Radar system for aircraft

• US 8,184,037 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Original Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Inventors: Huizing, Albert Gezinus, Van Gent, Ronald Nikola Huib Willem
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B
• Application Number:
  US11/921,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20090174590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,183 Days
• Field of Search: 342 29- 39, 342/196
• US Class Current: 342/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/34 using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/426 Scanning radar, e.g. 3D radar G01S13/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/52 Discriminating between fixed and moving objects or between objects moving at different speeds
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/536 using transmission of continuous unmodulated waves, amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/56 for presence detection presence detection using near field arrangements G01V3/00, e.g. G01V3/08, G01V3/12; burglar, theft or intruder alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22 - G08B13/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/584 adapted for simultaneous range and velocity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/72 for two-dimensional tracking, e.g. combination of angle and range tracking, track-while-scan radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/0245 Radar with phased array antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/20 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a curvilinear path slotted waveguide arrays H01Q21/005; circularly or helically slotted waveguides H01Q21/0062

Abstract

Radar system for providing an aircraft with a facility for in use at least detecting another aircraft in at least one monitorable zone within a region surrounding of that aircraft, wherein the system comprises for each monitorable zone at least one subsystem comprising one transmitter for sending an electro-magnetic probe signal and at least one receiver for receiving a reflection of that probe signal, wherein the transmitter is arranged to send the probe signal in a direction that is static with respect to that aircraft.

Claims

1. A radar subsystem for an aircraft for detecting another airborne object within a region surrounding the aircraft, the subsystem comprising:

at least one transmitter for transmitting an electromagnetic probe signal;

a phased array of receivers for simultaneously receiving reflections of the probe signal transmitted by the at least one transmitter and for generating receiving signals which each represent a received reflection of the probe signal; and

a signal processing unit for processing each of the receiving signals, the signal processing unit operatively coupled to the phased array of receivers for obtaining information about a detected airborne object within the region surrounding the aircraft, the probe signal configured to cover a zone of interest, the zone of interest being static with respect to the aircraft, the information about the detected airborne object including whether the an airborne object is in the zone of interest, the signal processing unit configured to determine a direction relative to the aircraft, from which the received reflection originates, while the receivers and/or the signal processing unit refrain from scanning the zone of interest so that the zone of interest is observed as a whole, the signal processing unit configured to perform a Fast Fourier Transform on the receiving signals for forming digital multiple beams, wherein in a first mode the probe signal having a constant frequency and in a second mode the probe signal having a Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave.

2. The radar subsystem according to claim 1, wherein the probe signal is configured to continuously cover the zone of interest.

3. The radar subsystem according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is configured to determine the direction irrespective of the position of the detected airborne object within the zone of interest for observing the zone of interest as a whole.

4. The radar subsystem according to claim 1, wherein the digital multiple beams are used for determining the direction relative to the aircraft, from which the received reflection originates.

5. The radar subsystem according to claim 1, wherein a direction of the probe signal is static relative to the aircraft.

6. The radar subsystem according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is configured to detect a direction of the detected airborne object relative to the aircraft in at least one dimension.

7. The radar subsystem according to claim 6, wherein the signal processing unit is configured to detect a direction of the detected airborne device relative to the aircraft in at least two dimensions.

8. The radar subsystem according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is configured to determine a position of the detected airborne object relative to the aircraft.

9. The radar subsystem according to claim 8, wherein the Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave comprises a frequency pattern which repeats itself in time.

10. An aircraft, provided with a radar subsystem according to claim 1.

11. The radar subsystem according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is configured to determine a velocity of the detected airborne object relative to the aircraft on the basis of doppler information in the reflections of the probe signal.

12. The radar subsystem according to claim 1, wherein the at least one transmitter includes a solid state transmitter.

13. The radar subsystem according to claim 1, wherein each receiver includes a single-chip receiver.

14. The radar subsystem according to claim 1, wherein if in the first mode the airborne object is detected, the airborne object is further detected in the second mode.

15. The radar subsystem according to claim 14, wherein if in the first mode an airborne object is detected which approaches the aircraft, the probe signal changes from the first mode to the second mode.

16. The radar subsystem according to claim 14, wherein the Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave comprises a frequency pattern which repeats itself in time.

17. The radar subsystem according to claim 1, wherein the Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave comprises a frequency pattern which repeats itself in time.

18. The radar subsystem according to claim 1, wherein the zone of interest includes at least one of a first zone in front of the aircraft and at least a second zone that is either behind the aircraft, above the aircraft, or below the aircraft.