Beam Direction By Phase Or Frequency Control Patents (Class 342/81)
  • Patent number: 6906666
    Abstract: A device for adjusting the beam direction of a beam radiated from a stationary array of antenna elements. The device includes a feed line structure configured as a star with at least four line segments extending from a central source connection terminal at the centre of the star, to the respective feed connection terminals. The dielectric body with two different body portions, having different effective dielectric values, is displaceable between two end positions in a central, region of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Allgon AB
    Inventors: Dan Karlsson, Björn Lindmark, Stefan Jonsson, Tord Liljevik
  • Patent number: 6876323
    Abstract: A radar system with a phase controlled antenna array that contains a number of data and supply networks (2), which are installed so that they are interchangeable, and a transmit/receive module (3) containing a transmitter and receiver circuit (4) as well as a number of circulator circuits (8) and a number of antenna elements (9) that are coupled via a circulator circuit (8) to the transmitter and receiver circuit (4). Transmitter and receiver circuits (4), circulator circuits (8), and antenna elements (9) are combined in each transmit/receive module (3) and the transmit/receive modules (3) are arranged interchangeably on the radiation side of the radar or EW system (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Heinz-Peter Feldle, Helmut Leier, Wolfang Menzel, Marc Schreiner
  • Patent number: 6825796
    Abstract: A radar apparatus comprises a signal transmitter device that transmits a signal, a scanner that two-dimensionally scans a target object using the signal transmitted from the signal transmitter device by engaging in longitudinal oscillation and lateral oscillation, a signal receiver device that receives a reflection signal of a signal transmitted via the scanner and a control device that controls a longitudinal oscillation signal and a lateral oscillation signal used to oscillate the scanner longitudinally and laterally in correspondence to the length of time over which a scanning observation is performed through a two-dimensional scan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takahiko Oki
  • Publication number: 20040164892
    Abstract: To realize a monopulse radar system wherein the velocity of a mobile body, distance between an obstacle and the mobile body and relative velocity can be detected and simultaneously, the direction of the obstacle can be detected, in a monopulse radar system wherein an azimuth is detected depending upon amplitude difference or phase difference between signals respectively received by plural receiving antennas, an array antenna composed of plural antenna elements is used for each transmitting antenna and each receiving antenna, at least one of the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna is provided with an antenna switch for switching an antenna beam shape to a short angle/long distance or a wide angle/short distance and a switch control device that controls the switching of the antenna switch is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shinoda, Hiroshi Kondoh
  • Publication number: 20040150550
    Abstract: An FM-CW radar apparatus capable of detecting a stationary object, in particular, an overbridge, located above the road ahead in a simple manner uses a traveling wave antenna as a transmitting antenna, and includes a means for varying, in upward and downward directions the projection angle of a combined beam pattern of a transmitted wave radiated from the traveling wave antenna, and an overbridge is detected by varying the projection angle of the combined beam pattern in the upward direction using the varying means. Further, a phase shifter for varying the projection angle of the beam pattern in upward/downward directions by controlling the phase of the radio wave to be transmitted or received is provided on either a transmitting antenna or a receiving antenna or on a transmitting/receiving antenna, and an overbridge is detected by controlling the phase shifter and varying the projection angle of the beam pattern in the upward direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Inventors: Masayoshi Shouno, Masaki Hitotsuya
  • Publication number: 20040150554
    Abstract: A vertically integrated Ka-band active electronically scanned antenna including, among other things, a transitioning RF waveguide relocator panel located behind a radiator faceplate and an array of beam control tiles respectively coupled to one of a plurality of transceiver modules via an RF manifold. Each of the beam control tiles includes a respective plurality of high power transmit/receive (T/R) cells as well as dielectric waveguides, RF stripline and coaxial transmission line elements. The waveguide relocator panel is preferably fabricated by a diffusion bonded copper laminate stack up with dielectric filling. The beam control tiles are preferably fabricated by the use of multiple layers of low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) material laminated together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Inventors: Peter A. Stenger, Fred C. Kuss, Kevin LaCour, Craig Heffner, Robert Sisk, Carl D. Wise, Joseph Paquin, Tujuana Hinton, Andrew Walters, David Krafcsik, Brian T. McMonagle, Steven D. Block, Steven S. Handley
