Beam Direction By Phase Or Frequency Control Patents (Class 342/81)
  • Patent number: 11796662
    Abstract: The present provides a radar apparatus and an antenna apparatus for the radar apparatus. The radar apparatus may include two first transmission antennas disposed on both sides of the transmission antenna set and the second transmission antenna disposed between two first transmission antennas spaced apart from the first transmission antenna by the vertical distance A in a first direction perpendicular to the ground, and may include the four receiving antennas disposed apart from each other by a predetermined horizontal distance, and may transmit the code divided transmission signals through two transmission antenna according to the detection mode, so that the vertical information and the horizontal information of the object can be easily obtained in the long range detection mode and the short range detection mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: HL Klemove Corp.
    Inventors: Jae Eun Lee, Hae Sueng Lim, Seong Hee Jeong
  • Patent number: 11486995
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to scanning a surrounding environment of a vehicle by radar during automated driving. In one embodiment, a method includes detecting an object by using a three-dimensional beam formed by a layered array of end-fire antennas. The method also includes scanning the object by using a fine three-dimensional beam formed by a section of the layered array of end-fire antennas. The method also includes tracking the object by using the fine three-dimensional beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Jae Seung Lee
  • Patent number: 10741930
    Abstract: Disclosed is a shaped horn in conjunction with a dielectric tube for enhanced aperture directivity that can achieve a near optimum efficiency. The shaped horn provides additional mode control to provide an improved off-axis cross-polarization response. The horn shape can be individually optimized for isolated horns or for horns in a feed array. The feed array environment can produce results that lead to a different optimized shape than the isolated horn. Lower off axis cross-polarization can result in improved efficiency and susceptibility to interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Viasat, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald L Runyon, Anders Jensen, Ken J. Larson, Jason T. King, Joseph M. Carlson
  • Patent number: 10700762
    Abstract: There are provided mechanisms for beam forming using an antenna array comprising dual polarized elements. A method comprises generating one or two beam ports. The one or two beam ports are defined by combining at least two non-overlapping subarrays. Each subarray has two subarray ports. The two subarray ports have identical power patterns and mutually orthogonal polarizations. The at least two non-overlapping subarrays are combined via expansion weights. The expansion weights and map the one or two beam ports to subarray ports such that the one or two beam ports have the same power pattern as the subarrays. At least some of the expansion weights have identical non-zero magnitude and are related in phase to form a transmission lobe. The method comprises transmitting signals using said one or two beam ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Publ)
    Inventors: Maksym Girnyk, Sven Petersson
  • Patent number: 10608678
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A bidirectional wireless repeater may receive a first waveform during a first time domain duplexing period via a first antenna array and may transmit the first waveform at a second antenna array during the first time domain duplexing period. A di-pole di-throw (DPDT) switch may be coupled to the first and second antenna arrays and may switch the arrays during a guard period between the first time domain duplexing period and a second time domain duplexing period. The DPDT switch may toggle the first and second antenna arrays between transmit and receive modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Raju Hormis, Navid Abedini, Junyi Li, Juergen Cezanne, Ozge Koymen
  • Patent number: 10103434
    Abstract: A reflect array-feeding array (RA-FA) antenna is disclosed. The RA-FA antenna comprising: a reflect array base comprising a plurality of reflecting elements with a phase shift distribution to reflect an incident beam to generate a reflected beam having a narrower beamwidth in an elevation plane and a same beamwidth in an azimuth plane, and a feeding array comprising a phased antenna array with a beam-steering ability to direct the incident beam at the reflecting elements. The reflecting elements may be configured in a pattern with rows and columns and reflecting elements along rows have a same phase shift, and reflecting elements along columns have phase shifts to narrow the incident beam to form the reflected beam narrower in the elevation plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Maltsev, Ali S. Sadri, Andrey Pudeyev
  • Patent number: 10096899
    Abstract: An electronic scanning antenna composed of an array of radiating elements positioned in an initial geometric configuration at a reference temperature, geometric configuration models of the array as a function of the temperature having been set up beforehand, the orientation of the beam being carried out by: a first phase of measuring the temperature of the array in order to select a model corresponding to the measured temperature; a second phase of calculating the phases to be applied to the signals of the radiating elements, the phases to be applied depending on the selected model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Christian Michel Renard, Jaki Amar, Philippe Freyssinier
