Short-range radar transceiver employing a FET oscillator

• US 4,931,799 A
• Filed: 04/24/1989
• Issued: 06/05/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Hennegan, Richard T., Wen, Cheng P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Application Number:
  US07/342,850
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 342/175, 342/110, 342/70, 342/136, 342/200, 455/86, 455/87, 455/326
• US Class Current: 342/110
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/026 involving the transmission of elliptically or circularly polarised waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/032 Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/247 with frequency mixer, e.g. for direct satellite reception or Doppler radar
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0435 using two feed points

Abstract

A field effect transistor FMCW radar transceiver for short-range target detection, employs a varactor-tuned, gallium arsenide field effect transistor, voltage-controlled oscillator in the dual role of the transmitter signal source and the local oscillator. The radar transceiver is capable of operating at low IF frequencies for short range, which can be less than 30 feet, target detection.

Claims

1. A short-range radar transceiver operable over a range in which the sideband noise doe snot obscure the intermediate frequency signal, comprising:

field effect transistor oscillator means for generating at time varying signal;

antenna means for transmitting signals to a target and for receiving signals reflected from a target;

means for coupling said time varying signal to said antenna means to be transmitted therefrom;

a balanced mixer having a first port for receiving said time varying signal and a second port for receiving signals from said antenna means and functioning as an AM noise suppressor, for producing an intermediate frequency signal; and

signal processing means responsive to said intermediate frequency signal for producing indications of the range and/or the rate of change of said range of said target.

2. A radar transceiver according to claim 1, comprising:

means responsive to said intermediate frequency signal for limiting the range of operation of said radar transceiver to that within which the sideband noise does not obscure the intermediate frequency signal.

3. The invention according to claim 2, in which:

said means responsive to said intermediate frequency signal comprises a range gate.

4. A radar transceiver according to claim 1, in which:

said field effect transistor oscillator means comprises a varactor diode controlled by said signal processing means for tuning said oscillator means.

5. A radar transceiver according to claim 1, in which:

said time varying signal of said field effect transistor oscillator means is a constant frequency oscillating signal.

6. A radar transceiver according to claim 4, in which:

said field effect transistor oscillator means comprises a common gate field effect transistor circuit.

7. A radar transceiver according to claim 6, in which:

said common gate field effect transistor circuit is a monolithic structure on a single crystal semiconductor substrate.

8. A radar transceiver according to claim 7, in which:

said common gate field effect transistor circuit comprises a gallium arsenide-field effect transistor.

9. A radar transceiver according to claim 1, in which:

said time varying signal is a frequency modulated continuous triangular waveform signal.

10. A radar transceiver according to claim 1, in which:

said antenna means comprises a transmitter antenna and a receiver antenna, said transmitter antenna receiving said time varying signal and said receiver antenna being coupled to said second port of said mixer for coupling a received signal to said mixer.

11. A radar transceiver according to claim 10, in which:

said transmitter antenna and said receiver antenna are microstrip antennas on a substrate.

12. A radar transceiver according to claim 1, in which:

said means for coupling said time varying signal to said antenna means comprises a power splitter for splitting said time varying signal into first and second signals for said antenna means and said mixer.

13. A radar transceiver according to claim 1, in which:

said range is less than about 500 feet.

14. A radar transceiver according to claim 1, in which:

said range is less than about 30 feet.