Radar system

• US 5,268,690 A
• Filed: 03/25/1992
• Issued: 12/07/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shibata, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tubbesing, T. H.
• Application Number:
  US07/857,565
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 342/41, 342/176, 342/183
• US Class Current: 342/41
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/937 of marine craft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/22 Producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means

Abstract

Herein disclosed is a radar system having a function for setting a watch alarm region, which function has been improved in operability. A region displayed in a display part surrounding the radar system is divided by two border lines. One region, for example, a region having a smaller angle contained by the two border lines, is controlled to be set as the watch alarm region in accordance with the first setting instruction from a user, the other region is next controlled to be reset as the watch alarm region when receiving the second instruction from the user within a predetermined time period. Thus, the user may select one between the divided regions as desired, through easy operations. If a wrong region has been selected as the watch alarm region, differently from the user'"'"'s will, the mistake may be readily corrected.

Claims

1. A radar system comprising:

transmitter means for radiating radio waves;

receiver means for receiving returning waves reflected by an object to supply received signals and processing the received signals to supply video signals;

display means for displaying an image representing information of the video signals supplied by the receiver means;

means for drawing a plurality of border lines radially from a point of origin represented on the display means and, responsive to user input, moving the border lines;

dividing means for dividing the represented image into plural regions defined by the border lines; and

setting means for automatically setting the smallest region among the divided regions divided by the dividing means as a watch alarm region in accordance with setting instructions from the user.

2. A radar system according to claim 1, wherein the setting means comprises programmable processing means, said processing means being programmed for automatically designating the smallest region among said plurality of divided regions as said watch alarm region in response to a first setting instruction from the user, said processing means further being programmed for automatically designating another said divided region as the watch alarm region in response to a second setting instruction from the user.

3. A radar system comprising:

transmitter means for radiating radio waves;

receiver means for receiving returning waver reflected by an object to supply received signals and processing the received signals to supply video signals;

display means responsive to said video signals for visually presenting information of the video signals generated by the receiver means;

means for drawing two border lines radially from a point of origin represented on the display means and responsive to a user input, moving the two border lines in accordance with said user input;

dividing means for dividing the visual presentation into two regions by the border lines drawn, and

identifying and setting means for automatically identifying and setting a region having a smaller angle contained by the two border lines between the two regions divided by the dividing means as a watch alarm region.

4. A radar system according to claim 3, wherein said identifying and setting means comprises programmable processing means programmed for setting the region having a smaller angle contained by the two border lines between the two regions divided by the dividing means as said watch alarm region in response to a first setting instruction received from a user, said programmable processing means further being programmed for resetting the other of said two regions as the watch alarm region in response to a subsequent second setting instruction received from the user.

5. A radar system comprising:

a transmitter for radiating radio waves;

a receiver for receiving returning waves reflected by an object to supply received signals, and processing the received signals to supply video signals;

display means representing information of the video signals visually;

means for drawing two border lines radially from a point of origin represented on the display means and moving the two border lines in response to instructions received from a user;

dividing means for dividing the represented image into two regions by the border lines drawn on the represented image; and

means for automatically setting one region between the two regions divided by the dividing means as a watch alarm region in accordance with a first setting instruction received from said user, and thereafter, controlling the region different from the preceding to be the watch alarm region in accordance with each subsequent setting instruction received from the user.

6. A radar system comprising:

a transmitter for radiating radio waves;

a receiver for receiving returning waves reflected by an object to supply received signals and processing the received signals to supply video signals;

display means responsive to said video signals for visually representing information of the video signals;

means for drawing two border lines radially from a point of origin on the display means and moving the two border lines in response to instructions received from the user;

dividing means for dividing the represented image into two regions by the border lines drawn in the represented image;

programmable controller means,

said programmable controller means being programmed for performing a first setting operation for determining and setting a region having a smaller angle contained by the two border lines between the two regions divided by the dividing means as a watch alarm region in response to a setting instruction from the user;

said programmable controller means being programmed for performing a second setting operation for determining and setting a region having a greater angle contained by the two border lines between the two regions divided by the dividing means as the watch alarm region in response to said setting instruction from the user; and

timer means for counting a predetermined time period after receiving the setting instruction from the user;

said programmable controller means further being programmed for performing the first setting operation in response to receiving an initial setting instruction from the user, for thereafter alternately performing the second and first setting operations in response to receiving subsequent setting instruction from the user prior to completion of the count by the timer means, for resetting the timer means in response to receipt of each setting instruction, and for determining the watch alarm region after completion of the count for the predetermined time period without receiving a subsequent setting instruction since a reset operation of the timer.

7. A radar display system for receiving a radar signal, displaying said signal and providing a collision warning signal, comprising:

a visual display device receiving said radar signal and, in response, providing a graphic display of range and azimuth information to objects reflecting said radar signal;

operator input means for receiving operator designation of warning zone azimuth boundary information;

processor means receiving said warning zone azimuth boundary information and determining minimum and maximum warning zone sectors defined by said warning zone azimuth boundary information;

controller means for selecting and displaying on said display means radial lines corresponding to said warning zone azimuth boundary information and, in response to a user designation control signal, alternately selecting and displaying said maximum and minimum warning sectors; and

alarm means responsive to detection of an object within a displayed one of said minimum and maximum warning sectors for supplying a warning signal.

8. The radar display system according to claim 7 wherein said display comprises a plan position indicator (PPI).