  • Patent number: 6771608
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for performing closed-loop beam pointing of a narrow beam at each one of a plurality of target nodes of a communication network, in accordance with a TDMA multiplexing scheme. The invention employs a process similar to coning to obtain a plurality of scan points for each target node. A signal strength of a signal received from each node is recorded and used by the invention to determine an optimal pointing direction relative to each node. This optimal pointing direction is updated repeatedly as each of the target nodes is scanned. The invention provides the accuracy of closed loop beam pointing to be employed with TDMA communication links, which in turn allows using larger PAA's with narrow beams, and thereby permitting higher data transfer rates to be realized over each communication link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Brian Jay Tillotson
  • Publication number: 20040145512
    Abstract: One of the objects of the present invention is to reduce the size of a radar device mounted on a vehicle body. To achieve the object, one aspect of the invention provides a radar device, which is mounted on a vehicle body and detects a target present in a moving direction of the vehicle body, with (1) a transmitting antenna for transmitting a mm-Wave that forms an electric field having a width equivalent to the width of the vehicle body at a position away in a moving direction of the vehicle body by a distance corresponding to the most-approached distance defined between the vehicle body and the target and (2) two receiving antennas for receiving the reflected mm-Waves at mutually different positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Kazuaki Takano, Jiro Takezaki, Hiroshi Kuroda, Hiroshi Kondo
  • Patent number: 6768458
    Abstract: An active array radar system is controlled by photonic signals. The array of N antenna elements is divided into M subarrays, each having N/M antenna elements. Tunable lasers provide M optical wavelengths within non-overlapping bands. For transmission, a microwave transmit pulse is amplitude modulated onto the M optical signals. Time delays are introduced for an offset between elements in a subarray and for an offset between subarrays. By using wavelength division multiplexing each antenna element on the array has a true time delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Raytheon Corporation
    Inventors: Leon Green, Joseph Preiss
  • Patent number: 6759978
    Abstract: A cross-link antenna system including a plurality of spacecraft in a constellation is provided. Each of the spacecraft includes an antenna. One or more of the antennas has a number of antenna elements that can be controllably energized. Determined or selected phases and amplitudes can be individually applied through phase shifters and amplifiers to the antenna elements. In determining phase values for energizing the antenna elements to provide the receive beam in the direction of the current transmit antenna of one of the spacecraft in the constellation, location information is obtained for the transmit spacecraft and each of the beam receiving spacecraft. Additionally, attitude information for each receive spacecraft is found and location information associated with each of the antenna elements for each receive antenna is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
    Inventor: Farzin Lalezari
  • Publication number: 20040125009
    Abstract: Beams are irradiated in three directions by switching an irradiation direction of a mainlobe of an antenna by stages, and an echo is received from a detection object obtained in the mainlobe or a sidelobe in each irradiation direction. Then, reflection power intensity in each irradiation direction is found from the received echo, and pattern of relative variation of the reflection power intensity (power intensity pattern) in each irradiation direction is generated. Meanwhile, a detection region is divided into seven bearings “c” to “i” and a power intensity pattern when an object exists in each bearing is previously stored as a reference pattern in each bearing. Then, the bearing in which the detection object exists is specified by comparing the power intensity pattern obtained from the received echo with the reference pattern in each bearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Inventors: Tadao Nishiguchi, Shinichiro Okamura, Hirohisa Furukawa
  • Publication number: 20040125012
    Abstract: A plurality of primary detection regions A to I are scanned by switching a beam width and a beam direction of an antenna. The primary detection regions A to I are formed such that one detection region overlaps at least one of other detection regions. A small region (any one of secondary detection region (1) to (14)) corresponding to a region provided by excluding a region corresponding to a sum of set of the detection regions where a detection object was not detected, from a region corresponding to a product set of the primary detection regions where the object was detected is specified as a bearing in which the object exists, based on detection results of the respective primary detection regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Inventors: Shinichiro Okamura, Tadao Nishiguchi, Hirohisa Furukawa
