A low-profile lens element for steering a beam is provided. Specifically, the low-profile lens element is mechanically rotatable such that a beam can be steered in any direction within three-dimensional space. The lens element may include a number of discrete portions for differentially delaying adjacent discrete portions of a beam in order to effect beam steering.

Low-profile lens method and apparatus for mechanical steering of aperture antennas

A radar system including a base unit and a radar sensor. The sensor steers a beam in a scanning or tracking manner in both azimuth and elevation. Steering control in azimuth and elevation may be achieved based on configuration settings in the radar sensor processor. The pan-tilt setting may be configured remotely at the base unit. The sensor may include a camera to take panoramic images of the terrain surrounding the sensor, as well as objects-of-interest detected by the system. The sensor is able to transmit radar return information and camera images to the base unit. The base unit is able to display panoramic images and superimpose graphics illustrating a scan profile of the sensor in relationship to the surroundings. The beam steering profile can be controlled by graphically manipulating the profile on the display. This allows configuration of the scanning or tracking profile based on the sensor surroundings.

Radar system with agile beam steering deflector

A radar head module includes a high-frequency circuit that sends and receives a radar beam for a radar, a case that covers the high-frequency circuit, and a mounting member for attaching the radar head module to an outside body on which the radar head is to be mounted. High-frequency circuits are attached to the mounting member. While a circuit board is attached on sides of the high-frequency circuits and another circuit board is attached on the bottom of the high-frequency circuits, the case is attached to the mounting member. The characteristic adjustment of the radar is performed by attaching a supporting portion of the mounting member to the frame before the case is covered thereon, and then the case is attached to the mounting member.

Radar head module

An antenna beam steering apparatus and method comprising providing an antenna, employing a beam-deflecting lens through which energy passing from and to the antenna is deflected, and rotating the antenna with a single-axis rotator.

Antenna beam steering via beam-deflecting lens and single-axis mechanical rotator

The invention relates to a rotary 3D scanning radar, including an antenna, a data processing unit and a display unit, where the antenna includes millimeter wave horns, a transmitting device, and a receiving device and its characteristic: the number of the millimeter wave horns is 3-36, the central axis of each horn has the same original point, any two or above horns are not in the same plane, the differences between the included angles between the central axes of all the horns and the horizontal plane form a arithmetical progression, the orthographic projection axes of all the horns on the horizontal plane are uniformly distributed, and each horn scans the space at a different angle with the horizontal plane and with the mouth outward. It can obtain 3D space information in a short distance and has low cost.

Rotary three dimension scan radar

A wave-scanning antenna is disclosed that does not require a rotary joint. The antenna produces a collimated beam that can be scanned through 360 degrees. The beam is directed perpendicular to the antenna's axis of rotation to form a disc-like surveillance volume, or at an angle above or below the perpendicular to form a cone-shaped surveillance volume. The radar's structure contains a transmitter and receiver coupled to a horn protruding through open centers of the support bearing and driven gear into the antenna housing. Energy emitted by the horn proceeds upward until deflected through an angle of 90 degrees by an angled reflector located on the axis of rotation. The energy is collected by a dielectric lens and focused into a collimated beam. Reflected energy is collected by the lens and directed by the reflector to the horn, where it is fed to a waveguide coupled to the receiver.

Douglas W. Taylor

Papers

Surveillance radar scanning antenna requiring no rotary joint