Virtual beam forming in ultra wideband systems

• US 8,237,604 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiaLinx, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TiaLinx, Inc.
• Inventors: Mohamadi, Farrokh, Zolghadri, Mohsen
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): BYTHROW, PETER M
• Application Number:
  US12/718,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20100225520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 342/22, 342/175, 342/200
• US Class Current: 342/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/0209 Systems with very large relative bandwidth, i.e. larger than 10 %, e.g. baseband, pulse, carrier-free, ultrawideband
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/0254 Active array antenna
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/032 Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/282 Transmitters

Abstract

Systems and methods include up-converting a UWB frequency pulse from a UWB radar unit to a V band frequency pulse; transmitting the V band frequency pulse via an active array antenna; receiving a V band echo pulse via the active array antenna; down-converting the V band echo pulse from the active array antenna to a UWB pulse; and feeding the UWB pulse to the UWB radar unit for processing by the UWB radar unit. A V band antenna system includes: an antenna board that defines an antenna plane being the plane of the board and comprising a plurality of antenna elements; a mother board providing a corporate combining feed to the antenna board; and a power management board to which the antenna board and mother board are mounted perpendicularly to the antenna plane, wherein the antenna elements provide a beam forming antenna for ultra wide band pulses at V band frequencies.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a radar unit having a center frequency in the UWB (ultra wide band) radar band;

a transmit module connected to a radar impulse output of the UWB radar unit, wherein the transmit module produces V band frequencies that are up-converted from the radar impulse output from the radar unit;

an active array antenna connected to the transmit module;

a receive module connected to the active array antenna, wherein;

the receive module produces UWB frequencies that are down-converted from the V band input from the active array antenna; and

a receive input of the UWB radar unit is connected to the receive module; and

a band pass filter, wherein;

the band pass filter is connected between the transmit module and the active array antenna;

the transmit module includes a heterodyne converter using a local oscillator at about 61 GHz that up-converts a UWB frequency band centered at 5 GHz to produce frequency sidebands centered approximately at 56 GHz and 66 GHz;

the band pass filter selects a 56 GHz sideband of the up-converted frequencies and passes a band at approximately 53 GHz to 59 GHz to the active array antenna.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the active array antenna provides beam forming and directionality for V band radiation emitted and received by the active array antenna.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the active array antenna is sized for V band radar frequencies.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the active array antenna is less than 2.0 inches wide.

5. A method comprising:

up-converting a UWB frequency pulse from a UWB radar unit to a V band frequency pulse;

transmitting the V band frequency pulse via an active array antenna;

receiving a V band echo pulse via the active array antenna;

down-converting the V band echo pulse from the active array antenna to a UWB pulse;

feeding the UWB pulse to the UWB radar unit for processing by the UWB radar unit;

mixing the UWB pulse with a local oscillator frequency of about 61 GHz in a super-heterodyne converter to up-convert a UWB frequency band centered at 5 GHz to produce frequency sidebands centered approximately at 56 GHz and 66 GHz;

filtering the up-converted pulse to select a 56 GHz sideband of the up-converted frequencies; and

passing an ultra-wideband pulse at approximately 53 GHz to 59 GHz to the active array antenna.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

using the active array antenna to provide beam forming and directionality for V band radiation emitted and received by the active array antenna.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the active array antenna is sized for frequencies in the range of 50-75 GHz.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the active array antenna is less than 2.0 inches wide.

9. A device comprising:

an antenna board that defines an antenna plane being the plane of the board and comprising a plurality of antenna elements;

a mother board providing a corporate combining feed to the antenna board; and

a power management board to which the antenna board and mother board are mounted perpendicularly to the antenna plane, wherein;

the antenna elements provide a beam forming antenna for ultra wide band pulses at V band frequencies,

the plurality of antenna elements forms an antenna array; and

the maximum dimension of the antenna array is less than 2 inches.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising a reflector mounted perpendicularly to the power management board and parallel to the antenna plane.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the device transmits and receives V band radar pulses.