Communications radar system

• US 7,893,867 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2009
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Navarro, Julio
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brainard; Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US12/363,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20100194640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 342/57
• US Class Current: 342/175
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/0245 Radar with phased array antenna
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/006 using shared front-end circuitry, e.g. antennas G01S13/765, G01S13/825 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/032 Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0025 Modular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays

Abstract

A system for a mobile ad-hoc communications network includes a single antenna aperture and a phased array antenna comprising a plurality of radiators communicating electromagnetically via the single antenna aperture. The system may also include a control circuit communicatively connected to the phased array antenna. The control circuit may include a communications module for transmitting and receiving communication data via the phased array antenna through the single antenna aperture and a radar module for transmitting and receiving radar signals via the phased array antenna through the single antenna aperture.

Claims

1. A system for a mobile ad-hoc communications network, comprising:

a single antenna aperture;

a phased array antenna comprising a plurality of radiators communicating electromagnetically via the single antenna aperture; and

a control circuit communicatively connected to the phased array antenna, comprising;

a communications module for transmitting and receiving communication data via the phased array antenna through the single antenna aperture; and

a radar module for transmitting and receiving radar signals via the phased array antenna through the single antenna aperture.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the single aperture is the only aperture for the phased array antenna.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications module and the radar module are configured to simultaneously transmit and receive signals via the phased array antenna and the single aperture.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the phased array antenna further comprises a wide angle impedance matching (WAIM) layer comprising a layer of dielectric material, wherein the WAIM is connected to the plurality of radiators.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the S-11 and S-22 parameters of each antenna of the plurality of antennas are less than a predetermined dB level over a full operating bandwidth of the communications module and the radar module.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the mobile ad hoc network operates over a frequency bandwidth comprising a first frequency range, a second frequency range and a third frequency range, and wherein a transmit mode of the communications module operates within the first frequency range, a receive mode of the communications module operates within the second frequency range, and the radar module operates within the third frequency range.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the frequency bandwidth of the mobile ad hoc network comprises about 14.4 Ghz to about 17.3 Ghz.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the radiator comprises at least one probe, at least one lead, and at least one centerpin.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein each radiator is formed on a printed wiring board (PWB), the PWB being positioned between a wide angle impedance matching layer and the control circuit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each radiator comprises two probes and a centerpin configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic signals.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications module and the radar module are connected to and are channeled through at least a single VPIN chip.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications module and radar module are communicatively connectable to share data between each other.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the phased array antenna is part of an ad-hoc network.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the phased array antenna comprises:

a structure having a pair of opposed planar surfaces;

a plurality of passages extending between the opposed planar surfaces, wherein the passages are arranged in a predefined pattern or array corresponding to an arrangement of the plurality of radiators;

a dielectric insert formed in each of the plurality of passages to permit propagation of signals through the passage from a respective one of the radiators.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the phased array antenna comprises a plurality of RF modules, wherein each of the plurality of RF modules comprises:

a portion of a honeycomb structure;

a passageway extending through the portion of the honeycomb structure

a waveguide layer disposed on the honeycomb structure, wherein the waveguide layer includes one of the plurality of radiators positioned for transmitting and receiving signals through the passageway extending through the honeycomb structure; and

a printed wiring board to connect the RF module to the control circuit.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is mounted to a vehicle.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the phased array antenna and single antenna aperture define a node in the mobile ad-hoc communications network.

18. A system for communications and radar, comprising:

a common aperture;

a phased array antenna coupled to the single aperture, wherein the phased array antenna comprises;

a wide angle impedance matching (WAIM) layer comprising a dielectric layer;

a radiator layer attached to the WAIM layer and comprising at least one probe and at least one centerpin spaced apart from the at least one probe;

a circuit connected to the radiator layer of phase array antenna to deliver power to the at least one probe and the centerpin, wherein the circuit comprises;

a communications module for transmitting and receiving data via the phased array antenna through the single antenna aperture; and

a radar module for transmitting and receiving radar data via the phased array antenna through the single antenna aperture.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the centerpin comprises a metal cylinder having a predetermined diameter.

20. A method for transmitting and receiving communication and radar signals, comprising:

transmitting and receiving communication signals and radar signals through a single antenna aperture of a phased array antenna;

directing the received radar signals to a radar module for transmitting and receiving radar signals; and

directing the received communications signals to a communications module for transmitting and receiving communications signals.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising directing the transmitted communications signals from the communications module through the single aperture.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the transmitting communication signals comprises transmitting signals having information associated with the received radar signals.