US 12,241,967 B2
Active antenna radar with extended angular coverage
Pascal Cornic, Brest (FR); Yoan Veyrac, Merignac (FR); and Renan Le Gall, Brest (FR)
Assigned to THALES, Courbevoie (FR)
Filed by THALES, Courbevoie (FR)
Filed on Jan. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/576,657.
Claims priority of application No. 2100491 (FR), filed on Jan. 19, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0229172 A1, Jul. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 13/89 (2006.01); H01Q 13/02 (2006.01); H01Q 19/06 (2006.01); H01Q 19/10 (2006.01); H03F 3/24 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 13/89 (2013.01) [H01Q 13/02 (2013.01); H01Q 19/062 (2013.01); H01Q 19/10 (2013.01); H03F 3/245 (2013.01); H03F 2200/294 (2013.01); H03F 2200/451 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An active antenna radar, comprising an array antenna comprising a first positive integer number N of transmission channels and a second positive integer number M of reception channels, each of said transmission channels and each of said reception channels comprising an antenna sub-array, called elementary antenna, wherein:
each elementary antenna comprises a lens or a reflector associated with an array of elementary sources (Si), said elementary sources being configured to illuminate the associated lens or reflector and apertures of said elementary sources being substantially arranged in a focal plane of the associated lens or centered around a the focal point of the associated reflector;
each elementary source associated with an elementary antenna of a transmission channel forming a beam focused in a given direction, directions being different from one elementary source to another one of the same elementary antenna;
each elementary source associated with an elementary antenna of a reception channel being able to receive a beam focused in a given direction, directions being different from one elementary source to another one of the same elementary antenna;
each elementary source associated with an elementary antenna of a transmission channel being connected to a power amplifier and to a switching means allowing said elementary source to be supplied or not to be supplied with power; and
each elementary source associated with an elementary antenna of a reception channel being connected to a low-noise amplifier and to a switching means allowing the signals from said elementary source to be amplified or not amplified by said low-noise amplifier,
the radar dynamically optimizing pointing directions, amplitude of coverage range and radiated power by providing an angular coverage of the array antenna by an electronic scan in a first angular range with unswitched elementary source or sources, and in a second angular range wider than the first angular range, by activating one given elementary source and deactivating another elementary source in an elementary antenna, allowing a depointing angle for the beam formed by said elementary antenna depending on a position of an activated elementary source in the elementary antenna with regard to the associated lens or reflector.