# US 2017/0285137 A1 · Beam sharpening radar system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0285137 A1 - Document ID: US20170285137A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/089,254 - Filed: 2016-04-01 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-01 - Assignees: Rockwell Collins, Inc. - Applicants: Rockwell Collins, Inc. - Inventors: James B. West; Daniel L. Woodell; Richard D. Jinkins; Richard M. Rademaker; Robert D. Pond - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170285137A1 ## CPC - G01S 7/282: Transmitters - H01Q 25/02: providing sum and difference patterns (H01Q25/04 takes precedence) - G01S 13/44: Monopulse radar, i.e. simultaneous lobing - G01S 13/953: {mounted on aircraft} - H01Q 1/281: {Nose antennas} - H01Q 3/36: with variable phase-shifters - Y02A 90/10: Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ## Abstract A radar system, such as a weather radar system, includes a radar antenna and a processor. The processor is configured to cause a first radar beam to be provided using a first portion of the radar antenna. The processor is configured to cause a second radar beam to be provided using a phase adjusted portion of the antenna and a remaining portion of the radar antenna. A radar method and system can allow multiple low-loss overlapping radar beams to be rapidly generated to support a sequential lobing process which may be used to generate intra-beam target angle estimates. The production of these overlapping beams does not require mechanical antenna movement but beam selection is controlled by a simple electronic switch in some embodiments. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of using an airborne radar, the method comprising: providing a first radar beam using a full aperture of an antenna; sampling first returns using the full aperture of the antenna; providing a second radar beam using the full aperture of the antenna, wherein the second radar beam is comprised of a phase adjusted portion provided by a first portion of the radar antenna and a non-phase adjusted portion provided by a second portion of the antenna; and sampling second returns using the full aperture of the antenna. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: combining data associated with the first and second returns; and processing data resulting from combining data associated with the first and second returns to determine an angle to a target. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: differencing data associated with the first and second returns; and processing data resulting from differencing the data to determine an angle to a target. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: determining a difference of the first and second returns; and using an angle to target and the attitude of the antenna to determine an elevation angle to a target. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: detecting weather phenomena using a difference of the first and second returns. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the first portion and the second portion are half apertures. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the phase adjusted portion provides a phase adjustment ranging between 0 and 180 degrees. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the second radar beam is a spoiled beam providing a shift of the beam center. ### Claim 9 A radar system, comprising: an antenna; and a processor coupled with the antenna and configured to cause a first radar beam to be provided using a first portion of the radar antenna, and a second radar beam to be provided using a phase adjusted portion of the antenna and a remaining portion of the radar antenna, the second radar beam has a shifted beam center with respect to the first radar beam. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The radar system of claim 9 wherein the processor is configured to receive first returns associated with the first radar beam using the first portion and receiving second returns associated with the second radar beam using the first portion, the first portion being unadjusted in phase when receiving the second returns. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The radar system of claim 9 wherein the processor is configured to receive first returns associated with the first radar beam using the first portion without phase adjustments and receive second returns associated with the second radar beam using the first portion, the first portion including the phase adjusted portion of the antenna and the remaining portion when receiving the second returns. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The radar system of claim 11 wherein the processor is configured to combine the first returns and the second returns. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The radar system of claim 12 wherein the processor is configured to obtain a difference of the first returns and the second returns. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The radar system of claim 13 wherein the processor is configured to compare the difference of the power of the first returns and the second returns to determine an angle to a target. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The radar system of claim 9 wherein the phase adjusted portion is adjusted in between 0 and 180 degrees and is a top half or a bottom half of the antenna. ### Claim 16 A radar system, comprising: a radar antenna having at least a first portion and a second portion; a feed circuit coupled to the radar antenna comprising a phase shifter in a path for the second portion; and a control circuit configured to provide a first radar beam using the first portion and the second portion of the radar antenna and provide a second radar beam using the first portion of the radar antenna and the second portion of the radar antenna, wherein the second radar beam is provided using a phase adjustment provided by the phase shifter in the path for the second portion and has a shifted beam center with respect to the first radar beam. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The radar system of claim 16, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive radar returns associated with the first radar beam and the second radar beam and combine the radar returns to determine an angle to target. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The radar system of claim 17, wherein the angle to target is used to determine an elevation angle to the target. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The radar system of claim 16, wherein the control circuit is configure to sense a failure of a first component in the phase shifter and disables a second component in the phase shifter in response to the failure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The radar system of claim 16, wherein the second radar beam is used for overflight detection.