| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20100033389 | AUTOMOTIVE RADAR USING A METAMATERIAL LENS - An example apparatus comprises an electromagnetic source, such as an antenna, a metamaterial lens, and a reflector. The antenna is located proximate the metamaterial lens, for example supported by the metamaterial lens, and the antenna is operable to generate radiation when the antenna is energized. The reflector is positioned so as to reflect the radiation through the metamaterial lens. The reflector may have a generally concave reflective surface, for example having a parabolic or spherical cross-section. The metamaterial lens may have an area similar to that of the aperture of the reflector. In some examples, the antenna is located proximate a focal point of the reflector, so that a generally parallel beam is obtained after reflection from the reflector. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100225410 | WAVEGUIDE TO MICROSTRIP TRANSITION - A waveguide to microstrip transition having a waveguide open at one end. A dielectric substrate includes a first and a second side and a ground plane covers the first side of the substrate. The dielectric substrate overlies the waveguide opening so that the ground plane faces the waveguide and an opening in the ground plane registers with the waveguide opening. A back short having a housing is positioned on the second side of the dielectric substrate. The back short housing forms a cavity which registers with at least a portion of the ground plane opening so that microwave energy from the waveguide passes through the dielectric substrate and into the cavity defined by the back short housing. The back short housing has at least one opening to the cavity along the second side of the dielectric substrate. A pair of spaced apart microstrips on the second side of the substrate each have a free end positioned in the cavity so that the free ends of the microstrips are spaced apart from each other. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20100274449 | OCCUPANT DETECTION AND IMAGING SYSTEM - An active safety system for a machine and a process for operating the active safety system are disclosed. The active safety system an active ultrasonic array having a plurality of ultrasonic transducers. The plurality of ultrasonic transducers can propagate a plurality of sound waves, receive a plurality of echo waves and transform the plurality of echo waves into a plurality of electrical pulses. The plurality of electrical pulses can be transmitted to and received by a three-dimensional imaging circuit. The three-dimensional imaging circuit can generate a 3D image from the plurality of electrical pulses and an electrical control unit can determine a location, size and geometric orientation of the 3D image. The electronic control unit can also provide an occupant safety parameter as a function of the location, size and geometric orientation of the 3D image and transmit the occupant safety parameter or an instruction related to the occupant safety parameter to an occupant safety system and/or an occupant warning system. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20120019408 | MICROWAVE SYSTEM UTILIZING ELEVATIONAL SCANNING BY FREQUENCY HOPPING - For use in conjunction with a microwave antenna having a radiator array configured to scan in a horizontal direction, a method for scanning in the vertical direction. A first FMCW microwave signal having a first bandwidth is transmitted at a first microwave frequency and the echo, if any, is received by the radiator array. A second FMCW microwave signal having a second bandwidth is also transmitted at a different center frequency and the echo, if any, is received by the radiator array. The different frequencies cause an elevational shift in the received signal. The receipt of the echoes is then processed to identify the location or locations of the object or objects causing the echo and communicating such location or locations to a user. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120019414 | MICROWAVE ANTENNA - A microwave antenna having an electrically nonconductive substrate with a top and bottom side. A radiator array having a plurality of rows of radiator patches is disposed on the top side of the substrate while an input feed line and power divider network are disposed on the bottom side of the substrate. The power divider network includes a plurality of ends wherein each end is adapted for electrical connection through a via formed through the substrate to the end of its associated row in the radiator array. An electrically conductive layer is disposed over a portion of the top side of the substrate so that the electrically conductive layer overlies the power divider network and shields the power divider network from the radiator array. