Determining Direction Patents (Class 342/147)
  • Patent number: 7898460
    Abstract: A radar apparatus includes a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna that has a plurality of antenna elements, and switches the plurality of antenna elements in synchronization with a modulation period to acquire receiving signals. At this time, the antenna elements are switched in accordance with a combination of a first sub-phase and a second sub-phase in which the antenna elements are sequentially switched in opposite directions to thereby acquire the receiving signals. The radar apparatus calculates an azimuth sine value sin ?1 from the acquired receiving signals of the first sub-phase and calculates an azimuth sine value sin ?2 from the receiving signals of the second sub-phase. Next, the radar apparatus calculates an actual azimuth ? through an averaging process of these azimuth sine values sin ?1 and sin ?2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsu Nishimura, Toru Ishii
  • Patent number: 7890263
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling deployment of a safety device for a vehicle. The system may include a pre-impact collision assessment system, an impact detection system, and an inflatable safety device. The safety device may be partially inflated when a collision threat is detected based on a signal from the pre-impact collision assessment system. The inflatable device may be subsequently either more fully inflated or deflated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kwaku O. Prakah-Asante, Manoharprasad K. Rao
  • Publication number: 20110030538
    Abstract: Embodiments of an apparatus and method for defending a physical zone from airborne and ground-based threats are disclosed. In the various embodiments, an apparatus includes a detection component configured to detect and track a ground-based or airborne threat proximate to the physical zone, an integration component to receive data from the detection component and process the data to determine a threat assessment. A defensive component receives the determined threat assessment and disables the ground-based and airborne threat based upon the determined threat assessment. A method includes detecting an object proximate to the physical zone to be protected, identifying the object as a hostile threat, determining at least one of a path and a point-of-origin for the object, and actuating a defensive system in response to the hostile threat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ahrens, Jay A. Stern, Timothy K. Kirchhoff, Mark P. Slivinski, Terrence J. Wolfe, Vernon A. Mickle, Arthur D. Dilley, Daniel F. Cheeseman, Timothy M. Minahen
  • Patent number: 7884757
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an ultra wide band (UWB) radar includes: a substrate; a plurality of antennas adjacent the substrate, the plurality of antennas being arranged into a plurality of sub-arrays; an RF feed network adjacent the substrate, the RF feed network coupling to a distributed plurality of amplifiers integrated with the substrate, wherein the RF feed network and the distributed plurality of amplifiers are configured to form a resonant network such that if a timing signal is injected into an input port of the RF feed network, the resonant network oscillates to provide a globally-synchronized RF signal across the network; a plurality of pulse-shaping circuits corresponding to the plurality of sub-arrays, each pulse-shaping circuit being configured to receive the globally-synchronized RF signal from the network and process the globally-synchronized RF signal into pulses for transmission through the corresponding sub-array of antennas; and an actuator for mechanically scanning the UWB radar so that the pulse
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Tialinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Farrokh Mohamadi, Afshin Niktash
  • Patent number: 7880668
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a computer implemented method of configuring a land-based radar system for scanning a scan region is disclosed. The method comprises dividing the scan region into a grid of blocks and obtaining a terrain elevation data for the scan region. For an elevation angle for the radar system, determining those blocks in the grid that are visible to the radar system and those blocks that are not visible to the radar based on the terrain elevation data. Then, step of determining the visible blocks is repeated for all elevation angles in a predefined set of elevation angles for the radar system. Next, an optimal scan elevation angle for the radar system is determined as the scan elevation angle which resulted in the maximum number of visible blocks in the scan region and the radar system is set to the optimal scan elevation angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corproation
    Inventors: Stefan M. Krause, Eric D. Toal, Louis Lagonik
  • 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: 7868818
    Abstract: An antenna is provided, in combination with an associated switch array, the antenna comprising a number of antenna elements mounted above a ground plane for providing coverage over a predetermined range of angles in azimuth using a number of beams. Each of the antenna elements is connected to a switch in the switch array and the switch array is operable to connect selected pairs of the antenna elements to a signal path to thereby generate each of the different beams, at the same time connecting unselected antenna elements to ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: BAE Systems, PLC
    Inventor: Robert Ian Henderson
  • Publication number: 20110001659
