Device for warning of radar traps

• US 9,255,987 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Patrick Dijkstra, Tom Marnix Alexander De Wilde
• Original Assignee: Tom Marnix Alexander De Wilde
• Inventors: de Wilde, Tom Marnix Alexander, Dijkstra, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B
• Application Number:
  US13/683,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20130293407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 342/20
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/886 for alarm systems alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/022 Road traffic radar detectors

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for warning of radar traps or speed radar signals, comprising a radar detection antenna, a central processing unit, which is connected to the radar detection antenna, an alert device or unit, which is connected to the central processing unit and which is designed for delivering an alarm, wherein the central processing unit is designed for determining at least one characteristic of the signal received by the radar detection antenna and for causing the alert device to deliver an alarm or suppress the delivery of an alarm in dependence on least one determined characteristic.

Claims

1. A radar detector device for alerting a user of a speed radar signal, the device comprising:

a radar detection antenna unit, wherein the antenna unit is enabled to receive at least one speed radar signal;

a memory unit, wherein the memory unit stores at least one known radar signal characteristic;

wherein the at least one known radar signal characteristic is comprised of at least one of;

the structure of the amplitude of the signal over a predetermined distance;

the modulation frequency of an amplitude modulation on the signal;

the modulation depth of an amplitude modulation on the signal;

the modulation frequency of a frequency modulation on the signal;

the frequency sweep of a frequency modulation on the signal;

the phase of a phase modulation on the signal;

the modulation frequency of a phase modulation on the signal;

the duty cycle of a pulse modulation on the signal;

the modulation frequency of a pulse modulation on the signal;

the frequency stability of the signal;

or the phase noise of the signal;

an alert unit for alerting the user of the presence of a speed radar signal; and

a central processing unit, coupled with the memory unit, the alarm unit and the antenna unit, wherein the central processing unit compares the at least one signal characteristic of the at least one speed radar signal received by the antenna unit with the at least one known radar signal characteristic stored in memory; and

activates the alert unit when there is a signal characteristic match.

2. The radar detector of claim 1, further comprising software associated with the central processing unit, wherein the software includes an algorithm used for comparing the at least one signal characteristic of the at least one speed radar signal received by the antenna unit with the at least one known radar signal characteristic stored in memory.

3. The radar detector of claim 1, further comprising software associated with the central processing unit, wherein the software includes a fuzzy logic algorithm used for comparing the at least one signal characteristic of the at least one speed radar signal received by the antenna unit with the at least one known radar signal characteristic stored in memory.

4. The radar detector of claim 1, further comprising a signal profile value database containing at least one signal profile value, wherein a measured value is allocated to each of the determined characteristics, wherein the measured values are each multiplied by a characteristic specific weighting factor to obtain weighted characteristic values, whereupon the weighted characteristic values are added to obtain a signal profile value which is stored in the signal profile value database.

5. The radar detector of claim 1, further comprising a signal profile threshold value database containing at least one signal profile threshold value wherein a signal profile value of a received signal is determined and compared to at least one threshold value by the central processing unit and depending on the comparison controls the alarm unit.

6. The radar detector of claim 5, further comprising a user interface for adjusting the signal profile threshold value.

7. The radar detector of claim 1, further comprising an input unit for receiving the input from a user which controls the alarm upon detection of a radar signal.

8. The radar detector according to claim 2, further comprising an input unit for receiving input to alter the one or more of the characteristic specific weighting factors to change the algorithm.

9. A radar detector for generating an alert in response to a speed radar signal comprising:

a radar detection antenna for receiving a signal;

an alert unit for alerting the user of the presence of a speed radar signal;

a memory unit for storing at least one database containing a plurality of known radar signal profiles;

wherein the plurality of known radar signal profiles is determined from at least one radar signal characteristic from the following;

the structure of the amplitude of the signal over a predetermined distance;

the modulation frequency of an amplitude modulation on the signal;

the modulation depth of an amplitude modulation on the signal;

the modulation frequency of a frequency modulation on the signal;

the frequency sweep of a frequency modulation on the signal;

the phase of a phase modulation on the signal;

the modulation frequency of a phase modulation on the signal;

the duty cycle of a pulse modulation on the signal;

the modulation frequency of a pulse modulation on the signal;

the frequency stability of the signal;

or the phase noise of the signal;

a central processing unit connected to the antenna, the alert unit, and the memory unit, wherein the central processing unit determines at least one characteristic of the received signal and generates a profile of the received signal based upon the at least one determined characteristic, wherein the signal profile is compared to known profiles in the at least one database and based upon the comparison controls the delivery of an alarm to the alert unit.

10. A method of controlling an alert signal, by a device, upon receiving a speed radar signal, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting the incoming speed radar signal;

determining at least one characteristic of the speed radar signal;

wherein the at least one radar signal characteristic is comprised of one of the following;

the structure of the amplitude of the signal over a predetermined distance;

the modulation frequency of an amplitude modulation on the signal;

the modulation depth of an amplitude modulation on the signal;

the modulation frequency of a frequency modulation on the signal;

the frequency sweep of a frequency modulation on the signal;

the phase of a phase modulation on the signal;

the modulation frequency of a phase modulation on the signal;

the duty cycle of a pulse modulation on the signal;

the modulation frequency of a pulse modulation on the signal;

the frequency stability of the signal;

or the phase noise of the signal;

generating a profile of the speed radar signal based upon the at least one characteristic;

comparing the profile to one or more known profiles;

controlling an alert signal based upon the results of the comparison.

11. A radar detector for generating an alert in response to a speed radar signal comprising:

a radar detection antenna for receiving a signal;

an alert unit for alerting the user of the presence of a speed radar signal;

a memory unit for storing at least one database;

a memory unit for storing at least one database containing a plurality of known radar signal characteristic threshold values;

wherein the plurality of known radar signal threshold values is associated with at least one of the following;

the structure of the amplitude of the signal over a predetermined distance;

the modulation frequency of an amplitude modulation on the signal;

the modulation depth of an amplitude modulation on the signal;

the modulation frequency of a frequency modulation on the signal;

the frequency sweep of a frequency modulation on the signal;

the phase of a phase modulation on the signal;

the modulation frequency of a phase modulation on the signal;

the duty cycle of a pulse modulation on the signal;

the modulation frequency of a pulse modulation on the signal;

the frequency stability of the signal;

or the phase noise of the signal;

a central processing unit connected to the antenna, the alert unit, and the memory unit, wherein the central processing unit determines at least one characteristic of the received signal and generates a signal profile value of the signal based upon the at least one determined characteristic, wherein the signal profile value is compared to a threshold value and based upon the comparison controls the delivery of an alarm signal to the alert unit.

12. A method of controlling an alert signal, by a device, upon receiving a speed radar signal, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting the incoming speed radar signal;

determining at least one characteristic of the speed radar signal;

wherein the at least one characteristic is one of the following;

the structure of the amplitude of the signal over a predetermined distance;

the modulation frequency of an amplitude modulation on the signal;

the modulation depth of an amplitude modulation on the signal;

the modulation frequency of a frequency modulation on the signal;

the frequency sweep of a frequency modulation on the signal;

the phase of a phase modulation on the signal;

the modulation frequency of a phase modulation on the signal;

the duty cycle of a pulse modulation on the signal;

the modulation frequency of a pulse modulation on the signal;

the frequency stability of the signal;

or the phase noise of the signal;

generating a signal profile value of the speed radar signal based upon the at least one characteristic;

comparing the signal profile value to a threshold value;

controlling an alert signal based upon the comparison.