Radar system for obstacle avoidance

• US 7,868,817 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Shih, Yi-Chi, Bui, Long, Meyers, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bythrow; Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/245,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20100085235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 342/61, 342 63- 65, 342/75, 342/76, 342/118, 342/123, 342/127
• US Class Current: 342/123
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/4454 phase comparisons monopulse, i.e. comparing the echo signals received by an interferometric antenna arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/02 providing sum and difference patterns H01Q25/04 takes precedence

Abstract

A radar system comprises a transmitter antenna configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal, a first receiver antenna, and a second receiver antenna. Each of the first and second receiver antennas are configured to receive a reflection of the RF signal, wherein the first and second receiver antennas are synchronized and separated by a vertical distance. The radar system also comprises radar processing circuitry configured to control transmission of the RF signal from the transmitter antenna and to determine an elevation of an object reflecting the RF signal based on the phase difference between the reflected RF signal received by the first receiver antenna and the reflected RF signal received by the second receiver antenna; wherein the transmit antenna, first receiver antenna, and second receiver antenna are operable to continuously rotate 360 degrees along an azimuth angle without rotating along an elevation angle.

Claims

1. A radar system comprising:

a transmitter antenna configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal;

a first receiver antenna coupled to a first receiver;

a second receiver antenna coupled to a second receiver;

each of the first and second receiver antennas configured to receive a reflection of the RF signal, wherein the first and second receiver antennas are synchronized and separated by a vertical distance; and

radar processing circuitry coupled to the first receiver antenna and the second receiver antenna via the first receiver and the second receiver, respectively, the radar processing circuitry configured to control transmission of the RF signal from the transmitter antenna and to determine an elevation of an object reflecting the RF signal based on the vertical distance separating the first receiver antenna from the second receiver antenna and on a phase difference between the reflected RF signal received by the first receiver antenna and the reflected RF signal received by the second receiver antenna;

wherein the transmit antenna, first receiver antenna, and second receiver antenna are operable to continuously rotate up to 360 degrees along an azimuth angle without rotating along an elevation angle.

2. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the radar processing circuitry is further configured to electronically select a region of radar data for display on a display element.

3. The radar system of claim 2, wherein the display element is coupled to the radar processing circuitry via a wireless connection.

4. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the first and second receiver antennas comprise horn antennas.

5. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter antenna, the first receiver antenna and the second receiver antenna are operable to use RF signals in the millimeter wave range.

6. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) RF signal.

19. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the radar processing circuitry is configured to determine the elevation of an object reflecting the RF signal based on a corresponding elevation angle, wherein the radar processing circuitry is configured to calculate the corresponding elevation angle based on the vertical distance separating the first receiver antenna from the second receiver antenna;

the phase difference between the reflected RF signal received by the first receiver antenna and the reflected RF signal received by the second receiver antenna; and

a wavelength of the RF signal.

7. An unmanned vehicle system comprising:

an unmanned vehicle, wherein the unmanned vehicle comprises;

at least one actuator operable to adjust motion of an unmanned vehicle;

a radar system operable to detect the presence of objects near the unmanned vehicle; and

a navigation system coupled to the at least one actuator and the radar system, wherein the navigation system is operable to provide control signals to the at least one actuator to adjust the motion of the unmanned vehicle;

wherein the radar system comprises;

a transmitter antenna operable to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal;

a first receiver antenna coupled to a first receiver;

a second receiver antenna coupled to a second receiver, each of the first and second receiver antennas operable to receive a reflection of the RF signal, wherein the first and second receiver antennas are synchronized and separated by a vertical distance; and

radar processing circuitry coupled to the first receiver antenna and the second receiver antenna via the first receiver and the second receiver, respectively, the radar processing circuitry configured to control transmission of the RF signal from the transmitter and to determine the elevation of an object reflecting the RF signal based on the vertical distance separating the first receiver antenna from the second receiver antenna and on a phase difference between the reflected RF signal received by the first receiver antenna and the reflected RF signal received by the second receiver antenna;

wherein the transmitter antenna, first receiver antenna, and second receiver antenna are operable to continuously rotate up to 360 degrees along an azimuth angle without rotating along an elevation angle.

8. The unmanned vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the unmanned vehicle is one of an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, and an unmanned lunar lander.

9. The unmanned vehicle system of claim 7, further comprising a ground control station, the ground control station including a display element coupled to the radar system, wherein the radar processing circuitry is further configured to electronically select a region of radar data for display on the display element.

10. The unmanned vehicle system of claim 9, wherein the ground control station further comprising a user input device operable to provide input to at least one of the radar system and the navigation system.

11. The unmanned vehicle system of claim 9, wherein the display element is coupled to the radar processing circuitry via a wireless connection.

12. The unmanned vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the first and second receiver antennas comprise horn antennas.

13. The unmanned vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the transmitter antenna, the first receiver antenna and the second receiver antenna are operable to use signals in the millimeter wave range.

14. The unmanned vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the transmitter antenna is operable to transmit a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) RF signal.

20. The unmanned vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the radar processing circuitry is configured to determine the elevation of an object reflecting the RF signal based on a corresponding elevation angle, wherein the radar processing circuitry is configured to calculate the corresponding elevation angle based on the vertical distance separating the first receiver antenna from the second receiver antenna;

the phase difference between the reflected RF signal received by the first receiver antenna and the reflected RF signal received by the second receiver antenna; and

a wavelength of the RF signal.

15. A method of detecting obstacles with a radar system, the method comprising:

continuously rotating a transmitter antenna 360 degrees along an azimuth angle without rotating the transmitter antenna along an elevation angle, the transmitter configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal;

continuously rotating two receiver antennas 360 degrees along the azimuth angle without rotating the two receiver antennas along the elevation angle, each receiver configured to receive a reflection of the transmitted RF signal, wherein the two receiver antennas are separated by a vertical distance;

measuring the phase difference between a reflected signal received by one of the two receivers and a reflected signal received substantially simultaneously by the other receiver; and

determining the elevation angle of an object which reflected the RF signals based on the measured phase difference.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

selecting a region; and

displaying radar data corresponding to the selected region.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein selecting the region comprises selecting the region manually with a user input device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein selecting the region comprises selecting the region automatically.