    Abstract: 1. A device and a method for the improved directional estimation and decoding by means of secondary radar signals. 2.1 Radio-based positioning systems on the basis of secondary radar signals are known. For this purpose special receiver systems are utilized for estimating the direction, and special receiver systems are utilized for decoding secondary radar signals. In particular, a secondary radar system is absent, which, among others, takes into consideration any shortcomings of the hardware used, such as coupled antenna elements, different low-end impedances, deviating distances between the antenna elements, manufacturing and installation tolerances, and the like. 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: iAD Gesellschaft Fur Informatik Automatisierung und Datenverabetung
    Inventors: Hermann Hampel, Ulrich Berold, Christoph Reck, Lorenz-Peter Schmidt, Jochen Weinzierl
  • Publication number: 20110001656
    Abstract: A radar system includes: a transmission antenna outputting transmission signals having multiple frequencies; multiple reception antennas receiving reflected waves of the transmission signals, reflected from an object; a mixer mixing the transmission signals with reception signals received by the reception antennas to generate beat signals; and a signal processing unit detecting Doppler frequency by analyzing frequencies of the beat signals, detecting phase information of the Doppler frequency for each of combinations of the reception antennas and the transmission signal frequencies, constructing a matrix having the pieces of phase information arranged in a predetermined order with respect to the reception antennas and the frequencies of the transmission signals, obtaining a correlation matrix from the matrix and its complex conjugate transposed matrix, and estimating at least one of a distance, direction and relative velocity of the object based on the correlation matrix.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto NAKAI, Masaru Ogawa, Tomoya Kawasaki
  • 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: 7859450
    Abstract: In a detection and ranging apparatus that performs direction-of-arrival estimation using a sensor array and that enlarges an effective aperture using a plurality of transmitting sensors, adverse effects associated with time division switching are eliminated, achieving high-accuracy measurement. A transmitter wave is spread in modulators by using mutually orthogonal codes, and the resulting transmitter waves are radiated from two transmitting sensors. Signals received by receiving sensors are each split by a splitter into two parts, which are then respectively despread in a demodulator by using the same codes as those used in the transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignees: Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Ten Limited
    Inventors: Kazuo Shirakawa, Katsuyuki Ohguchi, Yasuyuki Kondo
  • Publication number: 20100271254
    Abstract: An electronic scanning type radar device mounted on a moving body includes: a transmission unit transmitting a transmission wave; a reception unit comprising a plurality of antennas receiving a reflection wave of the transmission wave from a target; a beat signal generation unit generating a beat signal from the transmission wave and the reflection wave; a frequency resolution processing unit frequency computing a complex number data; a target detection unit detecting an existence of the target; a correlation matrix computation unit computing a correlation matrix from each of a complex number data of a detected beat frequency; a target consolidation processing unit linking the target in a present detection cycle and a past detection cycle; a correlation matrix filtering unit generating an averaged correlation matrix by weighted averaging a correlation matrix of a target in the present detection cycle and a correlation matrix of a related target in the past detection cycle; and a direction detection unit compu
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2008
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA ELESYS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junji Kanamoto, Hiroyuki Akimoto
  • Publication number: 20100241009
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for wirelessly detecting movement of a target. The system comprises a reference oscillator, a transmitter, a receiver, a demodulator, and a processor, wherein: the reference oscillator generates references frequencies for the transmitter, the receiver, and the demodulator; the transmitter generates a continuous-wave signal at a frequency based on the transmitter reference frequency and wirelessly transmits it to the target; the receiver wirelessly receives a reflected signal from the target having a phase angle corresponding to movement of the target and converts the reflected signal into an intermediate frequency signal based on the receiver reference frequency; the demodulator demodulates the intermediate frequency signal into an in-phase component and a quadrature component; and the processor converts the in-phase component and the quadrature component into a movement signal corresponding to movement of the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: Wright State University
    Inventor: Douglas T. Petkie
  • Patent number: 7801677
    Abstract: A real-time path-directed controller for navigating an object along a desired path is disclosed. The controller comprises: a position sensor which contributes to the production of a conditioned object position signal to a controller summer; a heading conditioning module which contributes to the production of a conditioned heading signal to the controller summer; a control apparatus sensor which contributes to the production of a conditioned control apparatus signal to the controller summer; and a control apparatus null position conditioning module which contributes to the production of a conditioned null position signal to the controller summer. The controller summer sums the signals to produce a controller summer signal to a controller summer conditioning module so as to produce a control apparatus control signal to a control apparatus controller so as to direct the control apparatus and thereby direct the object by feedback control along the desired path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Inventors: John H. Harrison, Jr., J. Howard Harrison
  • Publication number: 20100225523
    Abstract: A radar apparatus has a plurality of receiving antennas and an array transmitting antenna controlled to successively vary the direction of a transmitted beam within a range which includes a target detection range of directions. The direction of any target within the target detection range is detected based on a phase difference between incident reflected waves of adjacent receiving antennas. To eliminate false targets resulting from aliasing, each detected target is authenticated based upon closeness of its detected direction to the current transmitted beam direction. The receiving antennas and transmitting antenna are configured to exclude directions of grating lobes of the transmitted beam from the detection range, and thereby suppress effects of received reflected waves that originate from grating lobes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akiyoshi Mizutani, Kazuma Natsume
  • Publication number: 20100214155
    Abstract: A collision prediction system includes a collision face determining unit that determines a collision face of the own vehicle which is presumed to collide with another vehicle, based on a travelling direction of the other vehicle relative to the own vehicle at an estimated collision time at which a collision is presumed to occur, a collision position estimating unit that estimates a collision position as a position of a potential collision between the own vehicle and the other vehicle, based on the collision face determined by the collision face determining unit, and a collision position correcting unit that corrects the collision position estimated by the collision position estimating unit, based on a preset size of the other vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomoaki HARADA
  • Patent number: 7782247
    Abstract: A method for method of estimating the position of one or more target nodes based on received reflections of a primary signal. The method includes receiving a primary signal from a transmitter node having a known location at a receiver node having a known location and receiving at least one reflected signal at the receiver node, the reflected signal generated by a reflection of the primary signal by a target node having an unknown location. The method further includes applying a target position algorithm to the primary signal and the at least one reflected signal to generate target location information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven VanLaningham, James A. Stevens, Alexander K. Johnson, Rachel A. Rivera
  • Patent number: 7782249
    Abstract: A pseudo-spatial-average-covariance-matrix generating unit selects, from matrixes Rf1, Rf2, Rb1 and Rb2, one appropriate matrix or two or more appropriate matrixes for combination to generate a pseudo-spatial-average-covariance matrix R. A pseudo-spatial-average-covariance-matrix Hermitian-conjugate product generating unit generates a target-count-estimation matrix RRH. A target-count-estimation-matrix decomposing unit performs LU decomposition on RRH into a lower triangular matrix L and an upper triangular matrix U. An index generating unit generates an index using elements of the upper triangular matrix U. An index-parameter scanning unit estimates a target count by using the index generated by the index generating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Kazuo Shirakawa
  • Publication number: 20100188282
    Abstract: In a device for monitoring the position of a tool or machine element on or in a work spindle or tool chuck, in particular, in a machining apparatus, the work spindle or tool chuck has at least one channel that defines a waveguide, which is suitable for propagating electromagnetic waves, that leads from an external surface of the work spindle or tool chuck to the tool or machine element. At least one radar system is provided and arranged outside the work spindle or tool chuck in such a manner that it is capable of irradiating a radar signal from the outer surface into the channel and or receiving a radar signal reflected back from the channel. The radar signal is connected to a signal-processing device that determines a measure of the position of the tool or machine element relative to the work spindle or tool chuck based on at least one radar signal irradiated into the channel and reflected back from the channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2010
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: OTT-JAKOB SPANNTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan BONERZ, Josef GREIF, Wolfgang BECHTELER
  • Patent number: 7764221
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a plurality of sensor modules that are disposed at spacings with respect to one another, each sensor module having a local oscillator device. The oscillator device generates an oscillator signal that is passed on to a transmit/receive device, and the oscillator signal is radiated. The transmit/receive device is set up such that it can receive signals reflected from the object. A phase detection device is coupled at one input to the oscillator device and at a second input to the transmit/receive device. Based on the oscillator signal and the received reflected signals, the phase detection device determines a phase signal. A control and signal-processing device determines, based on the spacings of the sensor modules with respect to one another and the phase signals, a direction of the object with respect to the sensor module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Voigtlaender, Hans Irion, Matthias Steinhauer, Wolfgang Menzel