  • Patent number: 9958828
    Abstract: A system for acquiring images by means of heterodyne digital holography comprises an image sensor having at least one photodiode coupled to an oversampling analog-digital converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT À L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Timothé Laforest, Antoine Dupret, Arnaud Verdant
  • Patent number: 9941600
    Abstract: A low profile conformal high gain multi-beam aircraft antenna includes antenna elements supported by a ground plane to create the low profile conformal high gain multi-beam aircraft antenna. Some of the antenna elements include a feeding waveguide flared in at least one of an h-plane and a v-plane. The antenna elements cooperate to create a gain pattern near a plane of the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Allen Minh-Triet Tran, Ernest Tadashi Ozaki, Mohammad Ali Tassoudji, Ahmad Jalali
  • Patent number: 9806428
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a communication system operative to form, direct, and narrow communication beams using an array of electromagnetic radiators and a beam-narrowing architecture. A beam-width of an electromagnetic beam is narrowed, thereby increasing the concentration of electromagnetic energy in the beam and achieving a significant antenna gain. In various embodiments, the direction of an electromagnetic beam may be altered to improve communication between a transmitter and a receiver. In various embodiments, the system is a millimeter-wave system with a millimeter-wave array and millimeter-wave beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Siklu Communication Ltd.
    Inventors: Ovadia Haluba, Naftali Chayat, Yigal Leiba, Itzik Ben Bassat, Boris Maysel
  • Patent number: 9780448
    Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus for shifting the phase of an radiofrequency signal. The device has an input line and an output line. An input switch is connected to the input line. The input switch is has several input throws. An output switch is connected to the output line. The output switch has several output throws which correspond to the input throws. The apparatus also has several phase shift lines. Each phase shift line has a true path length that is different from the true path lengths of the other phase shift lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Christopher J. Meagher, Randall B. Olsen
  • Patent number: 9698478
    Abstract: An electronically-controlled steerable beam antenna with suppressed parasitic scattering includes a feed line defining an axis x; and first and second arrays of electronically-controlled switchable scatters distributed along the axis x, each of the scatterers in the first and second arrays being switchable between a high state and a low state to scatter an electromagnetic wave propagating through the transmission line so as to form a steerable antenna beam. Each of the scatters of the second array is configured to be 180°-phase-shifted relative to a corresponding scatter of the first array. The switchable scatterers of the first and second arrays are configured into high states and low states relative to each other so as to suppress parasitic scattering of the electromagnetic wave without suppressing the steerable antenna beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: SIERRA NEVADA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Vladimir A. Manasson, Lev S. Sadovnik, Vladimir Litvinov
  • Patent number: 9601827
    Abstract: Beam direction controlling unit includes a relative position determining unit that determines a relative position between a reflector antenna and an array antenna by controlling a driver, e.g., driving unit, a drive controlling unit, such that a range on the array antenna onto which a parallel light beam from a desired beam direction is projected is a range in which element antennas are arranged, an excitation element selector that selects, as element antennas to be excited, element antennas onto which the parallel light beam is projected at the determined relative position, an excitation amplitude phase determining unit that sets an excitation amplitude phase of the selected element antennas, and sets the excitation amplitude phase to an excitation amplitude phase controller, e.g., an amplitude controller, a phase shifter, and an excitation amplitude phase controlling unit, and a transmitter/receiver connecting unit that connects the selected element antennas to a transmitter/receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Yamamoto, Yoshio Inasawa
  • Patent number: 9496611
    Abstract: Systems and methods for utilizing two or more phased arrays to coherently receive and/or transmit waveforms to one or more directions. The method includes applying a first and a second coherent processing to two or more sets of signal portions received or transmitted by corresponding two or more phased arrays. In reception mode, the first coherent processing includes converting the sets of signal portions received into corresponding sets of directional signals, by applying coherent integrations to each set signals portions such that each of the resulting directional signals being indicative of the angular frequencies, amplitudes and phases of the received waveforms. In reception mode, the second coherent processing includes adjusting phases of respectively the sets of the directional signals according to spatial dispositions between their respective phased arrays and the angular frequencies of the directional signals, thereby generating a coherent set of directional signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: ELTA SYSTEMS LTD.
