Police radar detectors for detecting radar signals and determining the directional origin of the signal source

• US 5,151,701 A
• Filed: 10/21/1991
• Issued: 09/29/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Valentine Research, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Valentine Research, Inc.
• Inventors: Valentine, Michael D., Scholl, Stephen R., Groth, Clarence R., Nusair, Marwan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US07/780,262
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 342/20, 455/227, 455/345
• US Class Current: 342/20
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/022 Road traffic radar detectors

Abstract

A police radar detector detects both the presence of radar signals incident upon a motor vehicle using the detector and also determines the direction of origin of the source of detected radar signals and alerts the operator of the motor vehicle of the presence and source direction of the radar signals. The radar detector includes at least two antennas and preferably three or more antennas with detector circuitry shared among the antennas in a single detector housing. One of the antennas is directed generally toward the front of the motor vehicle and, for a three antenna embodiment, the second and third antennas are directed at angles of generally 120° to the left and 120° to the right of the front of the vehicle. As the police speed radar frequency bands are scanned or swept, each potential radar signal which is detected is processed to determine the direction of origin of the signals. To determine the direction of origin of sensed radar signals, the signals are detected in all antennas with the signal strengths in the different antennas being compared to determine the direction of origin of the signals. It is preferred to identify the direction of the radar source as being to the front of the vehicle, to the rear of the vehicle, to the left side of the vehicle or to the right side of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle to incoming radar signals, said detector comprising:

receiver means comprising a first antenna aimed in a first direction relative to said motor vehicle, a second antenna aimed in a second direction relative to said motor vehicle, and a third antenna aimed in a third direction relative to said motor vehicle for receiving incoming radar signals at frequencies within at least one frequency band, said first, second and third directions being different from one another;

radar signal detector means for generating radar identification signals which identify incoming radar signals;

connector means for connecting signals from said receiver means to said radar signal detector means;

processor means for controlling said connector means to selectively connect signals from said first, second and third antennas to said radar signal detector means and responsive to radar identification signals generated by said radar signal detector means to identify radar signals coming from said first, second and third directions relative to said motor vehicle and to generate direction signals identifying the direction of origin of incoming radar signals; and

alarm means for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle upon identification of incoming radar signals, said alarm means including direction indicating means responsive to said direction signals for identifying the direction of origin of incoming radar signals.

2. A motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle to incoming radar signals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first, second and third antennas are positioned within a single housing for said motor vehicle radar signal detector.

3. A motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle to incoming radar signals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said radar identification signals indicate the strengths of identified radar signals and said processor means is responsive to the strengths of the signals received by said first, second and third antennas to determine the angle of incidence of said signals on said motor vehicle relative to said first direction, said alarm means including means for identifying the angle of incidence of the identified radar signals.

4. A motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle to incoming radar signals as claimed in claim 3 wherein said first direction is generally to the front of said motor vehicle, said second direction is generally 120°

relative to said first direction to the left side of said motor vehicle and said third direction is generally 120°

relative to said first direction to the right side of said motor vehicle.

5. A motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle to incoming radar signals, said detector comprising:

receiver means comprising a first antenna which is generally forwardly directed, a second antenna which is generally directed at an angle of 120°

relative to the forward direction of said first antenna to the left side of said motor vehicle and a third antenna which is generally directed at an angle of 120°

relative to the forward direction to the right side of said motor vehicle for receiving incoming radar signals at frequencies within at least one frequency band;

detector means for generating radar identification signals which identify incoming radar signals;

connector means for connecting signals from said receiver means to said detector means;

processor means for controlling said connector means to selectively connect signals from said first, second and third antennas to said detector means and responsive to radar identification signals generated by said detector means to identify the angle of incidence of radar signals on said motor vehicle, and to generate direction signals identifying the direction of origin of incoming radar signals; and

alarm means for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle upon identification of incoming radar signals, said alarm means including direction indicating means responsive to said direction signals for identifying the direction of origin of incoming radar signals.