  • 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: 7760133
    Abstract: In a FM-CW or CW radar apparatus, when interference components are contained in channel signals obtained as beat signals from array antenna elements of respective channels, and the interference components result from directly receiving transmitted CW radar waves from an external source, phase shifting is applied to each of the channel signals to shift respective phases of the interference components of the respective channels to a condition corresponding to reception of interference waves from a predetermined direction. The interference components are then eliminated, and reverse phase shifting is applied to restore remaining components of the channel signals to their original phase condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Shirai, Chiharu Yamano, Kazuma Natsume, Yuu Watanabe, Mai Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 7760134
    Abstract: A radar apparatus capable of determining the position of targets at a high accuracy even when plural objects of an identical relative velocity are present in a detection view field of the radar, using signal processing of obtaining an effect which is similar with that of virtually increasing the number of antennas along the moving direction of the radar by determining the change of intensity of reception signals using data in the past in which an identical antenna was positioned at a slightly different place (T1) and data at present (T1+?T) as a unit data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsutoshi Morinaga, Hiroto Mitoma
  • Patent number: 7755537
    Abstract: A direction detection apparatus transmits radar waves, with resultant reflected waves being received as incident waves by elements of an array antenna. Normally the direction of a target object is calculated based on analyzing respective received signals from the antenna elements, in calculations utilizing an estimated total number of incident wave directions. In an antenna direction adjustment mode, an actual number of target objects, and hence actual number of incident wave directions, is utilized in place of the estimated value, thereby enabling direction detection information to be obtained which does not fluctuate with time, thus facilitating the adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Shimizu
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20100138081
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method of controlling a vehicle. The method includes the steps of: Providing a transmitter arranged to transmit in the microwave frequency range; providing a receiving means on the vehicle, receiving the signal, and calculating the azimuth of the transmitter with respect to the vehicle. The vehicle is controlled based on the calculated azimuth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Inventors: Angelo Doukas, Nick Fondas
  • Publication number: 20100134343
    Abstract: Provided is a radar device capable of accurately calculating directions and the number of targets. A direction calculation unit includes a correlation matrix addition prohibition unit that prohibits, when a peak frequency in a plurality of modulation periods of a target is in the vicinity of 0, addition of a correlation matrix generated from a peak frequency spectrum having the peak frequency in the vicinity of 0, and calculates the direction of the target on the basis of a summed correlation matrix in which correlation matrices generated from peak frequency spectra having peak frequencies out of the vicinity of 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kado Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 7724178
    Abstract: A device for determining the bearing of a vehicle using Inertial Reference Unit (IRU) and Traffic Alert Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) data. The device includes a means to communicate with the vehicle such as a transmitter, receiver, and antenna. The device also includes a processor configured to receive the IRU and TCAS data from the vehicle via the communication means and then generate a bearing value using the received data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Ruy L. Brandao, Ruy C. Brandao, Sr., Christine M. Haissig, John Weed, Eric A. Euteneuer
  • Publication number: 20100123616
    Abstract: A radar device including: a reception antenna that receives radio waves, includes at least three antennas and is arranged so that the phase center points thereof form an isosceles triangle; an arrival direction detection unit that detects an arrival direction of the radio waves by a phase monopulse method; and a phase correction unit that corrects a phase difference between phases of radio waves respectively received by two adjacent antennas among the three antennas based on the relationship of the phases of the radio waves respectively received by the three antennas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshiaki MINAMI
  • 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: 7692574
    Abstract: A radar apparatus can improve detection performance of a target, obtain high resolution without changing antenna construction, and suppress calculation load. A target detection unit, which calculates a distance, a relative speed, or a direction of the target based on frequency analysis results for a plurality of channels, includes a channel to channel integration unit that integrates, for each of the same frequencies, beat frequency spectra for the plurality of channels in the form of frequency analysis results for beat signals obtained for each of a plurality of receiving antennas, and a direction calculation unit that calculates the direction of the target from the beat frequency spectra for the plurality of channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kado Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 7692575
