Integrated digital active phased array antenna and wingtip collision avoidance system
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsDavid C. Vacanti, Nigel Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A radar system to detect and track objects in three dimensions. The radar system including antennae, transmit, receive and processing electronics is all in a small, lightweight, low-cost, highly integrated package. The radar system uses a wide azimuth, narrow elevation radar pattern to detect objects and a Wi-Fi radio to communicate to one or more receiving and display units. One application may include mounting the radar system in an existing radome on an aircraft to detect and avoid objects during ground operations. Objects may include other moving aircraft, ground vehicles, buildings or other structures that may be in the area. The system may transmit information to both pilot and ground crew.
Claims18
An integrated radar antenna, the integrated radar antenna comprising a multi-layer circuit board, the multi-layer circuit board comprising:
- a radar transmit antenna;
- a radar receive antenna;
- radar transmitter electronics in signal communication with the radar transmit antenna, wherein the radar transmitter electronics:
- comprise an oscillator circuit configured to generate radar signals;
- are on a layer of the multi-layer circuit board different from the radar transmit antenna and the radar receive antenna, and
- in conjunction with the radar transmit antenna, are configured to output the generated radar signals comprising a fixed transmitted radar pattern, wherein the illuminated transmit area of the fixed transmitted radar pattern is narrower in elevation compared to the width in azimuth;
- and
- radar receiver electronics in signal communication with the radar receive antenna, wherein the radar receiver electronics are configured to:
- receive from the radar receive antenna radar reflections corresponding to the outputted radar signals;
- down convert the received radar reflections to an intermediate frequency in an ultrasonic frequency range based on the generated radar signals from the oscillator;
- perform signal processing on the down converted, received radar reflections in the ultrasonic frequency range, wherein the signal processing comprises digital beam forming circuitry configured to electronically scan receive beams that search within the illuminated transmit area;
- and
- one or more processors configured to generate a notification of target detection information based on the radar reflections.
A vehicle including an obstacle detection system, the system comprising an integrated radar antenna, the integrated radar antenna comprising a multi-layer circuit board, the multi-layer circuit board comprising:
- a radar transmit antenna;
- a radar receive antenna;
- and
- radar transmitter electronics in signal communication with the radar transmit antenna, wherein the radar transmitter electronics:
- comprise an oscillator circuit configured to generate radar signals;
- are on a layer of the multi-layer circuit board different from the radar transmit antenna and the radar receive antenna, and
- in conjunction with the radar transmit antenna, are configured to output the generated radar signals comprising a fixed transmitted radar pattern, wherein the illuminated transmit area of the fixed transmitted radar pattern is narrower in elevation compared to the width in azimuth;
- and
- radar receiver electronics in signal communication with the radar receive antenna, wherein the radar receiver electronics are configured to;
- receive from the radar receive antenna radar reflections corresponding to the outputted radar signals;
- down convert the received radar reflections to an intermediate frequency in an ultrasonic frequency range and to perform signal processing on the down converted, received radar reflections in the ultrasonic frequency range, wherein the signal processing comprises digital beam forming circuitry configured to electronically scanned receive beams that search within the illuminated transmit area;
- and
- one or more processors configured to generate a notification of target detection information based on the radar reflections.
An obstacle detection system comprising:
- external communications circuitry configured to communicate over a wireless local area network (WLAN) datalink;
- and
- an integrated radar antenna, the integrated radar antenna comprising a multi-layer circuit board, the multi-layer circuit board comprising:
- a radar transmit antenna;
- a radar receive antenna;
- radar transmitter electronics in signal communication with the radar transmit antenna, wherein the radar transmitter electronics:
- comprise an oscillator circuit configured to generate radar signals;
- are on a layer of the multi-layer circuit board different from the radar transmit antenna and the radar receive antenna, and
- in conjunction with the radar transmit antenna, are configured to output radar signals comprising a fixed transmitted radar pattern, wherein the illuminated transmit area of the fixed transmitted radar pattern is narrower in elevation compared to the width in azimuth;
- and
- radar receiver electronics in signal communication with radar receive antenna, wherein the radar receiver electronics are configured to:
- receive from the radar receive antenna radar reflections corresponding to the outputted radar signals;
- down convert the received radar reflections to an intermediate frequency in an ultrasonic frequency range;
- perform signal processing on the down converted, received radar reflections in the ultrasonic frequency range, wherein the signal processing comprises digital beam forming circuitry configured to electronically scanned receive beams that search within the illuminated transmit area;
- and
- one or more processors configured to generate a notification of target detection information based on the radar reflections using the external communication circuitry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.