Digital beamforming radar system

1. A digital beamforming radar system, which comprises:

a receiver, the receiver including:

a plurality of antenna elements, at least one of the plurality of antenna elements being adapted to receive a radar signal and output a received signal;

a plurality of low-noise block converters, at least one of the plurality of low-noise block converters including an amplifier, a mixer, and a local oscillator input, the at least one of the plurality of low-noise block converters being responsive to the received signal from a corresponding antenna element, the at least one of the plurality of low-noise block converters outputting an intermediate frequency signal, the local oscillator input being adapted to enable a first local oscillator signal to be externally inputted to the at least one low-noise block converter, the mixer being responsive to the first local oscillator signal, at least one of the plurality of low-noise block converters comprising a commercially available low-noise block converter for use in satellite television systems, the commercially available low-noise block converter comprising an internal local oscillator circuit, the commercially available low-noise block converter being modified to provide the local oscillator input and to disable the internal local oscillator circuit;

at least one analog-to-digital converter, the at least one analog-to-digital converter being responsive to the intermediate frequency signal of a corresponding low-noise block converter, the at least one analog-to-digital converter outputting a digital signal; and

a processor responsive to the digital signal of the at least one analog-to-digital converter, the processor being adapted to perform digital beamforming algorithms on the digital signal to form a plurality of beams.

2. A digital beamforming radar system as defined by claim 1 , wherein the local oscillator input includes an external connector.

3. A digital beamforming radar system as defined by claim 1 , wherein the at least one amplifier is at least one of disabled, shorted, and disconnected.

4. A digital beamforming radar system as defined by claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of low-noise block converters includes a custom made low-noise block converter, which includes a local oscillator input.

5. A digital beamforming radar system as defined by claim 1 , wherein the digital beamforming radar includes a dynamic range, the at least one amplifier being adapted to be adjusted for compatibility with the dynamic range.

6. A digital beamforming radar system as defined by claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of low-noise block converters includes a damping means, the damping means being adapted for substantially suppressing oscillations within the low-noise block converter.

7. A digital beamforming radar system as defined by claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of low-noise block converters includes a filter circuit, the filter circuit being electrically connected in series with the at least one amplifier and the mixer.

8. A digital beamforming radar system as defined by claim 7 , wherein the filter circuit includes a bandwidth, the bandwidth being modified for compatibility with the digital beamforming radar system.

9. A digital beamforming radar system as defined by claim 1 , further comprising a transmitter.

10. A method of adapting low-cost, efficient, low-noise block converters for use in a digital beamforming radar receiver comprising the steps of:

providing a first commercially available low-noise block converter used in satellite television systems;

modifying the first commercially available low-noise block converter to disable a local oscillator circuit, the local oscillator circuit being internal to the first commercially available low-noise block converter; and

providing a local oscillator input, the local oscillator input being electrically coupled to a mixer, the mixer being internal to the first commercially available low-noise block converter, the local oscillator input being adapted to enable a first local oscillator signal to be externally inputted to the mixer.

11. A method of adapting low-cost, efficient, low-noise block converters for use in a digital beamforming radar receiver as defined by claim 10 , wherein the first commercially available low-noise block converter includes at least one amplifier, the at least one amplifier including a gain, the method further comprising the step of disabling the at least one amplifier.

12. A method of adapting low-cost, efficient, low-noise block converters for use in a digital beamforming radar receiver as defined by claim 10 further comprising the step of providing a damping means internal to the first commercially available low-noise block converter, the damping means substantially suppressing oscillations in the first commercially available low-noise block converter.

13. A method of making a digital beamforming radar system comprising the steps of:

making a receiver comprising the steps of:

coupling a plurality of antenna elements to a plurality of low-noise block converters, at least one of the plurality of antenna elements being adapted to receive a radar signal and output a received signal, at least one of the plurality of low-noise block converters including an amplifier, a mixer and a local oscillator input, the at least one of the plurality of low-noise block converters being responsive to the received signal from a corresponding antenna element, the at least one of the plurality of low-noise block converters outputting an intermediate frequency signal, the local oscillator input being adapted to enable a first local oscillator signal to be externally inputted to the at least one low-noise block converter, the mixer being responsive to the first local oscillator signal, at least one of the plurality of low-noise block converters comprising a commercially available low-noise block converter for use in satellite television systems, the commercially available low-noise block converter comprising an internal local oscillator circuit;

modifying the commercially available low-noise block converter to include the local oscillator input and to disable the internal local oscillator circuit;

coupling the plurality of low-noise block converters to at least one analog-to-digital converter, the at least one analog-to-digital converter being responsive to the intermediate frequency signal of a corresponding low-noise block converter, the at least one analog-to-digital converter outputting a digital signal; and

coupling the at least one analog-to-digital converter to a processor, the processor being responsive to the digital signal of the at least one analog-to-digital converter, the processor being adapted to perform digital beamforming algorithms on the digital signal to form a plurality of beams.

14. A method of making a digital beamforming radar system as defined by claim 13 , the method further comprising the step of coupling the local oscillator input to an external connector.

15. A method of making a digital beamforming radar system as defined by claim 13 , method further comprising the step of disabling the at least one amplifier.

16. A method of making a digital beamforming radar system as defined by claim 13 , wherein at least one of the plurality of low-noise block converters includes a custom made low-noise block converter including a local oscillator input.

17. A method of making a digital beamforming radar system as defined by claim 13 , the method further comprising the step of providing a damping means internal to the low-noise block converter, the damping means being adapted for substantially suppressing oscillations within the low-noise block converter.

18. A method of making a digital beamforming radar system as defined by claim 13 , wherein the low-noise block converter includes a filter circuit having a bandwidth, the method further comprising the step of modifying the bandwidth of the filter circuit to be compatible with the digital beamforming radar system.

19. A method of making a digital beamforming radar system as defined by claim 13 , further comprising the step of making a transmitter.