    Abstract: A radar target detection method in which an azimuth at which a target is located is detected on the basis of reception signals obtained through antenna elements of an array antenna by detecting a change in levels of spectrum peaks in an azimuth spectrum of reception signal intensities, calculating a level of correlation between the level change of each spectrum peak and a directivity pattern of the array antenna in an azimuth range corresponding to the spectrum peak, and determining an azimuth corresponding to one of the spectrum peaks having the highest corresponding correlation level to be the azimuth at which the target is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsu Nishimura
  • Patent number: 7688253
    Abstract: A method and processor for resolving a processing radar return data to determine a mechanical angle to a target relative to a radar array having a right antenna, an ambiguous antenna, and a left antenna. An LA linear relationship determining, based upon a characteristic number of LA wraps relative to the mechanical angle. Likewise, determining a RA linear relationship determines a characteristic number of RA wraps and a RL linear relationship determines a characteristic number of RL wraps relative to the mechanical angle. All permutations of LA wraps, RA wraps, and RL wraps are listed, and for each permutation, a truth relationship is determined. A look up table is populated with permutations where the truth relationship is true.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Todd R. Burlet
  • Patent number: 7688255
    Abstract: An electronic scanning radar apparatus has a cutting portion for cutting receiving data which is comprised of N numbers of data for each channel into two more short time data having M (<N) numbers of data in a time direction for each channel, an inverse matrix estimator for computing and estimating an inverse matrix of the time series correlation matrix from the short time data, and a phase information producing portion for computing CAPON phase information out of the estimated inverse matrix of the time series correlation matrix in order to detect a distance, an azimuth and a relative speed of a target on the basis of a computed CAPON phase information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Koichiro Suzuki, Chiharu Yamano, Gaku Takano, Kazuma Natsume
  • Publication number: 20100073216
    Abstract: A FMCW-type radar device generates snapshot data from a beat signal that represents a received condition of the radar device every modulation period. Auto-correlation matrices generated by the snapshot data every modulation period are averaged every set of plural periods. The radar device calculates the target azimuth of a target object such as a preceding vehicle based on the averaged auto-correlation matrix based on MUSIC (MUltiple SIgnal Classification) method. This averaging is performed by weighting average based on an amount of mixed noise (or an interference amount) contained in the snapshot data in each modulation period. A weighting coefficient to be applied to the auto-correlation matrix in each modulation period is set to a value corresponding to the amount of mixed noise, namely, the interference amount of this modulation period. The weighting coefficient becomes large when the interference amount is small, and on the other hand, becomes small when it is large.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mai Sakamoto, Kazuma Natsume, Yuu Watanabe, Hideki Shirai, Chiharu Yamano
  • Patent number: 7684921
    Abstract: The present invention can realize a vehicle running control apparatus including ACC function and map information data recording medium to obtain effective information for safety driving capable for running control meeting a driver's feeling. The first running speed is decided on the basis of the distance between the vehicles and the relative speed. The position detecting means detects the position of own vehicle on a map. The map information getting means gets road information, the width of the road, the radius of curvature, and slope on the basis of the map information. The visible distance estimating means estimates the visible distance on the basis of the map information, deciding the second running safety speed with the estimated visible distance. The running control means decides the object running speed of smallest one of the set speed, the first running speed, and the second running speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Kojima, Tokuji Yoshikawa, Kazuhiko Satou, Satoru Kuragaki, Shiho Izumi, Toshimichi Minowa
  • Publication number: 20100066590
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to retrodirective radio-frequency systems wherein a transmit antenna array includes at least one row of N transmit elements and a receive antenna array includes at least one row of N receive elements that correspond one-to-one to the transmit elements and wherein the transmit and receive elements are located on spaced planes, and centered about a common axis and located at common transmit distance and a common receive distance, respectively. In some embodiments the one row of transmit and receive elements comprises “n” rows of elements, where “n” is an integer greater than one, thereby forming a two-dimensional array. In some embodiments the total transmit radiation pattern provides an azimuth coverage of 360 degrees. In other embodiments, it may provide less coverage but be operable as independent sectors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Inventors: Elliott R. Brown, Abraham Hartenstein
  • Patent number: 7679562
