MULTI-SECTOR RADAR SENSOR

• US 20100087967A1
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Shih, Yi-Chi, Bui, Long, Meyers, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,898,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/426 Scanning radar, e.g. 3D radar G01S13/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/4454 phase comparisons monopulse, i.e. comparing the echo signals received by an interferometric antenna arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00

Abstract

A radar system comprises a plurality of antenna sub-systems, each operable to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in a corresponding sector, wherein the plurality of antenna sub-systems are positioned such that the corresponding sectors cover a total range of about 180 degrees to about 360 degrees without rotation of the radar system. The radar system also comprises shared backend circuitry coupled to each of the plurality of antenna sub-systems and operable to process signals from each of the plurality of antenna sub-systems to detect the presence of an obstacle in one of the corresponding sectors.

Claims

1. A radar system comprising:

a plurality of antenna sub-systems, each operable to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in a corresponding sector, wherein the plurality of antenna sub-systems are positioned such that the corresponding sectors cover a total range of about 180 degrees to about 360 degrees without rotation of the radar system; and

shared backend circuitry coupled to each of the plurality of antenna sub-systems and operable to process signals from each of the plurality of antenna sub-systems to detect the presence of an obstacle in one of the corresponding sectors.

2. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antenna sub-systems comprises three to twelve antenna sub-systems.

3. The radar system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of antenna sub-systems corresponds to a sector that covers a range of about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees.

4. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antenna sub-systems are operable to transmit and receive RF signals in the millimeter wave frequency range.

5. The radar system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of antenna sub-systems comprise a transmit antenna and at least one receive antenna synchronized to scan a corresponding sector.

6. The radar system of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of antenna sub-systems comprises two receive antennae separated by a vertical distance.

7. The radar system of claim 6, wherein the shared backend circuitry is operable to determine the vertical position of the detected obstacles based on a phase difference between signals received by each of the two receive antennae.

8. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the shared backend circuitry comprises:

a down-converter operable to down-convert received RF signals from the plurality of antenna sub-systems to an intermediate frequency (IF);

an up-converter operable to up-convert signals for transmission from an IF frequency to an RF frequency; and

a radar signal processor unit operable to determine the location of obstacles based on the IF signals from the down-converter.

9. An unmanned vehicle comprising:

a radar system operable to detect obstacles near the unmanned vehicle, wherein the radar system comprises;

a plurality of antenna sub-systems, each operable to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in a corresponding sector, wherein the plurality of antenna sub-systems are positioned such that the corresponding sectors cover a total range of about 180 degrees to about 360 degrees without rotation of the radar system; and

shared backend circuitry coupled to each of the plurality of antenna sub-systems and operable to process signals from each of the plurality of antenna sub-systems to detect the presence of an obstacle in one of the corresponding sectors; and

a navigation system operable to control movement of the unmanned vehicle based, at least in part, on the detection of obstacles by the radar system.

10. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, wherein the plurality of antenna sub-systems comprises three to twelve antenna sub-systems.

11. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of antenna sub-systems corresponds to a sector that covers a range of about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees.

12. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, wherein the plurality of antenna sub-systems are operable to transmit and receive RF signals in the millimeter wave frequency range.

13. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of antenna sub-systems comprise a transmit antenna and at least one receive antenna synchronized to scan a corresponding sector.

14. The unmanned vehicle of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of antenna sub-systems comprises two receive antennae separated by a vertical distance.

15. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, wherein the unmanned vehicle comprises one of an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle and an unmanned lunar lander.

16. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, wherein the shared backend circuitry comprises:

a down-converter operable to down-convert received RF signals from the plurality of antenna sub-systems to an intermediate frequency (IF);

an up-converter operable to up-convert signals for transmission from an IF frequency to an RF frequency; and

a radar signal processor unit operable to determine the location of obstacles based on the IF signals from the down-converter.

17. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, further comprising:

a remote display operable to display data regarding detected obstacles received from the radar system to a remote user; and

a user input device operable to provide commands to the navigation system from a user in a remote location.

18. A method of detecting obstacles with a radar system, the method comprising:

scanning each of a plurality of sectors without rotating the radar system, each sector scanned by at least one antenna sub-system;

processing reflected signals received by each antenna sub-system with shared backend circuitry to detect the presence of obstacles in one or more of the plurality of sectors; and

outputting data regarding detected obstacles.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein scanning each of the plurality of sectors comprises scanning each of the plurality of sectors with two receiver antennae in each antenna sub-system, the two receiver antennae in each antenna sub-system separated by a vertical distance.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein processing the reflected signals with shared backend circuitry includes determining the elevation angle of detected obstacles based on the phase difference between signals received at each of the two receiver antennae corresponding to the sector in which the detected obstacles are detected.