Radar system and method

• US 7,777,672 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rafael - Armament Development Authority Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Rafael - Armament Development Authority Ltd.
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Avner, Schnitzer, Itzhak, Deutsch, Alon
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barker; Matthew M
• Application Number:
  US12/014,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20090009380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 349/90, 349/193
• US Class Current: 342/193
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/106 using transmission of pulses having some particular characteristics G01S13/12, G01S13/22, G01S13/24, G01S13/26, G01S13/28 and G01S13/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/024 using polarisation effects in waveguides H01P1/165; for aerials H01Q, e.g. H01Q15/22, H01Q15/24, H01Q19/195
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/282 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/285 Receivers

Abstract

The invention relates to a radar system which comprises: (a) at least two transmitting units for simultaneously, and in synchronization transmitting electromagnetic radiation in distinct frequencies f₁, f₂, f₃ . . . towards a space of interest; and (b) at least one receiving unit tuned to a frequency of nf₁+mf₂+qf₃ . . . , wherein n, m, q . . . being integers not equal to zero, for receiving a non-linear response of said radiation from objects located within the said space of interest, and wherein the system is characterized in that said transmitted pulses are narrow pulses having duration in the range of between about 1 nanoseconds and about 100 nanoseconds.

Claims

1. A radar system for detecting man-made objects in a space of interest comprising:

at least two transmitting units for simultaneously, and in synchronization transmitting electromagnetic radiation pulses in at least two distinct carrier frequencies f₁, f₂, f₃ . . . respectively towards a space of interest; and

at least one receiving unit tuned to a frequency of nf₁+mf₂+qf₃ . . . , wherein n, m, q . . . being integers not equal to zero, for receiving a non-linear response of said radiation from objects located within the said space of interest;

characterized in that each of said transmitted pulses is a narrow pulse having duration in the range of between 1 nanosecond and 100 nanoseconds, enveloping respectively one of said carrier frequencies.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the following condition n≠

1, m≠

1, and q≠

1 . . . also applies.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the following condition n≠

−

1, m≠

−

1, q≠

−

1 . . . also applies.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the receiving unit is tuned to receive at least two frequencies n₁f₁+m₁f₂+q₁f₃ . . . , and n₂f₁+m₂f₂+q₂f₃ . . . , wherein n₁, m₁, q₁ . . . , n₂, m₂, q₂ . . . , are integers and at least n₁≠

n₂ or m₁≠

m₂.

5. A system according to claim 1, further comprising evaluating means for evaluating the relative intensity of a response from an object in said received frequencies, and for classifying accordingly the type of the object.

6. A system according to claim 1, comprising two transmitters for simultaneously and in synchronization transmitting electromagnetic radiation pulses in two distinct frequencies f₁, f₂ towards a space of interest, and one receiving unit for receiving at a frequency of n₁f₁+m₁f₂, n, m, being integers not equal to zero.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein each transmitting unit comprises a transmitter and a transmitting antenna, and each receiving unit comprises a receiver and a receiving antenna.

8. A system according to claim 1 wherein the at least two antennas of the transmitting units and the at least one antenna of the receiving unit are mounted on a same carrier, and all said antennas are directed in a synchronized manner to simultaneously scan essentially a same space of interest.

9. A system according to claim 1 wherein the transmissions from the transmitting antennas are orthogonally polarized one with respect to the other, for eliminating the production of parasitic signal components at the frequency to which the receiving unit is tuned.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein said orthogonal polarization is used for eliminating transmission of signals at the frequency of the receiving unit from any of the transmitting units.

11. A system according to claim 9, wherein the orthogonal polarization is performed by means of a polarizing component located between one of the transmitters and its corresponding antenna.

12. A system according to claim 1 wherein the antennas of the transmitting units and of the at least one receiving unit are all mounted on a same antenna pedestal, to be directed simultaneously to a same direction.

13. A system according to claim 1 wherein a multi-beam antenna is used at the receiving unit for improving the direction resolution.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted frequencies f₁, f₂, f₃ . . . are in the microwave frequency range.

15. A radar method for detecting man-made objects within a space of interest, comprising the steps of:

simultaneously transmitting from a first transmitting unit and from a second transmitting unit, and optionally from more transmitting units electromagnetic radiation pulses in carrier frequencies of f₁, f₂, f₃ . . . respectively towards a space of interest;

receiving by a receiving unit non-linear reflections from objects in said space of interest in a frequency of nf₁+mf₂+qf₃ . . . wherein n, m, q . . . are integers not equal to zero;

characterized in that each of said transmitted pulses is a narrow pulse having duration in the range of between 1 nanosecond and 100 nanoseconds, enveloping respectively one of said carrier frequencies.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the following condition n≠

1, m≠

1, q≠

1 . . . also applies.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the following condition n≠

−

1, m≠

−

1, q≠

−

1 also applies.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein the receiving unit is tuned to receive at least two frequencies n₁f₁+m₁f₂+q₁f₃ . . . , and n₂f₁+m₂f₂ q₂f₃ . . . , wherein n₁, m₁, q₁ . . . , n₂, m₂, q₂ . . . , are integers and at least n₁≠

n₂ or m₁≠

m₂.

19. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

a. carrying out repeated experiments by the method according to claim 15, for determining a typical response for each of various types of objects, while using transmitted frequencies f₁, f₂, f₃ . . . in each transmission unit respectively;

b. for each object type, recording in a database its typical received response to said transmitted frequencies; and

c. when receiving a response from a real object whose type is unknown to a simultaneous transmission while using same transmitted frequencies, correlating the response as received with each of said typical records in the database, to find the type having most similarity, and classifying the object type accordingly.

20. A method according to claim 15 wherein the electromagnetic radiation is transmitted in pulses.

21. A method according to claim 15 wherein a receiving gate is provided at the receiver for enabling reception during the expected time of receipt of a response from an object, and disabling receipt in all other times.

22. A method according to claim 20, wherein the pulses are short duration pulses, obtained by means of compression.

23. A method according to claim 15, wherein the transmitted frequencies are varied continuously, and the receiving frequency being also varied respectively to follow the said variation of said transmitted frequencies.

24. A method according to claim 15, further comprising masking the leakage of signal components in the frequency transmitted from any transmitting unit to the other transmitting units.

25. A method according to claim 15, further comprising the providing to the receiving unit an indication regarding the time of the simultaneous transmission by the transmitting units, for using it for determining the location of the object.