Motor vehicle radar detector including amplitude detection
First Claim
1. A motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle receiving incoming radar signals, said detector comprising:
- receiver means for receiving incoming radar signals at frequencies within at least one frequency band;
radar signal processing means responsive to said incoming radar signals for generating a final intermediate frequency signal within a final intermediate frequency range, said radar signal processing means comprising variable frequency mixer means including a local oscillator for generating a local oscillator signal which is swept across a frequency range corresponding to said at least one frequency band;
amplitude detection means receiving said final intermediate frequency signal for generating a signal strength signal representative of the amplitude of said final intermediate frequency signal;
signal verification means responsive to said signal strength signal for identifying valid incoming radar signals; and
alarm means for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle upon identification of valid incoming radar signals.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A radar detector for use in a motor vehicle employs amplitude detection to sense the presence of radar signals commonly used to monitor the speed of such motor vehicles. Amplitude signals are generated by down-converting received signals using a series of mixers, one of which is swept to insure signal detection, and compared to a threshold which is controlled such that noise is detected by the comparison on average a selected period of time. Detected amplitude signals must persist for a given period of time before they are considered to be potentially valid radar signals. After passing the first test of persistence, the signals are verified by means of frequency modulating the first of the series of mixers, detecting the frequency modulation and correlating the detected frequency modulation to determine whether the signal is valid and if so, to which radar frequency band the signal belongs. A first embodiment of the radar detector monitors the X band (10.475-10.575 Ghz), the Ku band (13.400-13.500 Ghz), the K band (24.025-24.275 Ghz), and the Ka band (34.200-35.200 Ghz) and a second embodiment monitors all of these radar signal bands plus and expanded Ka band (34.200-35.200 Ghz).
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle receiving incoming radar signals, said detector comprising:
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receiver means for receiving incoming radar signals at frequencies within at least one frequency band; radar signal processing means responsive to said incoming radar signals for generating a final intermediate frequency signal within a final intermediate frequency range, said radar signal processing means comprising variable frequency mixer means including a local oscillator for generating a local oscillator signal which is swept across a frequency range corresponding to said at least one frequency band; amplitude detection means receiving said final intermediate frequency signal for generating a signal strength signal representative of the amplitude of said final intermediate frequency signal; signal verification means responsive to said signal strength signal for identifying valid incoming radar signals; and alarm means for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle upon identification of valid incoming radar signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle receiving incoming radar signals, said detector comprising:
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receiver means for receiving incoming radar signals at frequencies within at least on frequency band; first mixer means for converting said incoming radar signals to a first intermediate frequency signal having a frequency within a first intermediate frequency range; variable frequency mixer means for mixing said first intermediate frequency signal with an oscillator signal which is swept across said first intermediate frequency range to generate a swept intermediate frequency signal having a frequency within a second intermediate frequency range; second mixer means for converting said swept intermediate frequency signal to a final intermediate frequency signal which is within a final intermediate frequency range; amplitude detection means receiving said final intermediate frequency signal for generating a signal strength signal representative of the amplitude of said final intermediate frequency signal; signal verification means responsive to said signal strength signal for identifying valid incoming radar signals; and alarm means for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle upon identification of valid incoming radar signals. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle receiving incoming radar signals, said detector comprising:
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receiver means for receiving incoming radar signals at frequencies within at least one frequency band; radar signal processing means responsive to said incoming radar signals for generating a final intermediate frequency signal within a final intermediate frequency range, said radar signal processing means comprising variable frequency mixer means including a first local oscillator for generating a first variable frequency local oscillator signal which is swept across a frequency range corresponding to said at least one frequency band; amplitude detection means receiving said final intermediate frequency signal for generating a signal strength signal representative of the amplitude of said final intermediate frequency signal; signal verification means responsive to said signal strength signal for identifying valid incoming radar signals; and alarm means for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle upon identification of valid incoming radar signals. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle receiving incoming radar signals, said detector comprising:
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receiver means for receiving incoming radar signals at frequencies within two or more frequency bands; first mixer means for converting said incoming radar signals at to a first intermediate frequency signal having a frequency within a first intermediate frequency range, said first mixer means comprising a first mixer for signals within at least a first frequency band to generate said first intermediate frequency signal therefrom, and a second mixer for signals within at least a second frequency band to generate said first intermediate frequency signal therefrom, said second mixer being swept through a range of frequencies to expand said second frequency band; variable frequency mixer means for mixing said first intermediate frequency signal with an oscillator signal which is swept across said first intermediate frequency range to generate a swept intermediate frequency signal having a frequency within a second intermediate frequency range; second mixer means for converting said swept intermediate frequency signal to a final intermediate frequency signal which is within a final intermediate frequency range; amplitude detection means receiving said final intermediate frequency signal for generating a signal strength signal representative of the amplitude of said final intermediate frequency signal; signal verification means responsive to said signal strength signal for identifying valid incoming radar signals; and alarm means for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle upon identification of valid incoming radar signals. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification