delta elevation beam, and a second complementary monopulse ratio based on the ratio of the delta-delta beam to the delta azimuth beam; determining an azimuth angle by the processor based on the azimuth monopulse ratio and the first complementary monopulse ratio; determining an elevation angle by the processor based on the elevation monopulse ratio and the second complementary monopulse ratio; providing an output signal indicative of the azimuth angle; and providing an output
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Kai-Bor Yu, Peter G. Kaup
  • Patent number: 7821443
    Abstract: One embodiment relates to a dual mode radar transceiver. The dual mode transceiver includes a plurality of transmit channels. Each of the plurality of transmit channels is adapted to switch between a first mode and a second mode. The first mode includes a first combination of the plurality of transmit channels adapted to concurrently transmit outgoing signals. The second mode includes a plurality of different combinations of the plurality of transmit channels. Each of the plurality of different combinations has fewer transmit channels than the first combination. Other methods and systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Volker Winkler, Reinhard Feger
  • Patent number: 7764217
    Abstract: Kalman gain is used to calculate range accuracy for a passive angle-of-arrival determining systems, most notably for short-baseline interferometry, in which Kalman gain after arriving at a minimum proceeds to within a predetermined fraction or percent of zero gain, at which time the range estimate accuracy is known.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald M. Yannone
  • Patent number: 7750841
    Abstract: Apparatus for determining positional information relating to an object, comprising: means for receiving, comprising a plurality of receiving elements; detection means for detecting signals received at the receiving elements and for generating output signals representative of the received signals; and processing means operable to apply, for each receiving element, a process to the output signal generated from the signal received at that receiving element separately from any output signal generated from a signal received at any other receiving element, so as to obtain a respective value of a parameter representative of the signal received at that receiving element, the processing means being further operable to compare the values of the parameter thus obtained so as to, obtain positional information relating to the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Cambridge Consultants Limited
    Inventors: Gordon Kenneth Andrew Oswald, Alexandra Joanna Geoghegan, Charles Peter Bell, Nicholas Simon Russ, Mario Del Mistro, Michael Hugh Burchett, Desmond Keith Phillips, Vincent Arne Utsi
  • Patent number: 7746270
    Abstract: A radar apparatus transmits a pulse signal including pulses having at least two different pulselengths in a specific transmit pulse pattern and receives a returning echo signal through a single antenna. A tuning voltage setting timing generator generates a timing of setting a tuning voltage according to a combination of transmission pulselengths and a tuning processor performs tuning operation in a manner suited to a current transmission pulselength based on the tuning voltage setting timing. The radar apparatus may include a tuning voltage alteration decider for deciding whether or not to alter the tuning voltage based on a combination of alternate pulselengths before altering the pulselength of the pulse signal generated by a transmitter and the tuning processor alters the tuning voltage based on the result of decision made by the tuning voltage alteration decider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Company Limited
    Inventors: Masahiro Nakahama, Sae Takemoto, Koji Dai
  • Patent number: 7742772
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for determining a position of a wireless communication device. A method includes determining a respective (x,y) position of two wireless communication devices, determining a distance between the two wireless communication devices, and determining a relative elevational differential between the two wireless communication devices. The relative elevational differential is determined based on the determined (x,y) positions of the two wireless communication devices and the determined distance between the first and second wireless communication devices. The (x,y) positions may be determined using GPS receivers incorporated in the wireless communication devices. Determining the distance between the devices may be accomplished using RF ranging. The relative elevational differential may be derived using the Pythagorean theorem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Terahop Networks, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert W. Twitchell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7742773
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for determining a position of a wireless communication device. A method includes determining a respective (x,y) position of two wireless communication devices, determining a distance between the two wireless communication devices, and determining a relative elevational differential between the two wireless communication devices. The relative elevational differential is determined based on the determined (x,y) positions of the two wireless communication devices and the determined distance between the first and second wireless communication devices. The (x,y) positions may be determined using GPS receivers incorporated in the wireless communication devices. Determining the distance between the devices may be accomplished using RF ranging. The relative elevational differential may be derived using the Pythagorean theorem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Terahop Networks, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert W. Twitchell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7719461
    Abstract: The invention, called “ORSE Track Fusion”, combines sensor tracks from dispersed sites, when limited communication bandwidth does not permit sharing of individual measurements. Since estimation errors due to maneuver biases are not independent for each sensor, optimal fusion of tracks produced by Kalman filters requires transmission of all the filter gain matrices used to update each sensor track prior to the fusion time. For this reason, prior art has resorted to suboptimal designs. ORSE Track Fusion according to aspects of the invention overcomes this disadvantage by propagating, transmitting, and fusing separately calculated covariance matrices for random and bias estimation errors. Furthermore, with ORSE, each sensor can have its own criteria in forming its track, and track fusion can be performed with different criteria at each processing site. Thus, ORSE Track Fusion has the unique flexibility to optimize track fusion simultaneously for multiple criteria to serve multiple users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Purusottam Mookerjee, Frank J. Reifler
  • Patent number: 7719460
    Abstract: In a radar device including a transmitting unit for transmitting a transmission signal having plural modulation sections, a receiving unit for receiving a reflection signal obtained through reflection of the transmission signal from a target by an array antenna having plural channels, a mixing unit for mixing the transmission signal with reception signals of the plural channels to obtain beat signals of the plural channels, a frequency analyzing unit for frequency-analyzing the beat signals of the plural channels, and a direction calculating unit for calculating the direction to the target on the basis of frequency analysis results of the plural channels, the direction calculating unit adds correlation matrixes generated from peak frequency spectra of the plural modulation sections to obtain an summed correlation matrix, and calculating the direction to the target on the basis of the summed correlation matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kado Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 7714769
    Abstract: In a method for estimating the width of radar objects in a position finding system for motor vehicles, which has at least two angle-resolving radar sensors, the reflection points positioned by several of the radar sensors, which are to be assigned to the same object on the basis of their distance data and relative velocity data, are combined into a group, lateral positions of the reflection points from this group are calculated, the difference of the lateral positions is calculated for various pairs of these refection points, and the maximum of these differences is sought out to determine an estimated value for a minimum width of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Ruediger Jordan
  • Patent number: 7710310
    Abstract: A detection system (1) having an optical sensor (3), a radar device (2) and a signal processor (4) communicatively connected with the optical sensor and the radar device. The signal processor comprises: a first detector (41, 410-413) for detecting a first object on the basis of a first signal coming from the optical sensor and determining at least one first property of the first object; a second detector (42, 420-421) for detecting a second object on the basis of a second signal coming from the radar device and determining at least one second property of that second object, and a signaling unit (43) for producing a signal if the at least one first property and the at least one second property satisfy a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek TNO
    Inventors: Albert Gezinus Huizing, Leonardus Johannes Hubertus Maria Kester, Arne Theil
  • Patent number: 7696919
    Abstract: A system and method for warning a helicopter of an approaching bullet using existing sensor systems is disclosed. The disclosed method including the steps of: detecting and providing bearing information for detected small arms weapon firing locations near the helicopter, determining a detection area and detection time window for the fired bullet, determining the antennas of the RF transmitting and RF receiving systems covering the bearing of the detected weapon firing; determining a timing sequence and allocating time segments for transmitting and receiving RF signals during the detection time window, commanding the RF emitting system to emit and the RF receiving system to receive RF signals during their allocated time segments, processing RF signals received and determining whether reflected RF signal pulses from the emitted RF signal pulses are present, and outputting a warning where reflected RF signal pulses are detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen C. Moraites