Mobile millimeter wave imaging radar system

• US 7,782,251 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Trex Aviation Corporation
• Original Assignee: Trex Enterprises Corporation
• Inventors: Lovberg, John, Bishop, Grant, Kolinko, Vladimar
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor; John B
• Application Number:
  US12/286,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20090135051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 342/22, 342/27, 342/179, 342100-103
• US Class Current: 342/179
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/345 using triangular modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/426 Scanning radar, e.g. 3D radar G01S13/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/916 Airport surface monitoring [ASDE]
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/175 arrayed along the focal line of a cylindrical focusing surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0043 Slotted waveguides combination with horns H01Q13/0233

Abstract

A short range millimeter wave imaging radar system. The system includes electronics adapted to produce millimeter wave radiation scanned over a frequency range of a few gigahertz. The scanned millimeter wave radiation is broadcast through a frequency scanned transmit antenna to produce a narrow transmit beam in a first scanned direction (such as the vertical direction) corresponding to the scanned millimeter wave frequencies. The transmit antenna is scanned to transmit beam in a second direction perpendicular to the first scanned direction (such as the horizontal or the azimuthal direction) so as to define a two-dimensional field of view. Reflected millimeter wave radiation is collected in a receive frequency scanned antenna co-located (or approximately co-located) with the transmit antenna and adapted to produce a narrow receive beam approximately co-directed in the same directions as the transmitted beam in approximately the same field of view. Computer processor equipment compares the intensity of the receive millimeter radar signals for a pre-determined set of ranges and known directions of the transmit and receive beams as a function of time to produce a radar image of at least a desired portion of the field of view. In preferred embodiment the invention is mounted on a truck and adapted as a FOD finder system to detect and locate FOD on airport surfaces.

Claims

1. A short range mobile millimeter wave imaging radar system comprising:

A) a vehicle,

B) a frequency scanned millimeter wave imaging radar system mounted on the vehicle, said radar system adapted to detect a plurality of targets located on a relatively flat surface such as airport runways comprising;

a) electronics adapted to produce millimeter wave radiation continuously scanned over a frequency range of a few gigahertz in the frequency range between 60 GHz and 100 GHz,

b) a frequency scanned transmit antenna adapted;

i) to produce a narrow scanned transmit beam in a first scanned direction defining a narrow approximately one dimensional electronically scanned field of view corresponding to the scanned millimeter wave frequencies, and

ii) to be mechanically pivoted or scanned in a second direction perpendicular to the first scanned direction so as to define a two-dimensional field of view,

c) a frequency scanned receive antenna co-located or approximately co-located with said transmit antenna and adapted to produce a narrow scanned receive beam in a first scanned direction defining a narrow approximately one dimensional electronically scanned field of view approximately co-directed in the same directions as the transmitted beam in approximately the same one dimensional and two dimensional fields of view as the transmit antenna,

d) electronics adapted to detect millimeter wave radiation collected by the frequency scanned receive antenna,

e) a display monitor and

f) computer processor equipment adapted determine location of the targets based on millimeter wave radiation reflected from the targets in the two dimensional fields of view and collected by said receive antenna and to display the location of the targets on the display monitor in a map format.

2. The imaging radar system as in claim 1 wherein said system is adapted to image foreign object debris (FOD) FOD on airport surfaces.

3. The imaging radar system as in claim 2 wherein said system is adapted to image FOD on airport runways.

4. The imaging radar system as in claim 1 wherein said first scanned direction is a vertical direction and said second scanned direction is an azimuthal direction.

5. The imaging radar system as in claim 1 wherein each of said transmit antenna and said receive antenna comprises a slotted antenna and a elliptical cylinder reflector and is adapted to operate in a operating frequency range chosen from a millimeter wave frequency between 60 GHZ and 100 GHz.

6. The imaging radar system as in claim 5 wherein the operating frequency range includes a frequency range of 78 GHz to 81 GHz.

7. The imaging radar system as in claim 1 wherein said electronics includes;

A) a phase-locked oscillator operating at a pre-selected narrow band micro-wave frequency,

B) frequency multiplying components for multiplying this pre-selected narrow band microwave frequency to a narrow band millimeter wave frequency,

C) voltage controlled scanning components for generating a voltage controlled scanned frequencies scanning a frequency range of a few gigahertz, and

D) mixing components for mixing said voltage controlled scanned frequencies with said narrow band millimeter wave frequency to produce said millimeter wave radiation scanned over a frequency range of a few gigahertz.

8. The imaging radar system as in claim 1 and further comprising a radio system adapted for communication with the Internet.

9. The imaging radar system as in claim 1 wherein said computer processor equipment comprises:

A) a display monitor adapted to display satellite surface maps of a surface area including the two-dimensional field of view in front of the vehicle

B) GPS/INU components and software for determining the latitude and longitude of positions of targets in the two-dimensional fields of view.

10. The imaging radar system as in claim 2 wherein said computer processor equipment comprises:

A) a display monitor adapted to display satellite surface maps of a surface area including the two-dimensional field of view in front of the vehicle, and

B) GPS/INU components and software for determining the latitude and longitude of positions of FOD targets in the two-dimensional fields of view.