Methods for a multi-function electronically steered weather radar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10775498-B2
Application number	US-201715457844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2017
Priority date	Mar 13, 2017
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

A weather radar with a transmission antenna array that outputs a high aspect ratio FMCW transmission beam that illuminates an area in the field of regard in elevation and may be electronically scanned in azimuth. The weather radar includes a receive array and receive electronics that may receive the reflected return radar signals and electronically form a plurality of receive beams that may be used to determine characteristics of the area in the field of regard. The receive beams may be used to determine reflectivity of weather systems and provide a coherent weather picture. The weather radar may simultaneously process the receive signals into monopulse beams that may be used for accurate navigation as well as detection and tracking of objects, such as birds, aircraft, UAVs and the like.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A frequency modulation continuous wave (FMCW) radar device, the device comprising:
a transmission antenna array comprising a plurality of transmit antenna elements, wherein the transmission antenna array is configured to output an FMCW transmit beam that illuminates an area with a greater extent in a first illumination direction than in a second illumination direction, wherein the second illumination direction is substantially perpendicular to the first illumination direction;
transmit electronics configured to electronically scan the FMCW transmit beam in the second illumination direction;
a receive antenna array comprising a plurality of receive antenna elements, wherein the receive antenna array is configured to:
receive reflected return signals for a given azimuth that arrive at the receive antenna array as phase coherent and amplitude coherent signals, and
output a plurality of receive signals based on the reflected return signals; and

receive electronics configured to:
receive the plurality of receive signals;
generate, using the plurality of receive signals, a plurality of receive beams within the area illuminated by the FMCW transmit beam and electronically scan each receive beam of the plurality of receive beams in the second illumination direction such that the scanning of each receive beam is coordinated with the scanning of the FMCW transmit beam in the second illumination direction; and

an electronic bandgap (EBG) isolator disposed between the transmission antenna array and the receive antenna array;
processing circuitry configured to:
determine one or more characteristics of a plurality of sub-areas of the area illuminated by the FMCW transmit beam, wherein a sub-area of the plurality of sub-areas is within a receive beam of the plurality of receive beams, and
assemble a coherent mapping of reflectivity characteristics in the first illumination direction based on the phase coherent and amplitude coherent signals and from the characteristics of the plurality of sub-areas.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein:
the second illumination direction is an azimuth in a horizontal direction,
the area illuminated by the FMCW transmit beam is a first area at a first azimuth relative to the transmission antenna array,
a second area illuminated by the FMCW transmit beam is at a second azimuth relative to the transmission antenna array.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the one or more characteristics of a first sub-area of the plurality of sub-areas for the first area at the first azimuth at substantially the same time as a second sub-area of the plurality of sub-areas for the first area at the first azimuth.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine weather characteristics of the first sub-area for the first area at the first azimuth and at substantially the same time determine collision avoidance characteristics of the second sub-area for the first area at the first azimuth.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein collision avoidance characteristics comprise range, bearing, speed, and tracking of an object in the second sub-area.

6. The device of claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry are further configured to determine predictive wind shear (PWS) events in a third sub-area of the plurality of sub-areas for the first area at the first azimuth.

7. The device of claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry are further configured to determine characteristics of ground-based features in a fourth sub-area of the plurality of sub-areas for the first area at the first azimuth.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry:
determines characteristics of ground-based features and collision avoidance characteristics using monopulse analysis of a respective receive beam of the plurality of receive beams; and
determines weather characteristics and PWS events using sum analysis of the respective receive beam of the plurality of receive beams.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate monopulse tracking beams for each receive beam of the plurality of receive beams.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the receive electronics further comprises digital beam forming circuitry configured to form the plurality of receive beams using the plurality of receive signals received from the receive antenna array.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the transmission antenna array, the receive antenna array, the transmit electronics, receive electronics and one or more processors comprise a plurality of printed circuit boards disposed substantially parallel to each other and to the front surface of the device.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein an aspect ratio between the first illumination direction and the second illumination direction is at least ten-to-one.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein a horizontal beamwidth of the FMCW transmit beam is less than eight degrees in azimuth and a vertical beamwidth of the FMCW transmit beam is at least 60 degrees in elevation.

14. A weather radar system, the system comprising a plurality of frequency modulated continuous wave transmit beam (FMCW) radar devices, wherein each respective device comprises:
a transmission antenna array comprising a plurality of transmit antenna elements, wherein the transmission antenna array is configured to output an FMCW transmit beam that illuminates an area with a greater extent in a first illumination direction than in a second illumination direction, wherein the second illumination direction is substantially perpendicular to the first illumination direction;
transmit electronics configured to electronically scan the FMCW transmit beam in the second illumination direction;
a receive antenna array comprising a plurality of receive antenna elements, wherein the receive antenna array is configured to:
receive reflected return signals for a given azimuth that arrive at the receive antenna array as phase coherent and amplitude coherent signals, and
output a plurality of receive signals based on the reflected return signals; and

receive electronics configured to:
receive a plurality of receive signals;
generate, using the plurality of receive signals received from the receive antenna array, a plurality of receive beams within the area illuminated by the FMCW transmit beam and electronically scan each receive beam of the plurality of receive beams in the second illumination direction such that the scanning of each receive beam is coordinated with the scanning of the FMCW transmit beam in the second illumination direction; and

an electronic bandgap (EBG) isolator disposed between the transmission antenna array and the receive antenna array;
processing circuitry configured to determine one or more characteristics of a plurality of sub-areas of the area illuminated by the FMCW transmit beam,
wherein a sub-area of the plurality of sub-areas is within a receive beam of the plurality of receive beams, and
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the one or more characteristics of a first sub-area of the plurality of sub-areas at substantially the same time as a second sub-area of the plurality of sub-areas and based on the phase coherent and amplitude coherent signals.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a frame, wherein the frame is configured to hold the plurality of devices at an angle with respect to each other.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of devices comprise two devic

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Vacanti David C

Classifications

• G01S13/953 Primary

  mounted on aircraft · CPC title

• G01S13/34

  using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal · CPC title

• G01S7/35

  Details of non-pulse systems · CPC title

• G01S13/4463

  using phased arrays · CPC title

• G01S13/933

  of aircraft or spacecraft · CPC title