  • Publication number: 20040085239
    Abstract: Amplitude phase distortion adding sections are provided for the power amplifiers on the antenna arrays greater in amplitude weighting while amplitude distortion adding sections are provided for the power amplifiers on the antenna arrays smaller in amplitude weighting. Due to this, because a required amount of distortion compensation is made based on each antenna array, there is no bad effect upon the adjacent other antenna array, suppressing the deterioration in beam control accuracy. This, also, reduces the size of the apparatus and improves the power efficiency on the array antenna apparatus overall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Publication date: May 6, 2004
    Inventors: Masato Ukena, Shinichiro Takabayashi, Masayuki Orihashi
  • Patent number: 6728294
    Abstract: A microprocessor reads the information such as directions of arrival about a desired wave and an undesired wave for every terminal station and for every hopping frequency, and their receiving powers, and the like, from a desired wave/undesired wave information inputting unit. On the basis of the information items, the microprocessor calculates the weight values of a transmitting section and a receiving section for every terminal station and every hopping frequency, and stores them in a weight value table. At the time of performing radio communication, the microprocessor reads the weight values of the receiving section and the transmitting section corresponding to every terminal station and every hopping frequency from the weight value table every time the frequency is hopped, and sets them in attenuators, and phase shifters. As a result, the optimum directivity pattern is formed for every hopping frequency, and high-quality communication can be thereby achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuji Kohno, Hiroki Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 6714157
    Abstract: A pulse radar system capable of mapping multiple targets essentially simultaneously using a single radar antenna. By alternately transmitting radar pulses toward multiple targets positioned at different angles relative to the antenna and alternately receiving return signals from the multiple targets as the radar antenna is switched between multiple beam positions, a time-interleaved radar operation is achieved which enables multiples targets to be mapped, and thus tracked, at the same time. A different radio frequency is preferably employed for each target so as to avoid interference and ambiguous returns. Using the teachings of the present invention, between two and twenty radar maps, and possibly more, can be generated simultaneously in approximately the same amount of time required to map a single target using conventional systems of the prior art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Peter S. Wittenberg
  • Publication number: 20040021600
    Abstract: A pulse radar system capable of mapping multiple targets essentially simultaneously using a single radar antenna. By alternately transmitting radar pulses toward multiple targets positioned at different angles relative to the antenna and alternately receiving return signals from the multiple targets as the radar antenna is switched between multiple beam positions, a time-interleaved radar operation is achieved which enables multiples targets to be mapped, and thus tracked, at the same time. A different radio frequency is preferably employed for each target so as to avoid interference and ambiguous returns. Using the teachings of the present invention, between two and twenty radar maps, and possibly more, can be generated simultaneously in approximately the same amount of time required to map a single target using conventional systems of the prior art.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventor: Peter S. Wittenberg
  • Patent number: 6686871
    Abstract: In a method for HPRF-radar measurement of the range and Doppler frequency of at least one target, a transmit signal is generated which consists of two pulse sequences that are interleaved on a pulse to pulse basis, and have the same pulse repetition frequency PRF and the same transmit frequency. The pulses of a first one of the two pulse sequences have a linearly increasing phase value with a fixed phase difference &phgr;1n (greater than zero) from pulse to pulse with &phgr;1n≧0, while the pulses of the second pulse sequence have a linear increasing phase value with a fixed phase difference &phgr;2n which differs from &phgr;1n. The two received base band signals of each individual pulse sequence are Fourier transformed, and the amplitude peaks of the resulting two Fourier spectra are determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Hermann Rohling, Wilhelm Guener, Hans Hommel, Dieter Nagel
  • Publication number: 20030222808
    Abstract: An imaging system and method. The invention provides an intra-pulse repetition interval (PRI) agile beam technique for enhanced resolution that can be used at aspect angles near the velocity vector of a host vehicle. It is particularly useful at small scan angles where beam sharpening array times become large. At these scan angles, the bandwidth of the clutter is narrower than at higher scan angles and allows large PRIs without degradation from Doppler ambiguities. In accordance with the present teachings, sequential illumination is performed within a PRI to multiple beam locations using an agile beam. The interleaving of beams reduces map formation times compared to conventional techniques using sequential arrays. The inventive system is adapted for use with an electronically scanned (e.g., synthetic aperture array radar) antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2002
