The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 11, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 17, 1999
Martin I Grace, San Jose, CA (US);
Donald A Bradley, Morgan Hill, CA (US);
Anritsu Company, Morgan Hill, CA (US);
Abstract
An automobile collision avoidance radar antenna alignment system includes a first interferometer (506) with antennas (501) and (503) for alignment along an azimuth (x) axis of the collision avoidance radar antenna, and a second interferometer (508) with antennas (502) and (504) for alignment along an elevation (y) axis of the collision avoidance radar. Difference azimuth (.DELTA..sub.AZ) and difference elevation (.DELTA..sub.EL) outputs of the interferometers (506) and (508) are added (.DELTA..sub.T =.DELTA..sub.AZ +.DELTA..sub.EL) with the amplitude of (.DELTA..sub.T) provided at a power detector (526). Sum azimuth (.SIGMA..sub.AZ) and sum elevation (.SIGMA..sub.AZ) are added (.SIGMA..sub.T =.SIGMA..sub.AZ +.SIGMA..sub.EL) with the amplitude of (.SIGMA..sub.T) provided to a power detector (547). To align a collision avoidance radar antenna, the antennas of the antenna alignment system are positioned with a centerline parallel to the thrust vector of the automobile using a laser beam fixture 204. Azimuth and elevation translation errors (.DELTA.x) and (.DELTA.y) between antennas of the antenna alignment system and the antenna of the collision avoidance radar are removed by moving the antenna alignment system until the total difference signal (.DELTA..sub.T) is a minimum. The angle (.alpha.) between the boresite of the collision avoidance radar antenna and the thrust vector of the automobile is set to zero by adjusting the collision avoidance radar antenna until the total sum signal (.SIGMA..sub.T) is a maximum.