Dual horn, multi-band radar detector

• US 4,939,521 A
• Filed: 09/12/1988
• Issued: 07/03/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: B.E.L-Tronics Ltd. (Canada) (Cedar Electronics Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: B.E.L-Tronics Ltd. (Canada) (Cedar Electronics Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Burin, Marian M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B.
• Application Number:
  US07/242,536
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 342/20, 455/226-228, 455/318, 455/319
• US Class Current: 342/20
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/022 Road traffic radar detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/20363 Linear resonators

Abstract

The invention concerns a radar detection device--particularly a radar detection for police radar--which is improved with regard to undesirable microwave emissions therefrom. For the X-band and the K-band, for example, two horn antennae are provided, each associated with a local oscillator. A mixer is provided to mix signals from each horn antenna and from its respective local oscillator. Each antenna is made specific to radar signals within its respective band, and precautions are taken to avoid emission of K-band radiation from the larger X-band horn. For example, a bandpass filter for X-band radiation may be used in a feed line branch to the mixer from the X-band horn. The K-band radiation may be fed through in a feed line branch approaching the mixer from an opposed direction.

Claims

1. A radar detection device for detecting frequencies in a plurality of frequency bands comprising:

a plurality of horn antennae;

a wave guide and microstrip line for signal from said antennae;

local oscillators associated with the microstrip line, each local oscillator being selected to produce an intermediate signal of similar frequency when mixed, at its fundamental frequency and/or twice its fundamental frequency, with signal detected by a respective antenna;

a mixer common to the microstrip line and the local oscillators;

and signal processing circuitry to further process said intermediate signal to actuate alarm means.

2. A radar detector as claimed in claim 1, wherein a band-pass filter is provided for at least one antenna, to inhibit leakage of local oscillator frequencies therefrom.

3. A radar detection device for detecting frequencies in the X-band, K-band and Ka-band, comprising:

two horn antennae, one antenna being specific to frequencies in the X-band, and the other antenna being specific to frequencies in the K-band and the Ka-band;

a waveguide and microstrip line for signal from the antennae;

two local oscillators, one local oscillator being selected to produce a similar intermediate signal when its fundamental frequency is mixed with X-band frequency and when twice its fundamental frequency is mixed with K-band frequency, and the other local oscillator being selected to produce a similar intermediate signal when twice its fundamental frequency is mixed with frequency from the Ka-band;

a mixer common to the antennae and the local oscillators;

and signal processing circuitry to further process said intermediate signal to actuate alarm means.

4. A radar detection device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a band-pass filter is provided to inhibit leakage of local oscillator frequencies from said one antenna.

5. A radar detector as claimed in claim 3, including a feedline from the antennae to the mixer, the antennae being located to feed signals to the mixer from opposing ends of the feed line.

6. A radar detector as claimed in claim 5, wherein the feed line from the X-band antenna includes a bandpass filter for X-band frequencies, and having sharp roll-off characteristics at either side of the X-band frequency;

and the distance along the feedline from the bandpass filter to the mixer is a multiple of half wavelengths of K-band frequency.

7. A radar detector as claimed in claim 5, wherein the feed line from the X-band antenna has a high impedance stub branching therefrom;

and the distance of the stub from the mixer is an odd multiple of quarter wavelengths of the K frequency, and the length of the stub is an odd number of quarter wavelengths of the Ka frequency.