Beacon-on-demand radar transponder

• US 20050012654A1
• Filed: 07/14/2004
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Farrokh Mohamadi
• Original Assignee: Farrokh Mohamadi
• Inventors: Mohamadi, Farrokh
• Granted Patent: US 7,042,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/765 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/78 discriminating between different kinds of targets, e.g. IFF-radar, i.e. identification of friend or foe G01S13/75, G01S13/79 take precedence

Abstract

A radar transponder is provided that synchronizes the encoding of repeated radar pulses using an envelope detector to detect the envelope of received radar pulse signals. An edge detector detects the pulse edges in the envelope so that code words may be multiplied with the received radar pulse signals synchronously with the detected pulse edges to provide an encoded pulse train that may be transmitted to a radar interrogator.

Claims

6-1. The radar transponder of claim 1, further including a GPS unit, the code words provided by the code generator encoding locational information from the GPS unit.

8. A method of encoding, comprising:

receiving a train of radar pulses;

envelope detecting the received train of radar pulses to provide an envelope pulse signal;

edge detecting the envelope pulse signal;

generating code words substantially synchronously to the edges detected in the envelope pulse signal; and

multiplying the generated code words with the received train of radar pulses to provide an encoded pulse train.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting the encoded pulse train.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiving act comprises receiving and amplifying to provide the received radar pulse train.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the edge detecting act comprises detecting both rising and falling edges.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the edge detecting act comprises detecting only rising edges.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing coordinates from a GPS unit;

wherein the code words are encoded responsive to the coordinates.

14. An integrated antenna, comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface;

heavily-doped contact regions extending from the first surface to the second surface;

a metallic layer on the second surface;

an insulating layer on the metallic layer;

antenna elements formed on the insulating layer; and

electrical conductors formed in vias in the insulating layer, the electrical conductors coupling the antenna elements through the contact regions to driving circuitry formed on the first surface of the substrate, the separation between the driving circuitry and the antenna elements thereby aiding electrical isolation of the driving circuitry.

15. The integrated antenna of claim 14, wherein the substrate comprises silicon.

16. The integrated antenna of claim 14, wherein the antenna elements are patch antenna elements.

17. The integrated antenna of claim 15, wherein the antenna elements are T-shaped dipole antenna elements.

18. The integrated antenna of claim 15, further comprising:

a heat conducting layer formed adjacent the driving circuitry.