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120068909 | ANTENNA WITH TAPERED ARRAY - An antenna with improved radiation efficiency is provided. The antenna includes an antenna array proximately coupled to a feed line. The antenna array includes a plurality of resonating lines. Each resonating line includes a plurality of axially aligned resonators. The resonators have a resonating surface. The resonating surfaces of the resonators at the ends of the resonating lines are larger than resonating surfaces of the resonators in the middle of the resonating lines. Power is supplied to each resonating ling through a feed line. Electrical field is uniformly distributed along the antenna array so as to improve the radiation efficiency of the antenna. | 03-22-2012 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20110109262 | WIRELESS ENERGY TRANSFER ANTENNAS AND ENERGY CHARGING SYSTEMS - A resonant wireless energy transfer system comprises first and second antennas made up of dual parallel wire helixes wherein the wires are terminated by short wires. Voltage controlled variable capacitors are connected into the antennas to permit progressive variation between folded dipole and normal dipole operating modes such that optimum energy transfer can be achieved between the antennas over a wide range of antenna separation distances. A vehicle battery charging system using the above-described antennas is provided including an installation which allows purchase of battery charging power by members of the general public. In-vehicle energy transfer for sensors, computers, cell phones and the like is also described. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20120086601 | MICROWAVE ANTENNA SYSTEM - A microwave antenna system having a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array having two spaced ends. A first phase shifter is electrically connected to a first group of at least two adjacent antenna elements at one end of the array to control the signal phase in that first group. Likewise, a second phase shifter is electrically connected to a second group of at least two adjacent array elements at the other end of the array to control the signal phase in the second group. Individual phase shifters are electrically connected to individual middle antenna elements for at least several of the middle antenna elements between the first and second groups. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20130088382 | CALIBRATION METHOD FOR AUTOMOTIVE RADAR USING PHASED ARRAY - Examples of the present invention include calibration methods for phased array radar apparatus. The calibration methods include an electronic calibration of phase shifters, and compensation for mechanical misalignment. Approaches are particularly useful for automotive radar, and may be used for initial calibration after installation on a factory line, or at later times such as at a service station whenever recalibration becomes necessary. | 04-11-2013 |
| 20130088393 | TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE PHASED ARRAY FOR AUTOMOTIVE RADAR IMPROVEMENT - Examples of the present invention include methods and apparatus for phased array automotive radar which allow reductions in erroneous detections such as sidelobe clutter and ghost images. An example radar includes a steerable transmit antenna and a steerable receive antenna. Transmit and receive beams may be steered using an electronic control circuit so the main lobe of the transmit beam remains generally aligned with the main lobe of the receive beam, and the side lobe of the receive beam remains generally aligned with a null in the transmit beam. | 04-11-2013 |
| 20130214961 | HYBRID RADAR INTEGRATED INTO SINGLE PACKAGE - A radar apparatus includes a phased array receiver, with a steerable receive beam. The receiver elements are grouped into subarrays, which each provide a subarray signal to a mixer. The mixer signals are then used by a DBF algorithm to determine narrow virtual beams within the receive beam. The receive beam is used to obtain radar data from sectors of the field of view, and the sectors may be approximately as wide as the receive beam. The order in which sectors are examined may be determined by the sector importance, related to the presence, nature, and/or behavior of previously tracked targets within each sector. | 08-22-2013 |
| 20130234880 | HIGH RESOLUTION DOPPLER COLLISION AVOIDANCE RADAR - An example radar apparatus has a transmission frequency modulated by a chirp waveform having three chirp segments, including increasing, decreasing, and a constant frequency segments. The chirp waveform may extend over the full revisit time of the radar beam. The frequency difference between the transmitted and echo signals are determined at least once per chirp segment. Example apparatus include a Doppler radar for vehicle use. | 09-12-2013 |
| 20130264885 | WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER - A revised coil loop structure is combined with metamaterials designed to contain and redirect the electromagnetic field to produce an improved inductive coupling system. The efficiency of the inductive power transfer system is increased relative to existing technologies by overcoming the negative effects of distance and misalignment. The transmitting and receiving coils are both constructed by connecting a series of printed circuit boards (PCBs). The individual PCBs are then stacked on top of one another and connected to produce the transmitting and receiving coils. The transmitting and receiving coils further feature a coil shape designed to allow the coils to be actively and variably tuned to one another. The efficiency of power transfer in the system is additionally increased through the use of metamaterials. The metamaterial is used as a backing for the coils and reduces the amount of magnetic flux found on the back of the coils. | 10-10-2013 |