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Kapriel V. Krikorian, Robert A. Rosen
  • Publication number: 20030218566
    Abstract: A radar system with a phase-controlled antenna array that contains a number of data and supply networks (2), which are installed so that they are interchangeable, and a sender/receiver module (3) containing a sender and receiver circuit (4) as well as a number of circulator circuits (8) and a number of antenna elements (9) that are coupled via a circulator circuit (8) to the sender and receiver circuit (4). Sender and receiver circuits (4), circulator circuits (8), and antenna elements (9) are combined in each sender/receiver module (3) and the sender/receiver modules (3) are arranged interchangeably on the radiation side of the radar system (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Inventors: Heinz-Peter Feldle, Helmut Leier, Wolfang Menzel, Marc Schreiner
  • Publication number: 20030164791
    Abstract: To realize a monopulse radar system wherein the velocity of a mobile body, distance between an obstacle and the mobile body and relative velocity can be detected and simultaneously, the direction of the obstacle can be detected, in a monopulse radar system wherein an azimuth is detected depending upon amplitude difference or phase difference between signals respectively received by plural receiving antennas, an array antenna composed of plural antenna elements is used for each transmitting antenna and each receiving antenna, at least one of the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna is provided with an antenna switch for switching an antenna beam shape to a short angle/long distance or a wide angle/short distance and a switch control device that controls the switching of the antenna switch is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shinoda, Hiroshi Kondoh
  • Patent number: 6614383
    Abstract: A weather radar display system displays a beam indicator indicative of a radar beam. The beam indicator represents width of the radar beam as a function of range (distance from the radar beam source). The beam indicator allows a pilot to easily discern accuracy of detected weather conditions based on the beam width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Avidyne Corporation
    Inventor: Theodore H. Cannaday, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6614382
    Abstract: The relative altitude of the center of a radar beam in relation to the aircraft's altitude at a plurality of distance ranges from the radar source is computed. A plurality of range rings representing the distance ranges are displayed. The computed relative altitude is displayed adjacent to each range ring displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Avidyne Corporation
    Inventors: Theodore H. Cannaday, Jr., Edward C. Pershouse
  • Patent number: 6611236
    Abstract: An antenna arrangement includes an antenna reflector (10), a transceiver element (11) and a signal detection unit (12) having a signal converter (121-122) and a computing unit (123) for generating in response to incoming signals control signals for controlling the alignment of the antenna reflector (10) with a target object. The signal converter (121-122) is adapted to reduce its bandwidth automatically and incrementally from a requisite maximum frequency range to a narrow band frequency range. Changes in the direction of the antenna reflector are detected through the medium of a movement detection unit (13) that includes 3d-sensors (131, 132, 133). Mechanical control of the alignment direction of the antenna reflector (10) is effected with the aid of a drive unit (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: C2SAT Communications AB
    Inventor: Mats Nilsson
  • Patent number: 6597312
    Abstract: An electronically scanned phased array antenna system which utilizes phase-only control in the generation of multiple beams simultaneously and having a coincident or common phase center so that the entire aperture is used to radiate available RF energy, thus using all of the RF power that the aperture can radiate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventor: Peter D. Hrycak
  • Publication number: 20030128154
    Abstract: A radar performs accurate and appropriate pairing even if peaks of approximately identical signal intensities or even if a plurality of peak groups having identical representative beam bearings exist in the frequency spectrum. First, the peak frequency of a peak which appears in the frequency spectrum is determined for each of an up-modulating interval and a down-modulating interval in predetermined beam bearings, and signal-intensity profiles in the beam bearings are extracted with regard to a plurality of beam portions which are adjacent to the beam bearings. Next, the correlation level between the signal-intensity profiles at the up-modulating interval and the down-modulating interval is determined, and pairing is performed in sequence starting from the profiles having a higher correlation level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2003