    Inventor: Yacov Vagman
  • Patent number: 9425506
    Abstract: A multi-beam shape supplementary device for an antenna system for mobile communications includes a site-sharing adapter in the form of a primary adapter. The site-sharing adapter comprises at least two primary terminals for connecting at least two primary control apparatuses. The plug and/or terminal configuration or terminal occupation at the primary terminals are terminal-compatible with the terminals on the coupling terminal side of the site-sharing adapter. The pin or socket terminals provided for the bidirectional signal transmission in the site-sharing adapter are connected to a terminal pin or a terminal socket, provided for the bidirectional signal transmission, of the coupling terminal so as to form a bidirectional signal transmission path. The bidirectional transmission path is configured in such a way that the differentiated communications signals at the at least two primary terminals are converted into frequency-modulated signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: KATHREIN-WERKE KG
    Inventors: Lars Zimmermann, Benjamin Bien, Markus Mohr, Tobias Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 9287620
    Abstract: Determination of an impairment compensation matrix for compensation of impairments in an antenna array is disclosed. A plurality of different combinations of multi-signal transmissions which form at least one null at a respective location of a plurality of locations is determined. Each combination includes a multi-signal transmission that comprises at least two concurrent signal transmissions from at least two antenna subarrays of N antenna subarrays and the respective location. Based on signal characteristics associated with the plurality of different combinations of multi-signal transmissions and an expected signal reception at the plurality of locations, an impairment matrix that identifies an effect of impairments among the N antenna subarrays is determined. The impairment compensation matrix is determined based on the impairment matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Optics Cellular Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Neil McGowan, Marthinus W. Da Silveira, Bo Goransson, Peter Deane
  • Patent number: 9231303
    Abstract: A method of antenna array processing. Digitized time-series data from a plurality of antenna elements are divided into a plurality of time windows. A Fourier Transform is performed on a time window of the plurality of time windows for each antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements to generate a plurality of frequency domain vectors. The plurality of antenna elements is divided into a plurality of largest aperture sub-arrays. The frequency domain vectors are compressive beamformed tor the each sub-array to generate a plurality of bearing estimates corresponding to the plurality of sub-arrays. The plurality of bearing estimates from the plurality of sub-arrays are sparsely combined to generate a plurality of frequency-specific bearing estimates. The plurality of frequency-specific bearing estimates are incoherently averaged over a range of frequencies to generate a bearing for a bearing-timing record. A plurality of bearings for the bearing-timing record is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Geoffrey F. Edelmann, Charles F. Gaumond
  • Patent number: 9146133
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for presenting information on a display device associated with an aircraft. An exemplary method involves displaying a navigational map on the display device, obtaining status information for the aircraft, determining an amount of procedure information to be displayed based at least in part on the status information, and displaying the determined amount of aircraft procedure information on the display device overlying the navigational map. The procedure information prescribes operation of the aircraft during execution of an aircraft procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Dave Pepitone, Roger W. Burgin, Keith Hughes, Amit Srivastav, Allan R. Hart
  • Patent number: 9136598
    Abstract: Implementations and techniques for directional adjustment of voltage-controlled phased array structures are generally disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