| 20130265004 | WIRELESS ENERGY TRANSFER ANTENNAS AND ENERGY CHARGING SYSTEMS - A resonant wireless energy transfer system comprises first and second antennas made up of dual parallel wire helixes wherein the wires are terminated by short wires. Voltage controlled variable capacitors are connected into the antennas to permit progressive variation between folded dipole and normal dipole operating modes such that optimum energy transfer can be achieved between the antennas over a wide range of antenna separation distances. A vehicle battery charging system using the above-described antennas is provided including an installation which allows purchase of battery charging power by members of the general public. In-vehicle energy transfer for sensors, computers, cell phones and the like is also described. | 10-10-2013 |
| 20140022109 | RADAR FIELD OF VIEW EXPANSION WITH PHASED ARRAY TRANSCEIVER - Examples of the invention include radar apparatus having at least two phased array transmitters, each having a different elevation corresponding to heights of detected targets relative to the road surface. A low elevation transmit beam is directed at the road surface, and used to identify metal objects in the road surface, which often cause false detections in conventional devices but may not be actual collision hazards. A higher elevation transmitted beam is used to detect actual collision hazards to the vehicle. | 01-23-2014 |
| 20140022116 | DIGITAL BEAM FORMING USING PHASED ARRAY ARCHITECTURE - A radar apparatus includes a receiver having a plurality of receiver channels, each including an antenna element, a phase shifter, and a switch. The antenna element provides a signal that passes through a phase shifter to a switch. The signal may then be passed to a summing element if the switch is closed. The summing element receives signals from the receive channels, and provides a sum signal to a mixer. In phased array mode, the switches are closed and antenna controller adjusts the phase angles of the phase shifters. In DBF mode, the phase shifters are maintained at a set value, and switches are operated sequentially to provide time-multiplexed signals from the receive channels to the summing element. | 01-23-2014 |
| 20140070994 | 3D SHORT RANGE DETECTION WITH PHASED ARRAY RADAR - A radar microchip for short range detection with phased array radar uses phase shifters along with an antenna array to steer the transmitted and received radar beams along orthogonal axes to achieve a 3D scan. Individual phase shifters connected to antenna cells that transmit and receive the radar beams steer the radar along two orthogonal axes by controlling the phase of the radar. The radar then detects where the two beams overlap. The antenna cells are further aligned along these orthogonal axes. An isolation barrier between the phase shifters of the transmitted and received signals reduces cross coupling on the radar microchip. | 03-13-2014 |
| 20140159479 | WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER USING AIR GAP AND METAMATERIAL - Examples of the invention include methods and apparatus for wirelessly transmitting power to a vehicle using electromagnetic radiation. An example apparatus includes a transmitter coil associated with a first metamaterial lens, and a receiver coil associated with a second metamaterial lens, the receiver coil being located within the vehicle. The metamaterial lenses each have a negative magnetic permeability, and are separated by a lens spacing including an air gap. The first and second metamaterial lenses (and the lens spacing) act cooperatively to focus the electromagnetic radiation from the transmitter coil on the receiver coil. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140327301 | WIRELESS ENERGY TRANSFER ANTENNAS AND ENERGY CHARGING SYSTEMS - A resonant wireless energy transfer system comprises first and second antennas made up of dual parallel wire helixes wherein the wires are terminated by short wires. Voltage controlled variable capacitors are connected into the antennas to permit progressive variation between folded dipole and normal dipole operating modes such that optimum energy transfer can be achieved between the antennas over a wide range of antenna separation distances. A vehicle battery charging system using the above-described antennas is provided including an installation which allows purchase of battery charging power by members of the general public. In-vehicle energy transfer for sensors, computers, cell phones and the like is also described. | 11-06-2014 |
| 20150084810 | PHASED ARRAY RADAR WITH MONOPULSE ALGORITHM MEASUREMENT - A phased array radar apparatus and method for identifying targets in an environment includes a phased array radar transmitter, a first phased array radar receiver, a second phased array radar receiver, and a radar controller. The first and second phased array radar receivers are configured such that the first and second phased array radar receivers have effectively the same configuration. The radar controller uses the first and second receive beams to calculate an amplitude monopulse ratio and identify angle information of the targets within the environment. The present invention enables high precision estimation of target angle information while scanning over a wide field of view in a single scan. The radar apparatus further uses a complex amplitude monopulse ratio and a weighted target angle histogram to distinguish between closely separated targets that would otherwise be viewed as a single target by conventional monopulse radar apparatuses. | 03-26-2015 |
