Ultra-wideband radar sensors and networks

• US 20080007445A1
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Leach, Richard, Haugen, Peter, Nekoogar, Faranak
• Granted Patent: US 8,502,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/021
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/0209 Systems with very large relative bandwidth, i.e. larger than 10 %, e.g. baseband, pulse, carrier-free, ultrawideband
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/18 wherein range gates are used
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/56 for presence detection presence detection using near field arrangements G01V3/00, e.g. G01V3/08, G01V3/12; burglar, theft or intruder alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22 - G08B13/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/886 for alarm systems alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop

Abstract

Ultra wideband radar motion sensors strategically placed in an area of interest communicate with a wireless ad hoc network to provide remote area surveillance. Swept range impulse radar and a heart and respiration monitor combined with the motion sensor further improves discrimination.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring an area of interest, comprising:

placing a plurality of low power ultra wideband (UWB) radar motion sensors in an area of interest;

transmitting an UWB radar signal in said area and receiving said signal by at least one motion sensor of said motion sensors to produce a received signal;

analyzing said received signal to determine whether a movement has occurred within said area and producing an alarm signal if a motion has occurred within said area;

communicating said alarm signal to a wireless ad hoc network to produce a forwarded alarm signal; and

transmitting said forwarded alarm signal to a destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each sensor of said low power UWB radar motion sensors comprises a plurality of operatively connected electronics modules comprising a central processing module, a global positioning module, a transmitter and receiver communications module, a power and control module, and a radar detector sensor module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each sensor comprises an UWB transceiver.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting comprises continuously transmitting an UWB signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting comprises periodically transmitting an UWB signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating said alarm signal to a wireless ad hoc network includes transmitting said alarm signal to a mother-node.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless ad hoc network comprises a plurality of nodes, wherein said alarm signal is transmitted by UWB radar to a mother-node.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless ad hoc network comprises a plurality of UWB transceiver nodes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting said forwarded alarm signal to a destination includes communicating said forwarded alarm signal to a satellite to produce a satellite signal, wherein said satellite communicates said satellite signal to a destination.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating said alarm signal to a wireless ad hoc network includes transmitting said alarm signal directly to an ad hoc node of said wireless ad hoc network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless ad hoc network comprises a plurality of UWB transceiver nodes, wherein each node of said network is attached to a different sensor of said sensors.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said transceiver comprises an omni-directional loop antenna.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a range gated radar sensor.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a dual range gate sensor.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a multiple range gate sensor.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking the movement of the cause of an alarm.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising detecting the heart and/or respiration rate of the cause of said alarm.

18. An apparatus for monitoring an area of interest, comprising:

a plurality of low power ultra wideband (UWB) radar motion sensors for placement in an area of interest;

means for transmitting an UWB radar signal in said area wherein at least a portion of said signal can be received by at least one motion sensor of said motion sensors to produce a received signal;

means for analyzing said received signal to determine whether a movement has occurred within said area and producing an alarm signal if a motion has occurred within said area;

means for communicating at least a portion of said alarm signal to a wireless ad hoc network to produce a forwarded alarm signal; and

means for transmitting said forwarded alarm signal to a destination.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein each sensor of said low power UWB radar motion sensors comprises a plurality of operatively connected electronics modules comprising a central processing module, a global positioning module, a transmitter and receiver communications module, a power and control module and a radar detector sensor module.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein each sensor comprises an UWB transceiver.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said means for transmitting comprises means for continuously transmitting an UWB signal.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said means for transmitting comprises means for periodically transmitting an UWB signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said means for communicating said alarm signal to a wireless ad hoc network includes means for transmitting said alarm signal to a mother-node.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said wireless ad hoc network comprises a plurality of nodes, wherein said alarm signal is transmitted to a mother-node with UWB radar.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said wireless ad hoc network comprises a plurality of UWB transceiver nodes.

26. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said means for transmitting said forwarded alarm signal to a destination includes means for communicating said forwarded alarm signal to a satellite to produce a satellite signal, wherein said satellite communicates said satellite signal to a destination.

27. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said wireless ad hoc network comprises a plurality of UWB transceiver nodes, wherein each node of said network is attached to a different sensor of said sensors.

28. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said transceiver comprises an omni-directional loop antenna.

29. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said sensor comprises a range gated radar sensor.

30. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said sensor comprises a dual range gate sensor.

31. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said sensor comprises a multiple range gate sensor.

32. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for tracking the movement of the cause of an alarm.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising means for detecting the heart and/or respiration rate of the cause of said alarm.