    Inventor: Xuefeng Yin
  • Patent number: 9024805
    Abstract: Methods and systems of determining the altitude of an aircraft are provided. The method includes receiving data associated with aircraft position, a position of a first point and a second point on the runway, and an altitude of the first point and the second point, radar returns from the runway. The method includes determining a first range and second range between the aircraft, and the first point and the second point. The method includes determining a first angle and a second angle between the first point and second point, and the aircraft. The method includes determining a corrected angle. The method includes determining the altitude of the aircraft based on the corrected angle, the runway altitude of at least one of the first point and the second point, and at least one of the first range and the second range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard D. Jinkins, Daniel L. Woodell, Richard M. Rademaker
  • Patent number: 8988278
    Abstract: A radar apparatus includes a receiver having a plurality of receiver channels, each including an antenna element, a phase shifter, and a switch. The antenna element provides a signal that passes through a phase shifter to a switch. The signal may then be passed to a summing element if the switch is closed. The summing element receives signals from the receive channels, and provides a sum signal to a mixer. In phased array mode, the switches are closed and antenna controller adjusts the phase angles of the phase shifters. In DBF mode, the phase shifters are maintained at a set value, and switches are operated sequentially to provide time-multiplexed signals from the receive channels to the summing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Jae Seung Lee, Paul Donald Schmalenberg
  • Patent number: 8988279
    Abstract: A method for reducing sidelobe interference in a radar or communication system. The method includes selecting a desired amplitude weight (WD) to be applied to radar or communication antenna elements and determining phase weights for the radar or communication system elements such that each pair of adjacent, phase weighted elements provides the desired amplitude weight when summed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Raymond A. Roberge
  • Patent number: 8988274
    Abstract: A radar data acquisition system including a polarimetric phased array antenna and a radar control and processing system. The polarimetric phased array antenna includes a support system, an array of panels and a switching network. One or more of the panels include a dual pole antenna for at least one of transmitting and receiving a dual polarization electromagnetic beam. The switching network communicates with the panels such that at least one of power, radar and control signals are sent to and received from one or more selected panels. The radar control and processing system communicates with the switching network for forming electromagnetic signals directed to one or more selected panels such that the selected panels form a dual polarization electromagnetic beam, and for reading signals sensed by one or more selected panels and for decoding the signals into an electronic radar output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: The Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma
    Inventors: Guifu Zhang, Robert D. Palmer, Dusan S. Zmic, Richard J. Doviak
  • Patent number: 8928528
    Abstract: A system and method may include a plurality of transmit and receive antennas covering one sector of a cellular communication base station; a multi-beam RF beamforming matrix connected to the transmit and receive antennas; a plurality of radio circuitries connected to the multi-beam RF beamforming matrix; and a baseband module connected to the radio circuitries. The multi-beam RF beamforming matrix may be configured to generate one sector beam and two or more directional co-frequency beams pointed at user equipment (UEs) within the sector, as instructed by the baseband module. A number M denotes the number the directional beams and a number N denotes the number of the radio circuitries and wherein M>N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Magnolia Broadband Inc.
