System and method for automatic real time control of the rotational speed of a radar antenna

A method for automatic real time control of rotational speed of a radar antenna, comprising the steps of:

• providing a radar system having a rotating antenna adapted to emit radar waves while rotating three hundred sixty degrees at a first rotational speed, wherein the radar system is electronically connected to a receiving system, wherein the receiving system is adapted to determine a location of an object off which the radar waves emitted from the rotating antenna were reflected;
• receiving an angle input which identifies a real time rotation angle of the rotating antenna from a rotary encoder that is integrated with the rotating antenna;
• identifying at least one target object off which radar waves emitted from the rotating antenna were reflected;
• determining the location of the at least one target object as a function of the rotation angle of the rotating antenna by recognizing the real time rotation angle of the rotating antenna when the at least one target object is identified;
• and
• once the location of the at least one target object is determined as a function of the rotation angle of the rotating antenna, causing the rotating antenna to rotate at least one of:
• a second rotational speed that is faster than the first rotational speed while the radar waves emitted from the rotating antenna are not being emitted in a direction of the at least one target object, and slower than the second rotational speed while radar waves emitted from the rotating antenna are being emitted in the direction of the at least one target object.

A system having automatic real time control of rotational speed of a radar antenna, comprising:

• a radar system having a rotating antenna adapted to emit radar waves while rotating three hundred sixty degrees at a first rotational speed, wherein the radar system is electronically connected to a receiving system, the receiving system being adapted to determine a location of an object off which the radar waves emitted from the rotating antenna were reflected;
• a controller integral with said radar system, wherein said controller is adapted to:
• receive an angle input which identifies a real time rotation angle of the rotating antenna, identify at least one target object off which radar waves emitted from the rotating antenna were reflected, and determine the location of the at least one target object as a function of the rotation angle of the rotating antenna;
• and
• wherein said controller is additionally adapted, once the location of the at least one target object is determined as a function of the rotation angle of the rotating antenna, to cause the rotating antenna to rotate at least one of:
• a second rotational speed that is faster than the first rotational speed while the radar waves emitted from the rotating antenna are not being emitted in a direction of the at least one target object, and slower than the second rotational speed while radar waves emitted from the rotating antenna are being emitted in the direction of the at least one target object.