Time domain radio transmission system

• US 20050242983A1
• Filed: 07/06/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1988
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Inventors: Fullerton, Larry W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,030,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 13/888 through wall detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/2926 by integration
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/12 operating with electromagnetic waves operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005

Abstract

A time domain communications system wherein a broadband of time-spaced signals, essentially monocycle-like signals, are derived from applying stepped-in-amplitude signals to a broadband antenna, in this case, a reverse bicone antenna. When received, the thus transmitted signals are multiplied by a D.C. replica of each transmitted signal, and thereafter, they are, successively, short time and long time integrated to achieve detection.

Claims

1. A method for indicating presence of an object through a physical barrier, comprising:

transmitting at least one wideband energy burst, said at least one wideband energy burst reflecting off said object and producing at least one return signal; and

receiving said at least one return signal to indicate presence of said object, at least one of said transmitting of said at least one wideband energy burst or said receiving of said at least one return signal being through said physical barrier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting and receiving occur at different locations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving occurs at a plurality of locations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one wideband energy burst comprises at least one of radio frequency energy or sonic energy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving and transmitting uses one or more antennas.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of said one or more antennas comprises one or more directional antennas, one or more omni-directional antennas or an antenna array.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said antenna array comprises antennas generally arranged in parallel rows and parallel columns, said parallel rows being generally perpendicular to said parallel columns.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving comprises beam steering.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving occurs at one or more selected time delays after transmitting, wherein said one or more selected time delays correspond to one or more selected object ranges.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said one or more selected time delays are one of sequentially incremented or sequentially decremented, and wherein said one or more time delays correspond to a scan of selected ranges.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said scan of selected ranges is compared to a later occurring scan of selected ranges to determine at least one characteristic of said object.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one characteristic comprises at least one of motion characteristic, a position characteristic, a size characteristic, or a reflectivity characteristic.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising differentiating between broad boundary objects and sharp boundary objects.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the position of said object in one of two-dimensional coordinates or three-dimensional coordinates.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering said received signal return signal to sense velocity of movement of said object.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising coherently detecting and integrating the return signal.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said physical barrier comprises a wall.

18. A radar system for indicating presence of an object through a physical barrier, comprising:

at least one transmitter for transmitting at least one wideband energy burst, said at least one wideband energy burst reflecting off said object and producing at least one return signal; and

at least one receiver for receiving said at least one return signal to indicate presence of said object, at least one of said transmitting of said at least one wideband energy burst or said receiving of said at least one return signal being through said physical barrier.

19. The radar system of claim 18, wherein said at least one transmitter and said at least one receiver are at different locations.

20. The radar system of claim 18, wherein said at least one wideband energy burst comprises at least one of radio frequency energy or sonic energy.

21. The radar system of claim 18, wherein said at least one receiver and said at least one transmitter comprise one or more antennas.

22. The radar system of claim 21, wherein at least one of said one or more antennas comprises one or more directional antennas, one or more omni-directional antennas or an antenna array.

23. The radar system of claim 22, wherein said antenna array comprises antennas generally arranged in parallel rows and parallel columns, said parallel rows being generally perpendicular to said parallel columns.

24. The radar system of claim 18, further comprising a display for displaying the position of said object in one of two-dimensional coordinates or three-dimensional coordinates.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising a filter for filtering said received signal return signal to sense velocity of movement of said object.