    Inventors: Haim Harel, Eduardo Abreu, Kenneth Kludt, Phil F. Chen, Sherwin J. Wang
  • Patent number: 8930063
    Abstract: A vehicle system and method that can determine object sensor misalignment while a host vehicle is being driven, and can do so without requiring multiple sensors with overlapping fields-of-view. In an exemplary embodiment where the host vehicle is traveling in generally a straight line, the present method uses an object sensor to track the path of a stationary object as it moves through the sensor's field-of-view and compares the sensed object path to an expected object pat*h. If the sensed and expected paths of the stationary object deviate by more than some amount, then the method determines that the object sensor is skewed or otherwise misaligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Gandhi, Satish Rayarapu, Dmitriy Feldman
  • Publication number: 20140320333
    Abstract: A radar apparatus includes a detection unit to detect objects within a scan range based on a reflected wave received with respect to a transmission wave and to output detection results of the objects, and an adjusting unit to narrow the scan range so as not to detect an object other than a target object, when the detection results include the object other than the target object detected in the scan range within a predetermined time. The adjusting unit judges an object having a velocity less than a first value as the object other than the target object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Yuuichi SUGIYAMA
  • Patent number: 8854257
    Abstract: A Luneburg lens is used in conjunction with a patch antenna array. The patch antenna array is conformed or adapted to cover a portion or backside of the Luneburg len's surface with the backplane of the conformed antenna array defining a field of regard (FOR) in which objects are detected and tracked. A processor is connected to a receiver/exciter module which connects to transmit/receive modules which are connected to the individual patch antennas through a network of MEMS switches. In a receive mode, selected subarrays of the conformed patch antenna array are scanned during selected time intervals with the sum and delta beams being formed coherently in amplitude and phase to realize amplitude monopulse sensing and angle tracking of an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Christopher A. Hamner, Robert A. Spencer
  • Patent number: 8791854
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention relates to a radar transmitter comprised within a single integrated chip substrate, which is capable of continuous beam steering of a transmitted radar beam as well as an option to change the physical position of the origin of the transmit radar beam. The radar transmitter has a signal generator that generates an RF signal. The RF signal is provided to a plurality of independent transmission chains, which contain independently operated vector modulators configured to introduce an individual phase adjustment to the high frequency input signal to generate separate RF output signals. A control unit is configured to selectively activate a subset of (e.g., two or more) the independent transmission chains. By activating the subset of independent transmission chains to generate RF output signals with separate phases, a beam steering functionality is enabled. Furthermore, the subset defines a changeable position of the transmitted radar beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Johann Peter Forstner, Udo Gerlach
  • Patent number: 8736484
    Abstract: A system and method for increasing the effective angular resolution of a multi-function phased array radar system is provided. The system is operative to simultaneously transmit a plurality of overlapping sub-beams covering a representative central beam. A de-convolution process is applied to received return signals. The process includes determining the reflectivity within sub-beamwidth resolution cells defined by the overlapping sub-beams. Generated sub-beamwidth data provides the radar system with an effective angular resolution beyond that of any single transmitted beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Kai-Bor Yu, Manuel F. Fernandez, Svetlana M. Bachmann
  • Patent number: 8587474
    Abstract: A radar system includes at least one transmit array comprising a plurality of metamaterial elements. The radar system further includes at least one near-field stimulator for inputting electromagnetic signal to the transmit array so that a sub-wavelength target is illuminated with an electromagnetic wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Alliant Techsystems Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Fuller, John R. Lamberg, John J. Geddes, Michael J. Gawronski
  • Patent number: 8587470
    Abstract: Provided is a radar apparatus including an envelope detector unit that acquires an envelope component of a signal transmitted from a receiving antenna in at least one combination of a plurality of combinations of transmitting antennas and receiving antennas whose spatial phases become equal to each other in the array antenna; a determination unit that determines an amount of compensation in the at least one combination based on the envelope component acquired by the envelope detector unit; and a compensator unit that compensates a phase of a signal transmitted from each of the receiving antennas before aperture synthesis by using the amount of compensation determined by the determination unit, or compensates a phase of a signal radiated from the transmitting antenna in another combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Kazuo Shirakawa
