Radar detector and the adjustment system and method thereof

• US 5,835,052 A
• Filed: 08/14/1997
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Uniden Corporation (Cornwall Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: Uniden Corporation (Cornwall Capital Management LP)
• Inventors: Iwakuni, Mikio
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B.
• Application Number:
  US08/909,063
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 342/20, 342/98, 342/99, 342/100, 455/227, 455/228
• US Class Current: 342/20
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/022 Road traffic radar detectors

Abstract

Disclosed is a radar detector for frequency sweeping a wide band range by using a VCO circuit to detect a radar signal, wherein the frequency precision of the received band can be improved by using comparatively simple and inexpensive circuits. This radar detector comprises an antenna for receiving radar signals, a voltage controlled oscillator which receives a controlled signal and generates a signal of a frequency corresponding thereto, a receiving section which demodulates the radar signal received by said antenna based on the output signal of said voltage controlled oscillator, a sweep signal generating section which generates and supplies a sweep signal to said voltage controlled oscillator as said controlled signal, a memory section which stores data indicating the relation between said sweep signal and oscillating frequency in advance, and a controlling section which, after detecting a radar signal demodulated by said receiving section, decides the received frequency of said radar signal by comparing the controlled signal of said voltage controlled oscillator with the data in said memory section. The memory section stores the actual characteristics of the voltage controlled oscillator, so that a correct distinction is possible.

Claims

1. A radar detector comprising:

an antenna for receiving radar signals;

a voltage controlled oscillator which receives a controlled signal and generates a signal of a frequency corresponding thereto;

a receiving section which demodulates the radar signal received by said antenna based on the output signal of said voltage controlled oscillator;

a sweep signal generating section which generates and supplies a sweep signal to said voltage controlled oscillator as said controlled signal;

a memory section which stores data indicating the relation between said sweep signal and oscillating frequency in advance; and

a controlling section which, after detecting a radar signal demodulated by said receiving section, determines the received frequency of said radar signal by comparing the controlled signal of said voltage controlled oscillator with the data in said memory section.

2. A radar detector according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor for detecting the internal temperature, wherein said memory section includes temperature compensation data for conducting temperature compensation, and said controlling section decides the received frequency of said radar signal based on said temperature compensation data.

3. A radar detector according to claim 1, wherein said memory section stores data which indicate the relation between the maximum and minimum frequencies of the received band and said sweep signal, and said controlling section decides the received frequency of said radar signal by checking whether the controlled signal of said voltage controlled oscillator is within the range of said maximum frequency to said minimum frequency based on the data of said memory section.

4. A radar detector according to claim 3, wherein said receiving section conducts the processing over a wide range of bands, said memory section stores data indicating the relation between the maximum and minimum frequencies and said sweep signal for each band within said plurality of bands, and said controlling section decides the received frequency of said radar signal by checking whether the controlled signal of said voltage controlled oscillator is within the range of said maximum frequencies through said minimum frequencies based on the data of said memory section.

5. A radar detector according to claim 1, wherein said receiving section comprises a FM detector and a comparator for shaping the output of said FM detector to waveform and then outputting this signal as a radar signal, wherein said controlling section is a microprocessor, and this microprocessor conducts the detection of the controlled signal of said voltage controlled oscillator through an A/D port and the detection of said radar signal through an input port.

6. A radar detector according to claim 5, wherein said comparator compares the output of said FM detector with a predetermined threshold value, and outputs signals from this threshold value upwards as radar signals.

7. A radar detector according to claim 5, wherein, when said comparator outputs a radar signal, the sweep signal generator temporarily suspends the sweeping, said microprocessor monitors the number of times said radar signal is detected and, when said radar signal has been detected more than once, determines the received frequency of said radar signal by comparing the controlled signal of said voltage controlled oscillator with the data in said memory.

