Microwave range detector system

• US 5,136,298 A
• Filed: 03/08/1991
• Issued: 08/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vac Con Incorporated (Holden Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Am Sensors, Inc.
• Inventors: Williams, Heyward S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US07/666,888
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 342/112, 342/129
• US Class Current: 342/112
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/584 adapted for simultaneous range and velocity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/62 Sense-of-movement determination G01S13/589 takes precedence

Abstract

A microwave range detector system for determining the range of a moving object in a monitored area includes: a microwave antenna for focusing microwave energy in the area to be monitored; means for selectively generating microwave signals at a first microwave frequency and at a second microwave frequency for transmission by the antenna; microwave detector means, responsive to the microwave signal at the first microwave frequency and the return signal at the first microwave frequency from a target in the monitored area, for generating a pair of Doppler frequency signals with a fixed-phase relationshp, and responsive to the microwave signals at the first and second microwave frequencies and to the return signals at the first and second microwave frequencies, respectively, from a target in a monitored area, for generating a pair of Doppler frequency signals with a variable-phase relationship; direction decoder means, responsive to the Doppler frequency signals with the fixed-phase relationship, for determining which of the Doppler frequency signals with the fixed-phase relationship is leading and which is lagging to indicate the direction of motion of the object relative to the antenna; range decoder means responsive to the Doppler frequency signals with the variable-phase relationship, for determining the phase difference between the Doppler frequency signals with the variable-phase relationship; and means, responsive to the direction of motion indication from the direction decoder means and the phase difference from said range decoder means, for determining the range of the target from said antenna.

Claims

1. A microwave range detector system for determining the range of a moving object in a monitored area, comprising:

a microwave antenna for focusing microwave energy in the area to be monitored;

means for selectively generating microwave signals at a first microwave frequency and at a second microwave frequency for transmission by said antenna;

microwave detector means, responsive to said microwave signal at said first microwave frequency and the return signal at said first microwave frequency from a target in the monitored area, for generating a pair of Doppler frequency signals with a fixed-phase relationship, and responsive to said microwave signals at said first and second microwave frequencies and to the return signals at said first and second microwave frequencies, respectively, from a target in a monitored area, for generating a pair of Doppler frequency signals with a variable-phase relationship;

direction decoder means, responsive to the Doppler frequency signals with the fixed-phase relationship, for determining which of the Doppler frequency signals with the fixed-phase relationship is leading and which is lagging to indicate the direction of motion of the object relative to the antenna;

range decoder means responsive to the Doppler frequency signals with the variable-phase relationship, for determining the phase difference between the Doppler frequency signals with the variable-phase relationship; and

means, responsive to the direction of motion indication from said direction decoder means and said phase difference from said range decoder means, for determining the range of the target from said antenna.

2. The microwave range detector system of claim 1 in which said means for selectively generating includes oscillator means for producing the microwave energy.

3. The microwave range detector system of claim 1 in which said oscillator means includes a Gunn diode cavity.

4. The microwave range detector system of claim 1 in which said oscillator means includes a varactor diode for varying the frequency of the generated microwave energy.

5. The microwave range detector system of claim 1 in which said oscillator means includes timing means for alternately selecting said first and second microwave frequencies.

6. The microwave range detector system of claim 5 in which said microwave detector means includes sampling means, responsive to said timing means, for sampling said Doppler frequency signals with the variable-phase relationship close to the transition between said first and second microwave frequencies

7. The microwave range detector system of claim 1 in which said microwave detector means includes a pair of microwave detectors spaced along the path of said return signals at said first frequency.

8. The microwave range detector system of claim 1 in which said pair of microwave detectors are spaced apart one quarter wavelength.

9. The microwave range detector system of claim 1 in which said pair of microwave detectors are Shottky diodes.

10. The microwave range detector system of claim 1 in which said microwave detector means includes means for comparing the transition of one Doppler frequency signal with the fixed-phase relationship with the level of the other Doppler frequency signal with the fixed-phase relationship for determining the direction of motion of the target relative to the antenna.

11. The microwave range detector system of claim 1 in which said means for comparing includes a digitizing circuit for digitizing said Doppler frequency signals.

12. The microwave range detector system of claim 1 in which said microwave detector means includes preamplifier means for amplifying and shaping said Doppler frequency signals.

13. The microwave range detector system of claim 1 in which there are three Doppler frequency signals:

one of them is a reference signal which functions in a fixed-phase relationship with one of the remaining Doppler signals and in a variable-phase relationship with the other of the remaining Doppler signals.

14. The microwave range detector system of claim 1 in which said range decoder includes means for defining the primary and complementary phase difference between the Doppler frequency signals with the variable-phase relationship

15. The microwave range detector system of claim 14 in which said means for determining includes means for identifying the one of said primary and complementary phase differences which represents the range to the target.