  • Patent number: 8558735
    Abstract: A method of operating a multi-function phased array radar system having an antenna array populated with dual-pol antenna elements is described. The method includes selectively controlling individual dipoles of each dual-pol antenna element in order to operate the array in either a polarimetric mode with improved cross-pol isolation, or in a multi-mission mode, wherein a plurality of singularly-polarized signals are produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Svetlana M. Bachmann, Fred Tanjutco, Yasser Al-Rashid
  • Patent number: 8552905
    Abstract: The technology described herein includes a system and/or a method of automated layout of beams. The method includes generating a plurality of boundary positions along boundaries of an image frame. The method further includes determining a start location for a first beam within the plurality of boundary positions based on at least one of a mapping priority, direction of movement of a beam platform, and speed of movement of the beam platform. The method further includes modifying the plurality of boundary positions based on the start location. The method further includes determining a second location for a second beam within the modified plurality of boundary positions based on at least one of a mapping priority, direction of movement of a beam platform, and speed of movement of the beam platform. The method further includes modifying the modified plurality of boundary positions based on the second location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Michael Y. Jin, Eric N. Boe
  • Patent number: 8547206
    Abstract: A noncontact IC medium direction detecting apparatus (1), method, and computer readable medium are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventor: Hidekatsu Nogami
  • Patent number: 8451163
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a weather radar apparatus includes an antenna unit, a drive unit, an adjustment unit, and a control unit. The antenna unit is configured to transmit radio waves from a plurality of antenna elements, perform beam scan in a direction of elevation angle by phase control, and receive waves reflected by a weather target. The drive unit is configured to drive an elevation angle and an azimuth angle of an aperture plane of the antenna unit. The adjustment unit is configured to adjust an observation range and an observation elevation angle by the antenna unit and the drive unit in accordance with a plurality of observation modes. The control unit is configured to set the observation mode based on a received signal of the reflected waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Fumihiko Mizutani, Masakazu Wada
  • Patent number: 8441397
    Abstract: A monostatic multibeam radar sensor device for a motor vehicle, including a directional characteristic of an antenna unit having at least one transceiving channel and at least one receiving channel, and including a mixer system, which has an at least approximately isolating mixer for at least one of the receiving channels. The at least approximately isolating mixer includes a Gilbert cell mixer, which, due to a non-ideal isolation between an input of the local oscillator signal and the corresponding receiving channel, emits a transmission power via this receiving channel, using an overcoupling signal, the transmission power influencing the directional characteristic of the antenna unit and the directional characteristic being switchable by controlling the phase position of the overcoupling signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Binzer, Dirk Steinbuch, Elisabeth Hauk, Rahel Hauk, Manuel Hauk
  • Patent number: 8427362
    Abstract: A radar apparatus has a transmission array antenna for radiating electromagnetic waves containing a main lobe and a grating lobe in a transmission directivity, a reception array antenna for receiving electromagnetic waves radiated from the transmission array antenna and reflected from a target, and a microcomputer for setting the reception antenna in reception directivities one after another by placing a null point in a grating lobe receiving area of each directivity and placing the null points of the directivities at different positions. The microcomputer produces a reception signal, produced from the received electromagnetic waves containing the main lobe reflected from the target, every change of the reception directivity and detects the target from the average of the reception signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Kunihiko Ookawa
  • Patent number: 8362944
    Abstract: A radar system is disclosed for forming a scanning receive beam from signals received by a phased array having a plurality of sub arrays. An exemplary radar system includes a plurality of phase units each configured to receive a signal from one or more sub arrays. Each phase unit includes a waveform generator configured to generate an analog waveform having a frequency corresponding to a time-varying phase shift. Each waveform generator is arranged to digitally generate the analog waveform, and output a comparison of the received signal with the waveform, incorporating the time-varying phase shift. The system further includes a combining unit configured to combine the outputs from the plurality of phase units to form a scanning receive beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Astrium Limited
    Inventor: David Charles Lancashire
  • Patent number: 8330600
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a first cold noise source, a first radiometer receiver, and a first detector. The first cold noise source generates a first thermal radiation signal having a first carrier frequency band. The first thermal radiation signal carries a first information signal. The first cold noise source also transmits the first thermal radiation signal through a first antenna. The first radiometer receiver receives the first thermal radiation signal through a second antenna, and the first detector extracts the first information signal from the first thermal radiation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Robert S. Roeder, Kenneth A. O'Connor, Matthew C. Smith, Shawn K. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 8331943
    Abstract: Measurement opportunities are provided to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) operating with a switched beam antenna in a CDMA wireless communication system. The switched beam antenna is a smart antenna generating a plurality of directional beams and an omni-directional beam. The bursty nature of packet data transmission generates periods of inactivity or low traffic during a call. The WTRU switches to antenna beams other than the selected antenna beam for receiving and measuring signals during these periods of inactivity or low traffic. Moreover, if the network has knowledge of the fact the WTRU is operating using a switched beam antenna, the network can use this information when making decisions on channel allocations, thus providing frequent measurement opportunities to the WTRU in order to support the switched beam antenna operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Ana Lucia Iacono
  • Publication number: 20120299765
    Abstract: A compact, high gain 8-element circular smart antenna is able to scan a beam azimuthally through 360°. The 8-element array is placed on a ground skirt and connected to an 8-channel beamforning board via a transfer plate. Each channel has two T/R switches, one band pass filer, one power amplifier, two low noise amplifiers, one phase shifter, and one attenuator. The 8-channel-signal is combined through power splitters/combiners and then sent to a connected radio. An FPGA chip controls the digital phase shifters, attenuators and switches for signal searching, beamforming and tracking. The smart antenna can be operated as a compact switched beam system or with an additional processor as an adaptive array system. The smart antenna is capable of tracking mobile targets, directionally communicating with desired users, suppressing interference and jamming, and enabling long range communications with high throughput and reliable connection because of its high antenna gain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicants: ADVANCED ACOUSTIC CONCEPTS, MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yikun Huang, Andy Olson, Will G. Tidd, Aaron S. Traxinger, Richard Wolff
  • Patent number: 8289203
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a radar system that includes an antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements and a plurality of transmit antenna phase centers. A transmitter portion is configured to transmit a plurality of transmit beams characterized by a transmit beam pattern. The transmit beam pattern has a predetermined transmit beamwidth that is a function of the number of orthogonal transmit waveforms. The number of orthogonal transmit waveforms is less than the plurality of antenna elements. A receiver portion is also coupled to the antenna array and is configured to extract a plurality of orthogonal receive signal components from a received signal provided by the antenna array. A plurality of extracted orthogonal receive signal components are digitally beam formed to implement a virtual antenna array and generate a receive signal having a receive beamwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: SRC, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel R. Culkin, Timothy D. Graham
  • Patent number: 8259005
    Abstract: A true time delay beamforming system and calibration method for transmission and reception of a beam is disclosed. The true time delay beamforming system comprises at least one input signal received by at least one signal conditioning device, wherein the signal conditioning device is adapted to provide selective, independent, and variable control of one of a phase delay, a time delay and an amplitude of the input signal to produce an output signal. A control logic device is adapted to provide a control logic signal to the at least one signal conditioning device for selectively activating and controlling the signal conditioning device. The true time delay beamforming system may further include an automatic calibration system that generates an error correction signal based on errors detected in the output signal, and selectively adjusts the control logic signal based thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence K. Lam, Albert Ngo
  • Patent number: 8248210
    Abstract: A method and system of determining spatial identification of an object, such as orientation, size, location, range, and/or movement, using an RFID system is disclosed. An RFID system can comprise one or more RFID reader receiving antennas that query one or more RFID tags coupled to the object. The measurement of the phase of the tag responses at the reader antennas and phase differentials as a function of distance, frequency, and time are the basis of spatial identification. The system can work with conventional Gen 2 tags and readers without modification of the tags or protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corp.
