Digital bi-static spread spectrum radar

• US 6,031,485 A
• Filed: 06/24/1998
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Space Engineering S.p.A. (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Space Engineering S.p.A. (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: De Martino, Domenico, Cellai, Luca
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B.
• Application Number:
  US09/103,863
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 342/131, 342/132, 342/134, 342/135, 342/192, 342/195, 342/196
• US Class Current: 342/131
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/003 Bistatic radar systems; Multistatic radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/24 using frequency agility of carrier wave
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/0254 Active array antenna
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/0281 LPI, Low Probability of Intercept radar

Abstract

A bi-static spread spectrum digital radar including a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna array separate from and positioned at a distance from the transmitting antenna. The transmitting antenna transmits a pseudo random digital signal as produced by a pseudo random digital signal generator. The receiving antenna array receives signals simultaneously and parallely as reflected from a target by the transmitting antenna. A plurality of analog-to-digital converters are connected respectively to each element of the receiving antenna array so as to convert the received analog signal into a digital signal. Digital beams are produced and directed to a set of digital receivers. A processor is provided so as to produce a digital output from the set of digital receivers.

Claims

1. A bi-static spread spectrum digital radar comprising:

a transmitting antenna means;

a receiving array antenna means separate from said transmitting antenna means and positioned at a distance from said transmitting antenna means, said transmitting antenna means for transmitting a pseudo random digital signal;

a pseudo random digital signal generator connected to said transmitting antenna means;

a digital clock generator connected to said pseudo random signal generator;

a frequency converter electrically connected between said pseudo random signal generator and said transmitting antenna means;

a power amplifier means electrically connected between said frequency converter and said transmitting antenna means, said power amplifier means for amplifying a signal passed by said pseudo random signal generator to said transmitting antenna means, said receiving array antenna means for receiving signals simultaneously and parallelly as reflected from a target by said transmitting antenna means;

a plurality of low noise frequency converters connected electrically to said receiving array antenna means;

a plurality of analog-to-digital converters connected to said receiving array antenna means and adapted to convert an analog signal from said receiving array antenna means into a digital signal;

a digital beam forming means connected to said plurality of analog-to-digital converters, said digital beam forming means for producing a digital signal correlative of a signal received by said receiving array antenna means;

a set of digital receivers positioned so as to receive a digital beam from said digital beam forming means, said set of digital receivers being integrated into at least one digital processor which is adapted to produce a digital output signal; and

a display means connected to said at least one digital processor, said display means for showing the digital output signal in a humanly perceivable manner or for storing the digital output signal.

2. The radar of claim 1, said pseudo random signal generator being a digital generator adapted to produce pseudo random codes of variable length.

3. The radar of claim 1, said digital clock generator having a frequency reference selected from the group consisting of quartz, rubidium, cesium and global positioning system signals.

4. The radar of claim 1, said power amplifier means comprising a low distortion linear power amplifier.

5. The radar of claim 1, said transmitting antenna means comprising an antenna selected from the group consisting of a dipole antenna and a Yagi antenna.

6. The radar of claim 1, said receiving array antenna means comprising a plurality of antennas selected from the group consisting of dipole antenna and horn radiators.

7. The radar according to claim 1, said plurality of analog-to-digital converters each having a dynamic range and instantaneous bandwidth suitable for converting the analog signals from said receiving array antenna means over an entire expected range.

8. The radar of claim 1, said digital beam forming means being a variable coefficient linear network having a number of inputs equal to a number of elements of said receiving array antenna means, said network haivng a number of outputs equal to a number of beams formed.

9. The radar of claim 1, each digital receiver of said set of digital receivers being a digital signal processor adapted to sub-correlate the digital signal with delayed replicas of the digital signal by a time factor associated with the transmitted pseudo random digital signal.

10. The radar of claim 1, said at least one digital processor comprising two registers for I and Q components respectively of the received digital beam.