Thales

Renan Le Gall

Pascal Cornic

Yoan Veyrac

Rodolphe Cottron

Yves Audic

Gonzague Bertin De La Hautiere

An imaging method using a doppler radar wherein the pointing direction in transmission (d) is modified from recurrence to recurrence; each detection block of duration T comprises a periodic repetition of a number C of pointing cycles, each of these cycles comprising a number P of recurrences, the set of these P recurrences covering the Dpointing directions (d) of the set; the order of the pointings is modified in a pseudo-random manner from pointing cycle to pointing cycle during a same detection block so as to create an irregular time interval between two pointings in a same direction; at least one beam is formed in reception on each recurrence in a direction included in the transmission-focused angular domain in the pointing direction corresponding to the recurrence.

Radar imaging method, and radar using such a method

A radar imaging method using an active antenna comprising N transmission channels and M reception channels, transmitting in bursts of pointing cycles, is disclosed. The antenna covers a given angular range during a detection time unit of duration T, said time unit corresponds to a burst in which the N transmission channels are focused successively in a number Dof pointing directions (di) such that:

Radar imaging method, and radar implementing such a method

An active antenna radar able to produce an image with high angular resolution over a wide angular coverage, the antenna includes a number N of transmission channels and a number M of reception channels, each transmission channel and reception channel comprising an elementary antenna: each elementary antenna comprises a lens or a reflector associated with an array of elementary sources, the sources being configured to illuminate the lens or the reflector and at least the apertures being substantially arranged in the focal plane of the lens or centred around the focal point of the reflector; each elementary transmission or reception source being able to form or receive, respectively, a beam focused in a given direction, the directions being different from one transmission or reception source to another of one and the same elementary antenna; each elementary transmission or reception source being connected to a power amplifier or to a low-noise amplifier, respectively, and to switching means allowing the source to be supplied or not to be supplied with power or the signals from the source to be received or not to be received, respectively.

Active antenna radar with extended angular coverage

The invention relates to a MIMO imaging radar system. The system comprises transmission channels (Ve, VeM), reception channels (Vr, VrN), and co-located radiating elements (ER, ER, ER, ER) forming a two-dimensional antenna array. Each radiating element (ER, ER, ER, ER) has a predefined instantaneous field of coverage. Each radiating element is formed by a plurality of p radiating sub-elements (SeElt, SsEltp) distributed in at least one of the two dimensions of the antenna array. The radar comprises a plurality of electronic steering modules (MD, . . . , MD). Each electronic steering module is connected to one radiating element. Each steering module is configured to apply a steering command (Cmd) between all the radiating sub-elements (SeElt, SsEltp) of a given radiating element. The steering command (Cmd) is identical from one radiating element to the next, so as to move the field of coverage of each radiating element in the same direction.

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BREST, France

Renan Le Gall