    Abstract: A target detection apparatus that includes a transmission/reception device for generating a transmission signal for detection of a target, and extracting distance information about the target from a received signal; a number of sensors each of which transmits the transmission signal to respective different angle ranges, receives a signal reflected by the target, and transfers the received signal to the transmission/reception device; and a switch device for switching in a time division manner a connection between the transmission/reception device and one of the sensors to a connection between the transmission/reception device and another one of the sensors, where the switch device selects a first of the sensors for transmitting the transmission signal in a time slot and a second of the sensors for receiving the signal reflected by the target in the time slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Kazuo Shirakawa
  • Patent number: 7675457
    Abstract: A radar system transmits a beam of detection radio waves with a predetermined azimuth width, receives a reflected wave from a target, changes a central azimuth of the beam, and detects the distribution of reception signal strengths at predetermined angular intervals and for each predetermined distance. Then, when the reception signal strength distribution associated with changes in azimuth is expressed in rectangular coordinates, an azimuth corresponding to a vertex of an isosceles triangle that approximates the reception signal strength distribution and has an azimuth width, which is determined by the beam azimuth width, as its base is detected as the central azimuth of the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Motoi Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 7667637
    Abstract: There is provided a radar system for detection of one or more objects. The radar system comprises a radar wave transmitter for simultaneously transmitting a CW radar signal and a FM-CW or MF radar signal, and a first radar wave receiver for receiving CW and FM-CW or MF radar signals, reflected from one or more objects present in a detection range of the radar system. The system may further comprise a first CW mixer for mixing CW transmission signals and reflected CW signals received by the first receiver, and a first FM-CW or MF mixer for mixing FM-CW or MF transmission signals and corresponding reflected FM-CW or MF signals received by the first receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Weibel Scientific A/S
    Inventors: Peder Richardt Pedersen, Fernando Casanova Galeano
  • Patent number: 7663537
    Abstract: A target detecting apparatus mounted on a vehicle has an electronically agile radar detecting a beat signal indicating a difference in frequency between transmission and reception signals and producing a time series of N reception data from the beat signal, a determining unit determining search areas placed at different ranges of distance from the vehicle while considering a running state of the vehicle and determining a data length for each search area, an extracting unit extracting (N?M+1) time series of short time data, respectively, having the data length corresponding to M reception data from the N reception data for each search area, a producing unit producing phase information from the short time data for each search area, and a detecting unit determining a target distance and a target bearing from the phase information and detecting a target from the target distance and the target bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Koichiro Suzuki, Chiharu Yamano, Kazuma Natsume
  • Publication number: 20100019954
    Abstract: In a radar with a non-uniformly spaced antenna array, an extractor estimates a number of arrivals of echoes to the antenna array. A setter sets a number of azimuths corresponding to a number of extracted peaks as a number of tested azimuths greater than the number of arrivals of echoes by a preset number. A determiner determines a level of correlations among steering vectors respectively corresponding to the tested azimuths. A selector selects, from the tested azimuths, azimuths as power-estimation targets based on the determined level of the correlations among the steering vectors. A first estimator estimates a received power level from each power-estimation target. A second estimator estimates, from the power-estimation targets, an azimuth of the target based on the estimated received power level from each power-estimation target. The estimated received power level from the azimuth is equal to or greater than a preset threshold level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akiyoshi Mizutani, Koichiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7640106
    Abstract: Apparatus for determining the position of a selected object relative to a moving reference frame, the apparatus including at least one reference frame transceiver assembly firmly attached to the moving reference frame, at least one object transceiver assembly firmly attached to the selected object, an inertial measurement unit firmly attached to the selected object, an inertial navigation system firmly attached to the moving reference frame, and a tracking processor coupled with the object transceiver assembly, with the inertial measurement unit and with the inertial navigation system, the object transceiver assembly communicating with the reference frame transceiver assembly using magnetic fields, the inertial measurement unit producing IMU inertial measurements of motion of the selected object with respect to an inertially fixed reference frame, the inertial navigation system producing INS inertial measurements of motion of the moving reference frame with respect to the inertially fixed reference frame, the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Elbit Systems Ltd.