8. A radar detector according to claim 1, wherein said memory stores the minimum and maximum voltages of the X band and the minimum and maximum voltages of the K band with regard to the characteristics of said voltage controlled oscillator in the relation between the voltage and the oscillating frequency.

9. A radar detector according to claim 2, wherein said memory stores a first voltage compensation value to be applied if the internal temperature is 10°

C. or more below base temperature, a second voltage compensation value to be applied if 10°

C.˜

40°

C. above the base temperature, a third voltage compensation value to be applied if 40°

C.˜

60°

C. above the base temperature, and a fourth voltage compensation value to be applied if 60°

C. or more above the base temperature.

10. A radar detector according to claim 2, wherein said memory stores temperature compensation data for conducting temperature compensation of said temperature sensor.

11. A radar detector according to claim 10, wherein said memory stores a first temperature compensation value to be applied if the internal temperature is 10°

C. below base temperature, a second temperature compensation value to be applied if 10°

C. above the base temperature, a third temperature compensation value to be applied if 40°

C. above the base temperature, and a fourth temperature compensation value to be applied if 60°

C. above the base temperature.

12. A radar detector adjusting system, comprising:

a radar detector comprising

an antenna for receiving radar signals,

a voltage controlled oscillator which receives a controlled signal and generates a signal of a frequency corresponding thereto,

a receiving section which demodulates the radar signal received by said antenna based on the output signal of said voltage controlled oscillator,

a sweep signal generating section which generates and supplies a sweep signal to said voltage controlled oscillator as said controlled signal,

a memory section which stores data indicating the relation between said sweep signal and oscillating frequency in advance, and

a controlling section which, after detecting a radar signal demodulated by said receiving section, decides the received frequency of said radar signal by comparing the controlled signal of said voltage controlled oscillator with the data in said memory section;

a data measuring and write-in device comprising

a controlled signal generator for supplying a controlled signal to the voltage controlled oscillator of said radar detector, and

a data writer for writing data into the memory section of said radar detector under predetermined conditions when said voltage controlled oscillator generates a predetermined frequency; and

a frequency measuring device for measuring the oscillation frequency of said voltage controlled oscillator of the radar detector.

13. A radar detector adjusting system according to claim 12, wherein said data writer writes in the corresponding controlled voltage values into the memory section of said radar detector when said voltage controlled oscillator oscillates at the minimum and maximum frequencies of the X band and the minimum and maximum frequencies of the K band, respectively.

14. A radar detector adjusting system according to claim 12, wherein said data writer writes in the controlled voltage value of said voltage controlled oscillator into the memory section of said radar detector to be applied if the internal temperature is 10°

C. below, 10°

C. above, 40°

C. above and 60°

C. above the base temperature, respectively.

15. A radar detector adjusting system according to claim 12, wherein said data measuring and write-in device comprises a microprocessor for setting parameters and controlling the voltage controlled oscillator, and wherein said microprocessor controls said data writer.

16. A radar detector adjusting method for a radar detector which comprises an antenna for receiving radar signals, a voltage controlled oscillator which receives a controlled signal and generates a signal of a frequency corresponding thereto, a receiving section which demodulates the radar signal received by said antenna based on the output signal of said voltage controlled oscillator, a sweep signal generating section which generates and supplies a sweep signal to said voltage controlled oscillator as said controlled signal, a memory section which stores data indicating the relation between said sweep signal and oscillating frequency in advance, and a controlling section which, after detecting a radar signal demodulated by said receiving section, decides the received frequency of said radar signal by comparing the controlled signal of said voltage controlled oscillator with the data in said memory section, said radar detector adjusting method comprising:

a first step of conducting the setting of the radar received band;

a second step of setting the oscillation frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator of said radar detector to a predetermined frequency;

a third step of converting the controlled voltage of said voltage controlled oscillator to a digital value when the frequency setting has been conducted at said second step; and

a fourth step of storing said converted data in the memory section of said radar detector,

wherein said first through fourth steps are repeated until the setting of all radar received bands has been conducted.