May 1, 2007

ALEXANDRIA, Va.,  Brian Bandhauer of Boise, Idaho, has developed techniques that improve co-locatability and provide reduction of signal interference in radar systems.

According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Apparatus and methods for adjusting or 'hopping' the center frequency or the pulse repetition frequency of a radar system improve the co-locatability of multiple radars commonly located in a region. In a Time Domain Downconversion or Ultra-Wideband radar system having a display update period between range sweeps, the preferred device comprises a frequency variable oscillator for adjusting the radar's internal timing reference frequency during a plurality of the display update periods."

An abstract of the invention, released by the Patent Office, said: "Radar frequency hopping methods and apparatus may result in improvements in interference immunity compared to other interference reduction techniques and may achieve cost reduction. In frequency hopping radar, if an actual target is present, the receiver waveform will repeat at the newly adjusted center frequency. Confirmation of a target is realized as an ongoing reflection and not interference."

The inventor was issued U.S. Patent No. 7,215,278 on May 8. The patent has been assigned to Preco Electronics Inc, Boise.
The original application was filed on Nov. 16, 2003, and is available at: U.S. Patent Database

Preco Electronics Inc. is the designer and manufacturer of a proprietary pulsed-time domain radar sensor used in a product for Blind Spot Collision Warning