6. A motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle to incoming radar signals as claimed in claim 5 wherein said first, second and third antennas are positioned within a single housing for said motor vehicle radar signal detector.

7. A motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle to incoming radar signals as claimed in claim 5 wherein said radar identification signals indicate the strengths of signals received by said first, second and third antennas and said processor means further provides for determining whether signals are incident on said motor vehicle from the front, back, right side or left side thereof in response to the strengths of signals received by said first, second and third antennas, said alarm means further including means for identifying whether the identified radar signals are coming from the front, back, right side or left side of said motor vehicle.

8. A motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle to incoming radar signals as claimed in claim 5 wherein the portion of time that signals from said first antenna are applied to said detector means to detect radar signals coming from in front of said motor vehicle is greater than the portion of time that signals from said second and third antennas are applied to said detector means to detect radar signals coming generally from behind and to the sides of said motor vehicle.

9. A method of operating a motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle to incoming radar signals, said method comprising the steps of:

sensing radar signals received by a first antenna which is aimed in a first direction;

sensing radar signals received by a second antenna which is aimed in a second direction;

sensing radar signals received by a third antenna which is aimed in a third direction, said first second and third directions being different from one another;

determining the strength of sensed radar signals received by said first antenna;

determining the strength of sensed radar signals received by said second antenna;

determining the strength of sensed radar signals received by said third antenna;

identifying radar signals sensed in said first, second and third antennas which are from the same source;

comparing the strengths of same source sensed radar signals as received in said first, second and third antennas to determine the angle of incidence of said same source sensed radar signals on said motor vehicle; and

activating alarm means in response to sensed incoming signals incident on said motor vehicle to alert the operator of said motor vehicle of the presence of sensed incoming signals and the angle of incidence of such signals.

12. A method of operating a motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle to incoming radar signals as claimed in claim 9 further comprising the step of housing said first, second and third antennas in a single housing for said motor vehicle radar signal detector.

10. A motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle to incoming radar signals, said detector comprising:

receiver means comprising at least first and second antennas positioned within a single housing for said motor vehicle radar signal detector, said first antenna aimed in a first direction relative to said motor vehicle and said second antenna aimed in a second direction relative to said motor vehicle and different from said first direction for receiving incoming radar signals at frequencies within at least one frequency band;

radar signal detector means for generating radar identification signals which identify incoming radar signals;

connector means for connecting signals from said receiver means to said radar signal detector means;

processor means for controlling said connector means to selectively connect signals from said at least first and second antennas to said radar signal detector means and responsive to radar identification signals generated by said radar signal detector means to identify radar signals coming from said first direction relative to said motor vehicle and radar signals coming from said second direction relative to said motor vehicle, and to generate direction signals identifying the direction of origin of incoming radar signals; and

alarm means for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle upon identification of incoming radar signals, said alarm means including direction indicating means responsive to said direction signals for identifying whether the identified radar signals are coming from said first direction or are coming from said second direction.

11. A motor vehicle radar signal detector for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle to incoming radar signals, said detector comprising:

receiver means comprising at least first, second and third antennas positioned within a single housing for said motor vehicle radar signal detector, said first antenna being aimed in a first direction relative to said motor vehicle, said second antenna aimed in a second direction relative to said motor vehicle, and said third antenna being aimed in a third direction relative to said motor vehicle for receiving incoming radar signals at frequencies within at least one frequency band, said first, second and third directions being different from one another;

radar signal detector means for generating radar identification signals which identify incoming radar signals;

connector means for connecting signals from said receiver means to said radar signal detector means;

processor means for controlling said connector means to selectively connect signals from said at least first, second and third antennas to said radar signal detector means and responsive to radar identification signals generated by said radar signal detector means to identify radar signals coming from said first, second and third directions relative to said motor vehicle and to generate direction signals identifying the direction of origin of incoming radar signals; and

alarm means for alerting an operator of a motor vehicle upon identification of incoming radar signals, said alarm means including direction indicating means responsive to said direction signals for identifying the direction of origin of incoming radar signals.