    Publication date: July 10, 2003
    Applicant: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoi Nakanishi, Toru Ishii, Tetsu Nishimura
  • Patent number: 6542110
    Abstract: The invention describes a device and a method for increasing the angular resolution in a radar system looking in the direction of motion and laterally thereto, wherein the doppler frequency shift of the transmitted signal is evaluated in order to increase the angular resolution. For this purpose, a plurality of adjacent, narrow regions are sampled sequentially by means of pencil-beam antenna characteristics during movement of the antennas. Relative to the total area, this is equivalent to illumination with a broad-beam antenna characteristic. The results from the simulation of this broad-beam illumination are combined with the results of the pencil-beam sampling processes in order to achieve an increase of the angular resolution of the antenna array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Eads Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Löhner, Wolfgang Rieck
  • Publication number: 20030058156
    Abstract: On an element-by-element basis, measure phases between signals at Port A to Port B of the antenna feed network to get a phase measurement angle that corresponds tp an angular difference between outgoing radar signals and target echo return signals; applying a least squares fit equation to the angular distance to get a correction phase slope across the array, &dgr;0, and applying a phase slope correction of &dgr; to the phases of the transmitted signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventors: Benjamin R. Myers, David P. Parrish, Kurt G. Ramsey, Richard S. White, Gary I. Kosanovic
  • Patent number: 6535160
    Abstract: On an element-by-element basis, measure phases between signals at Port A to Port B of the antenna feed network to get a phase measurement angle that corresponds to an angular difference between outgoing radar signals and target echo return signals; apply a least squares fit equation to the angular distance to get a correction phase slope across the array, &dgr;0, and applying a phase slope correction of &dgr; to the phases of the transmitted signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Benjamin R. Myers, David P. Parrish, Kurt G. Ramsey, Richard S. White, Gary I. Kosanovic
  • Patent number: 6531976
    Abstract: A wideband adaptive digital beamforming technique for maintaining a high range resolution profile of a target in motion in the presence of jamming utilizes a sequence of adaptively calculated narrowband jamming cancellation weights. The adaptive weights are calculated such that the desired frequency dependent gain is maintained toward the target center. These adaptive weights tend to preserve the range profile quality and low range sidelobes. This technique also tends to eliminate signal cancellation problems as well as adaptive weight modulation effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Kai Bor Yu
  • Patent number: 6515616
    Abstract: A system and method for changing the phase relationship of input signals so as to generate a composite signal having the strongest possible signal. One related input vector signal is phase rotated and a phase is selected which yields the smallest value of the output composite signal. The selected phase is rotated 180 degrees. This procedure for that input signal is repeated for each input vector signal. When all inputs have thus been adjusted, the procedure can be repeated until the output composite signal is essentially free of errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Metawave Communications Corporation
    Inventor: Michael G. Kuplicki
  • Publication number: 20030011507
    Abstract: A radar system includes a detection-control circuit for transmitting and receiving the beam of a millimeter-wave signal for detecting a relative position and a relative speed to a target, and a scanning unit for scanning the direction of the beam over a predetermined range. The state of the scanning unit can be switched between a resting state wherein scanning is stopped and the beam is directed towards the center of the scanning range while the detection-control circuit continues detection control, and a scanning state wherein the direction of the beam is scanned over a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Applicant: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Kondo, Yukio Takimoto, Takatoshi Kato
  • Publication number: 20020190892
    Abstract: A circuit (100) for performing base 10 logarithmic calculations of a binary signal in a digital system that optimizes accuracy of the calculation. The circuit comprises a priority encoder (108) for determining a most significant bit position of the binary number, with the most significant bit representing a base 2 logarithmic integer component of the input binary signal. A decimal selector (120) selects a predetermined number of bits to follow the base 2 logarithmic integer component determined by the priority encoder, with the predetermined number of bits representing a base 2 logarithmic fractional component following the integer component of the input binary signal. An adder (116) combines the integer component with the fractional component to thereby output a base 2 logarithmic value of the input binary signal. A multiplier (132) divides the base 2 logarithmic value of the input binary signal by a base 2 logarithmic value of 10 to thereby output a base 10 logarithmic value of the input binary signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Inventor: Brian L. Hallse
  • Patent number: 6483458
    Abstract: A method for accurately tracking and communicating with a satellite from a mobile platform, wherein the satellite has an antenna which performs both transmit and receive functions from a single antenna aperture. The method involves using an inertial reference unit (IRU) of the mobile platform to initially acquire the signal from the satellite. A sequential lobing process is then used to more accurately center the antenna aperture relative to the receive beam from the satellite. The antenna is then used to transmit data or other information, and the antenna pointing is maintained by an additional IRU local to the antenna with higher accuracy and lower latency than the IRU of the mobile platform. Periodically, transmissions from the antenna are inhibited and the sequential lobing process is repeated to eliminate for any inertial reference drift error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Ronald Steven Carson
  • Patent number: 6469666
    Abstract: A digital goniometer and steering method are provided which may be used, in a preferred embodiment, for producing a figure-eight antenna reception pattern oriented at any selectable angle. The digital goniometer works with the signals from a pair of orthogonal antenna loops. In a presently preferred embodiment a first register and a second register are provided for a respective first variable gain amplifier and a second variable gain amplifier. The first and second registers receive from software a digital value related to a sine function and cosine function of the selectable angle. The first and second registers are utilized to set the gain of the first and second variable gain amplifiers. The outputs of the first and second variable gain amplifiers are added to produce the reception signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: David A. Tonn
  • Publication number: 20020149512
    Abstract: A radar apparatus comprises a signal transmitter device that transmits a signal, a scanner that two-dimensionally scans a target object using the signal transmitted from the signal transmitter device by engaging in longitudinal oscillation and lateral oscillation, a signal receiver device that receives a reflection signal of a signal transmitted via the scanner and a control device that controls a longitudinal oscillation signal and a lateral oscillation signal used to oscillate the scanner longitudinally and laterally in correspondence to the length of time over which a scanning observation is performed through a two-dimensional scan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takahiko Oki
  • Patent number: 6462699
    Abstract: The bistatic radar system uses a scanning beam antenna located at the transmitter to transmit a focused beam of high frequency energy into a predefined space, with the transmitted beam comprising a series of pulses. The transmitter also includes apparatus for determining pulse origination data comprising: pulse origination time and direction of propagation for each of the pulses in the transmitted beam emanating from the antenna, where the antenna is scanned in a predetermined scan pattern in at least an azimuthal direction. The bistatic radar system also includes at least one receiver, located at a site remote from the transmitter and includes apparatus for generating pulse component receipt data indicative of receipt of components of the pulses that are contained in the transmitted beam that are reflected from scatterers in the predefined space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: University Corporation for Atomspheric Research
    Inventors: Joshua Michael Wurman, Mitchell Alfred Randall, Chris Dale Burghart
  • Patent number: 6456227
    Abstract: An antenna section radiates a pulse beam and receives its reflected wave, and a signal processing section observes a rain or cloud occurring region within a covered area based on a signal intensity of the reflected wave. In this case, to obtain wind direction and velocity information for the rain or cloud occurring region, the signal processing section observes Rayleigh scattering-induced Doppler echo components in that region to calculate the wind direction and velocity from a result of the observation. To obtain the wind direction and velocity information for a region other than the rain or cloud occurring area, the beam formed by the antenna section is directed toward the region to be observed so that the signal processing section can observe Bragg scattering-induced echo components based on a received signal of the reflected wave to calculate the wind direction and velocity from a result of the observation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masakazu Wada, Yasuhiro Katsuyama
  • Patent number: 6456229