    Inventors: Pavel Nikitin, Rene Martinez, Shashi Ramamurthy, Kvs Rao
  • Patent number: 8184041
    Abstract: Radar beams for searching a volume are selected by determining the central angle and azimuth and elevation extents to define an acquisition face. The number of beams NMBA required to cover the acquisition face is determined by N MBA = ( 2 ? n + 1 ) ? ( m + 1 2 ) + ( - 1 ) n + m 2 ( 2 ) The number of beams NMBA is multiplied by the dwell per beam to determine the total search time, which is compared with a maximum time; (a) if the total search time is greater than the permissible time, the acquisition face is partitioned, and (b) if the total search time is less, the acquisition face information is applied to a radar processor for filling the unextended acquisition face with the number NMBA of beams in a particular pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Mark A. Friesel
  • Patent number: 8183935
    Abstract: This invention describes new and improved phased shifted injection oscillator, a phased shifted injection locked push-push oscillator and a phased array antennas (PAA). The PAAs in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention are low cost, and therefore can be used in various commercial applications, such as wireless communication or satellite mobile television.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Inventors: Alberto Milano, Hillel Weinstein
  • Patent number: 8174433
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, bias estimation and orbit determination include receiving measurements in real time. The measurements include radar measurements and radar array orientation measurements. The radar measurements are generated by a radar system and indicate the location of a target. The radar array orientation measurements are generated by a navigation system and indicate the orientation of a radar array of the radar system. A state variable set is used. The state variable set includes measurement variables and dynamic bias variables. For example, a state variable set may include orbit position, orbit velocity, radar orientation, and radar measurement variables, which in turn may include dynamic bias variables such as orientation bias variables and measurement bias variables. A measurement variable is associated with a measurement, and a dynamic bias variable is associated with bias of a measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Michael E. Hough
  • Patent number: 8159384
    Abstract: To suppress cross-ambiguities in the examination of an ice region or dry region by means of aircraft- or aerospace-supported radar echo sounding, the region to be examined is overflown by a radar sensor (6) by multiple compatible radar sensors of the same operating wavelength on multiple spatially separated, substantially parallel paths, wherein the radar signal data received on each path are recorded. The radar signal data recorded for each of the different paths are summed coherently and using a weighting to form a radargram, wherein an adaptive complex-valued weighting for each of the individual paths is performed using a geometrical model which takes into account the topography of the environment of the region to be examined. The weighting for every depth of the examined region is determined by solving a system of linear equations from which is calculated a synthetic antenna pattern which has zeros in the direction of the ambiguities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft-und Raumfahrt E.V.
    Inventor: Rolf Scheiber
  • Patent number: 8144051
    Abstract: A motion compensation method and system is included in a radar antenna system mounted on a moving platform which is subject to pitch, yaw and roll. The radar antenna system includes a main array antenna, and an auxiliary antenna. The auxiliary channel associated with the auxiliary antenna utilizes roll, pitch and yaw angle motion compensations as its auxiliary antenna always steers a horizontal fan shape beam at the horizon to blank any surface (land or sea) based EM interferences. Such motion compensations are provided by a ship motion compensator component and process included within the antenna system. The ship motion compensator component in response to platform motion signals indicative of changes in platform motion angles generates new sets of values using an initial set of weighting coefficient values as a function of such angle motion changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Yuchoi F. Lok, Kaichiang Chang, Jerome H. Pozgay
  • Publication number: 20120068880
    Abstract: A system for tracking a target includes a dual-band antenna. The dual-band antenna includes a first antenna and a second antenna rigidly coupled to the first antenna. The first antenna is configured to communicate within a first frequency band and the second antenna is configured to communicate within a second frequency band. The system further includes a processing system having a first antenna control processor configured to initialize a pointing direction to point a beam of the first antenna toward the target with a first degree of pointing accuracy, and configured to scan with the first antenna to point the beam of the first antenna more precisely toward the target with a second degree of pointing accuracy, and further having a second antenna control processor configured to electronically scan with the second antenna to point a beam of the second antenna to the target with a third degree of pointing accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventors: Johan A. Kullstam, Terry A. Dorschner