Handheld obstacle penetrating motion detecting radar

• US 5,345,240 A
• Filed: 08/04/1993
• Issued: 09/06/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Missile Systems Company
• Inventors: Frazier, Lawrence M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/102,161
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 342/28, 342/160, 342/22
• US Class Current: 342/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/56 for presence detection presence detection using near field arrangements G01V3/00, e.g. G01V3/08, G01V3/12; burglar, theft or intruder alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22 - G08B13/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/888 through wall detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations

Abstract

A motion detection radar system comprised of a low power frequency tunable continuous wave transmitter and antenna, a receiver, an FM transmitter and antenna, and a handheld remote FM receiver. The radar system may be adapted to operate at any frequency from 600 MHz to 1.2 GHz. The motion detecting radar system uses a technique for measuring the changes in phase difference and the rate of change of phase differences detected thereby. The receiver captures the total energy reflected from all reflective objects within the antenna field of view and compares that signal with the transmitted signal in a mixer. If all objects are stationary and the radar system is stationary, the total complex phase pattern of the return signal is constant, and a fixed DC output signal is provided from the mixer. Any motion within the field of view changes the fixed phase relationship and causes a phase rate of change at the receiver output. The phase rate of change is converted into a tone which allows an operator to recognize object motion. The tone is transmitted by the FM transmitter to the remote FM receiver used by the operator to monitor monitor object motion. The receiver output is almost inaudible when there are no moving objects, but an alarm tone is provided when object motion is present. The detection process used in the motion detecting radar is unique in that it captures minute changes in the complex signal from all reflectors and converts the moving object differences into the audible alarm.

Claims

1. A motion detecting radar system that is adapted to detect motion of a moving object, said system comprising:

a frequency tunable continuous wave transmitter comprising a voltage tuned oscillator, an antenna, and a mixer coupled to the voltage tuned oscillator and the antenna;

a receiver coupled to the continuous wave transmitter that comprises a signal processor that includes amplifiers adapted to receive output signals from the mixer, detectors coupled to the amplifiers for, a level shifter coupled to the detector for level shifting the detected signal, and a tone generator coupled to the level shifter for generating an audible tone whose frequency is a function of the relative motion of moving objects detected by the system;

an FM transmitter comprising an FM antenna coupled to the receiver for transmitting the audible tone indicative of the motion of a moving object; and

an FM receiver adapted to receive the audible tone produced by the FM transmitter and reproduce the tone to indicate the presence of moving objects detected by the system.

2. The motion detecting radar system of claim 1 wherein the receiver is adapted to process changes in phase difference and the rate of change of phase differences that are measured by capturing the total energy reflected from all reflective surfaces within the field of view of the CW antenna and comparing that signal with the transmitted CW radar signal in the mixer, and wherein if all reflective surfaces are stationary and the motion detecting radar system is stationary, the total complex phase pattern of the return signal is constant, and a fixed DC output signal is provided from the mixer, and wherein any motion within the total field of view of the CW antenna changes the fixed phase relationship and causes a phase rate of change at the output of the receiver.

3. The motion detecting radar system of claim 1 wherein the phase rate of change is converted into a tone that allows an operator to recognize the motion of the moving object.

4. The motion detecting radar system of claim 1 wherein the CW antenna is a single element, wide band tapered transmission line.

5. The motion detecting radar system of claim 1 wherein the frequency of the variable tuned oscillator is adjustable to provided for adjustable carrier frequency control of the CW transmitter.

6. The motion detecting radar system of claim 1 wherein the receiver further comprises a controller coupled to the amplifier and tone generator and to the voltage tuned oscillator in the transmitter.

7. The motion detecting radar system of claim 1 wherein the FM transmitter comprises an FM transmitter operating at approximately 49 MHz.