    Abstract: The bistatic radar network uses an incoherent transmitter for determining the presence, locus, motion, and characteristics of scatterers in a predefined space. The incoherent transmitter generates pulses of high frequency energy that vary in frequency and/or phase. The bistatic radar network having an incoherent transmitter uses a scanning beam antenna located at the transmitter to transmit a focused beam of high frequency energy into a predefined space, with the transmitted beam comprising a series of pulses, each pulse in the series of pulses having a varying frequency, phase, pulse origination time and direction of propagation as it is emanated from said antenna. The transmitter also includes apparatus for determining pulse origination data comprising: frequency, phase, pulse origination time and direction of propagation, for each of the pulses in the transmitted beam emanating from the antenna, where the antenna is scanned in a predetermined scan pattern in at least an azimuthal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
    Inventors: Joshua Michael Wurman, Mitchell Alfred Randall, Chris Dale Burghart
  • Patent number: 6445339
    Abstract: This FM-CW radar apparatus comprises a transmitter section, a receiver section, and a signal processing section. The transmitter section transmits a frequency-modulated continuous wave as a transmitted wave. The receiver section receives a radio wave resulting from reflection of the transmitted wave at a target, as a received wave, by a receiving antenna comprising an array of antenna elements, generates a beat signal which is a difference of the transmitted wave and the received wave in each of channels of the respective antenna elements, and converts this beat signal to a digital beat signal by A/D conversion. The signal processing section executes a digital beamforming operation with the digital beat signals and detects the target from the result of the operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yukinori Yamada
  • Patent number: 6441783
    Abstract: A circuit module for a phased array (10) incorporates radio frequency (RF) mixers (54a, 54b) connected to an RF splitter/combiner (52) and to in-phase and quadrature RF reference signals. The RF mixers (54a, 54b) are also connected to intermediate frequency (IF) processing circuitry (60 to 68) providing for phase control of RF signals and IF reference signals. In transmission mode, the RF mixer (54a, 54b) receive phase-controlled, digitally synthesised IF signals from clock-activated generators (68a, 68b). Their outputs are combined at the RF splitter/combiner (52) to provide single sideband upconversion of the phase-controlled IF signals. In reception mode, the RF splitter/combiner (52) and the RF mixers (54a, 54b) act as an image rejection mixer circuit in which the phase-controlled IF signals are local oscillator signals. Beamforming is carried out by computer control of the IF phase together with, in the case of reception, analogue or digital summation of output signals from an array of modules (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Qinetiq Limited
    Inventor: Michael Dean
  • Patent number: 6429803
    Abstract: A device for changing the divergence of a beam of microwave radiation comprises a ferrite body having an aperture through which the beam passes. Magnetic wires pass both through the body and across the aperture, or a magnetic coil on either side of the aperture, causes a differential phase delay as the beam passes through the aperture which broadens or narrows the beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems Electronics Limited
    Inventor: Balbir Kumar
  • Patent number: 6421005
    Abstract: A system and method have been developed wherein a cylindrical antenna array is configured and reconfigured in a wireless communication network. Position and signal information are continuously received from wireless mobile units and are used to determine reconfigurations of antenna components of the cylindrical antenna array to enhance performance of the system. As such, base station antennas are dynamically configured to minimize such things as interference and dropped calls, and to maximize their voice quality both within a cell, and among neighboring cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Carl Francis Weaver, Xiao Cheng Wu
  • Patent number: 6414631
    Abstract: In a time sharing type multi-beam radar apparatus, a plurality of transmitting antennas are arranged in a first row, and each of the transmitting antennas has a first antenna pattern. Also, a plurality of receiving antennas are arranged in a second row in parallel with the first row, and each of the receiving antennas has a second antenna pattern. The first and second antenna patterns adjacent to each other spatially and partly overlap each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Naoya Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 6377204
    Abstract: The multiple beam radar system uses multiple simultaneously transmitted beams of high frequency energy to identify scatterers that are located in a predetermined volume of space. This multiple beam radar system simultaneously transmits several beams of high frequency energy, produced by an antenna which operates in a mechanically scanning mode, and simultaneously receives the returned radiation, which constitutes components of this narrow beam that have been reflected off scatterers located in the path of the beam. The transmitted (and thus received) frequency of each beam is different, providing information relating to the presence, locus and characteristics of the scatterers by analyzing the plurality of received beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