    Inventors: Saul Stokar, David Neustadter
  • Publication number: 20090315759
    Abstract: An antenna system comprising a first antenna element, a second antenna element, and a parasitic element, wherein the parasitic element is arranged with regard to the first antenna element and the second antenna element such that a greatest difference in gain between respective antenna patterns of the first and second antenna elements occurs at a null of the pattern of the first antenna element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Angus C. K. Mak, Corbett R. Rowell, Chi-Lun Mak
  • Publication number: 20090295624
    Abstract: A method of determining a deviation of a path of a projectile from a predetermined path. The method uses an image of a target area in which the desired path or direction is pointed out. Subsequently, the real direction or path is determined and the deviation determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Inventor: Fredrik Tuxen
  • Patent number: 7626538
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a method for estimating and predicting a target emitter's kinematics, the method including the steps of: (a) passively sampling, at a first sampling rate, an emitter signal to obtain at least one passively measured signal attribute for estimating the target kinematics; (b) inputting the passively measured signal attribute to an estimator at a first sampling rate; (c) determining a radar duty cycle for active radar measurements as a multiple of the first sampling rate, the multiple defining a duration between radar transmissions; (d) directing a radar system to make active target measurements at the determined duty cycle; (e) inputting to the estimator the active target measurements at the determined duty cycle, while continuously inputting the passively measured signal attributes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Conrad M. Rose
  • Patent number: 7623062
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling a radar antenna are provided. The method includes generating a first single beam antenna pattern, generating a second single beam antenna pattern and transmitting the first and second single beam antenna patterns. The method further includes using phase detection to determine angular information for a detected object based on a phase difference of received signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventor: Xueru Ding
  • Patent number: 7612708
    Abstract: A system for tracking an object in space for position, comprises a transponder device connectable to the object. The transponder device has one or several transponder aerial(s) and a transponder circuit connected to the transponder aerial for receiving an RF signal through the transponder aerial. The transponder device adds a known delay to the RF signal thereby producing an RF response for transmitting through the transponder aerial. A transmitter is connected to a first aerial for transmitting the RF signal through a first aerial. A receiver is connected to the first, a second and third aerials for receiving the RF response of the transponder device therethrough. A position calculator is associated to the transmitter and the receiver for calculating a position of the object as a function of the known delay and the time period between the emission of the RF signal and the reception of the RF response from the first, second and third aerials. A method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Orthosoft Inc.
    Inventor: Jean-Louis Laroche
  • Patent number: 7602329
    Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods of tracking and/or avoiding harm to certain devices or humans. According to one exemplary embodiment, a method of tracking individual assets may include obtaining position data of an asset via a GPS receiver in communication with a position sensor associated with the asset, processing position data and sensor data via a processing component associated with the position sensor that receives the position data from the GPS receiver, and communicating sensor data to a host device via a communication interface associated with the position sensor and configured to enable wireless communication between the position sensor and the host device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Shotspotter, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Manderville, Kevin Baxter, Fred Holmes, Ken Fisher
  • Patent number: RE41153
    Abstract: A field unit for warning of a danger of collision between an aircraft and an obstacle, in particular a topographical ground obstacle or an obstacle formed by a mast, building or aerial cable structure, comprises a multi-part tubular mast having devices for fixing a solar panel and a radar antenna; an elongate radar antenna in an environment-protective casing, which, with an electronics unit, forms a radar system for synthesized radar detection of an aircraft in a radar coverage area; a central processing unit for identifying on the basis of information from the radar system an aircraft which is in a zone of the radar coverage area and which on the basis of radar information such as direction, distance and/or speed computes a collision danger area; and a high-intensity light system and radio transmitter system that can be activated by the central processing unit upon detection of an aircraft in a collision danger area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: OCAS AS
    Inventors: Morten Mork, Rolf Bakken