Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving time-domain radar signals

• US 7,692,598 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2005
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemring Sensors and Electronic Systems Incorporated, NIITEK, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NIITEK, Inc.
• Inventors: Cleveland, Roy Fields III, Hibbard, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; HoangAnh T
• Application Number:
  US11/260,038
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/795, 343/702, 343/793, 343/802, 343/801
• US Class Current: 343/795
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/44 with a plurality of divergent straight elements, e.g. V-dipole, X-antenna; with a plurality of elements having mutually inclined substantially straight portions combinations of two or more active elements H01Q21/00; turnstile antennas H01Q21/26

Abstract

Time domain radar signals are transmitted and received from vee dipole antennas on circuit boards. The antennas are formed by spaced deposited copper pads and discrete surface mount resistors soldered between the copper pads. The antenna feed-points are connected directly to adjacent transmitting and receiving circuits on the same printed circuit board. Traces are printed on a middle layer of a strip of printed circuit board. Vias connect ground planes on opposite sides. Artifacts are reduced, and signal properties are controlled.

Claims

1. A radar system, comprising a printed circuit board, a radar transmitter, radar receiver or radar transceiver circuit on the board, an antenna on the printed circuit board and connected to the circuit on the printed circuit board with no transmission lines between the antenna and the circuit, and power, trigger or data feed-lines connected to the circuit, wherein the antenna comprises vee dipole antenna arms on the printed circuit board, and wherein the vee dipole antenna arms further comprise plural spaced copper pads on the printed circuit board and discreet surface mount resistors connected between the copper pads.

2. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the copper pads are deposited on the circuit board and the discrete surface mount resistors are soldered to the deposited copper pads.

3. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the feed-lines further comprise a connecting circuit board having a middle layer and top and bottom ground layers, plural circuit traces on the middle layer, and plural vias connecting the top and bottom ground layers.

4. The radar system of claim 1, wherein only the radar transmitter, radar receiver or radar transceiver circuit and the antenna are co-located on the printed circuit board.

5. The radar system of claim 3, wherein a width of the radar transmitter, radar receiver or radar transceiver circuit is substantially less than a width of the antenna.

6. A radar system comprising a printed circuit board and an antenna system deposited on the printed circuit board, the antenna system having at least one feed-point deposited on the printed circuit board, a radar transmitter, radar receiver or radar transceiver circuit on the printed circuit board and connected at the least one feed-point on the printed circuit board, wherein the antenna comprises vee dipole antenna arms on the printed circuit board, and wherein the vee dipole antenna arms further comprise plural spaced copper pads on the printed circuit board and discreet surface mount resistors connected between the copper pads.

7. The radar system of claim 6, wherein the copper pads are deposited on the circuit board and the discreet surface mount resistors are soldered to the deposited copper pads.

8. The radar system of claim 6, further comprising feed-lines connected to the circuit on the printed circuit board.

9. The radar system of claim 8, wherein the feed-lines further comprise a connecting circuit board having a middle layer and top and bottom ground layers, plural circuit traces on the middle layer, and plural vias connecting the top and bottom ground layers.

10. The radar system of claim 6, wherein a width of the radar transmitter, radar receiver or radar transceiver circuit is substantially less than a width of the antenna.

11. A radar system method comprising providing a printed circuit board, providing a radar circuit including a radar transmitter, a radar receiver, or radar transceiver on the printed circuit board, providing an antenna on the printed circuit board, providing a feed-point connecting the antenna and the radar circuit with no transmission lines between the antenna and the radar circuit, and providing power to the circuit, wherein the providing the antenna comprises providing vee dipole antenna arms on the printed circuit board, and wherein the providing vee dipole antenna arms further comprise providing plural spaced copper pads on the printed circuit boards, providing discrete surface mount resistors between the copper pads, and connecting the discrete surface mount resistors to the copper pads.

12. The radar system method of claim 11, further comprising sending and receiving radar pulses form the antenna on the printed circuit board and providing outputs form the radar circuit on the printed circuit board through feed-lines.

13. The radar system method of claim 11, wherein the providing the copper pads comprises depositing the copper pads on the printed circuit board, and wherein the connecting the discrete surface mount resistor comprises soldering the resistors to the deposited copper pads.

14. The radar system method of claim 11, further comprising providing feed-lines and connecting the feed-lines to the circuit on the printed circuit board.

15. The radar system method of claim 11, wherein the providing the feed-lines further comprises providing a connecting circuit board having a middle layer and top and bottom ground layers, providing plural circuit trances on the middle layer, providing plural vias and connecting the top and bottom ground layers with the plural vias.

16. A radar system, comprising:

a printed circuit board;

a radar transmitter, radar receiver or radar transceiver circuit on the board;

an antenna on the printed circuit board and connected at the circuit on the printed circuit board; and

power, trigger or data feed-lines connected to the circuit, wherein the antenna comprises a dipole antenna on the printed circuit board and wherein the dipole antenna further comprises plural spaced conductive pads on the printed circuit board and resistors connected between the conductive pads.

17. A radar system method comprising:

fabricating a plurality of circuit boards, each of said circuit boards, fabricated as follows;

disposing a radar circuit including a radar transmitter, a radar receiver, or radar transceiver on a printed circuit board;

disposing an antenna on the printed circuit board, including disposing plural spaced conductive pads on the printed circuit board and disposing resistors between the copper pads; and

disposing a feed-point connecting the antenna and the radar circuit such that there are no transmission lines between the antenna and the radar circuit; and

stacking said plurality of printed circuit boards to create an array of radar channels.