    Inventors: Joshua Michael Wurman, Mitchell Alfred Randall
  • Patent number: 6362774
    Abstract: A multi-faced radar system illuminates a common area of space by radiating a first signal at a first frequency from a first antenna face and a second signal at a second frequency from a second antenna face and cooperatively processes the first and second signal returns on the first and second antenna faces. A processor combines first signal energy from the first and second faces and combines second signal energy from the first and second faces. The processor then combines the aggregate first and second signal returns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Leon Green
  • Patent number: 6333712
    Abstract: A deformation compensation system for use with a large phased-array antenna system to electronically compensate for surface deformations occurring on the phased-array antenna which would otherwise compromise antenna performance. In one embodiment, a plurality of strain gauges are disposed on or integrally formed in structure forming the phased-array antenna. The strain gauges are placed at those locations on the antenna structure, where, through prior structural modeling and testing, it has been determined that high strains associated with the expected deformation of the phased-array antenna are expected to occur to a significant degree. The strain gauges output signals to a data acquisition system which uses a strain-to-displacement algorithm to produce displacements corresponding to the estimated, deformed shape of the phased-array antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Eric David Haugse, Robert Irving Ridgway, Charles Howard Hightower, Ryon Christopher Warren
  • Publication number: 20010019314
    Abstract: The disclosure pertains to methods of fast exploration in azimuth by a surveillance radar antenna and to radars implementing such methods. The method consists in driving, at slow speed, an antenna comprising two elementary electronic scanning antennas installed back to back, simultaneously controlling the electronic aiming of each elementary electronic scanning antenna, switching over the microwave signal sent alternatively between the two elementary electronic scanning antennas and, before each rotation of the radar beam, initializing the electronic aiming of each elementary electronic scanning antenna at a determined angle &thgr;i. The radar comprises an antenna with two elementary electronic scanning antennas and an aiming computer. Application especially to a sea patrol radar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2000
    Publication date: September 6, 2001
    Applicant: THOMSON - CSF
    Inventors: Jean-Michel Quellec, Gabriel Marchalot
  • Patent number: 6285312
    Abstract: An arrangement for controlling radar transmissions for a system of antennas disposed on a moving platform. The radar transmissions are allocated to an antenna face for a future transmission. To effect an adequate allocation, a prediction arrangement is provided to predict the angular position of the moving platform and the antenna faces. Preferably an antenna is assigned that realizes the smallest off-broadside angle of the radar transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Thales Nederland B.V.
    Inventor: Sierk Michael Thomassen
  • Patent number: 6181276
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing transition between sector configurations of a multi-sectored cell wherein the subscriber units may detect the impending change in sector configuration and react accordingly. Sector transitions accomplished according to the present invention include the use of time dithering old and new sector signals on antenna beams of the transition area, amplitude tapering of old and new sector signals on antenna beams of the transition area, blending of sector signals on antenna beams of the transition area, phase adjustment of antenna beams of the transition area, as well as combinations thereof. Accordingly, subscriber units in the transition area are able to detect the impending sector reconfiguration and react in order to avoid degradation or loss of communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Metawave Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Joel Schlekewey, Martin J. Feuerstein
  • Patent number: 6107956
    Abstract: A Forward Looking Sensor (FLS) alignment system includes a transmit antenna adapted to provide multiple beams, a receive antenna adapted to provide multiple beams, a transmitter coupled to said transmit antenna and adapted to radiate an electromagnetic signal through selected ones of the multiple antenna beams of said transmit antenna and a receiver coupled to said receive antenna and adapted to receive through selected ones of the multiple antenna beams of predetermined antenna beams of a receive antenna having multiple antenna beams reflections from the radiated electromagnetic signal and processing the received electromagnetic signal reflections to generate an alignment offset signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Mark E. Russell, William F. Miccioli