Altimeter with high-resolution radar

1. A system configured to be mounted on a vehicle, the system comprising:

one or more phased-array radar devices configured to:

transmit first radar signals;

receive first returned radar signals;

transmit second radar signals; and

receive second returned radar signals; and

processing circuitry configured to:

detect an object based on the first returned radar signals;

determine one or more receive beams based on the second returned radar signals;

steer the one or more receive beams by at least applying complex weighting to the one or more receive beams; and

determine an estimated altitude of the vehicle above a ground surface based on the second returned radar signals by steering a receive beam towards the ground surface.

2. The system of claim 1 ,

wherein the one or more phased-array radar devices includes a single phased-array radar device,

wherein the system further comprises a mechanical element configured to:

position the single phased-array radar device in a first orientation relative to the vehicle; and

position the single phased-array radar device in a second orientation relative to the vehicle; and

wherein the single phased-array radar device is configured to:

transmit the first radar signals while the single phased-array radar device is positioned in the first orientation;

receive the first returned radar signals while the single phased-array radar device is positioned in the first orientation;

transmit the second radar signals while the single phased-array radar device is positioned in the second orientation; and

receive the second returned radar signals while the single phased-array radar device is positioned in the first orientation.

3. The system of claim 2 ,

wherein the mechanical element is configured to position the single phased-array radar device in the first orientation by at least pointing the antenna array of the single phased-array radar device at an angle that is approximately parallel to a direction of movement of the vehicle, and

wherein the mechanical element is configured to position the single phased-array radar device in the second orientation by at least pointing an antenna array of the single phased-array radar device towards the ground surface.

4. The system of claim 3 ,

wherein the mechanical element is further configured to position the single phased-array radar device in a third orientation by at least pointing the antenna array of the single phased-array radar device at an angle that is approximately parallel to a direction of movement of the vehicle and pointing in an opposite direction of the first orientation, and

wherein the single phased-array radar device is configured to:

transmit the first radar signals while the single phased-array radar device is positioned in the third orientation; and

receive the first returned radar signals while the single phased-array radar device is positioned in the third orientation.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the mechanical element is further configured to position the single phased-array radar device in an intermediate orientation by at least pointing the antenna array of the single phased-array radar device at an angle that is between the first orientation and the second orientation.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the mechanical element includes a planetary gearset including:

an outer planetary gear configured to control an orientation of the single phased-array radar device;

an inner planetary gear configured to rotate inside the outer planetary gear; and

a stationary motor and stationary gear configured to cause the outer planetary gear to rotate.

7. The system of claim 1 ,

wherein the one or more phased-array radar devices includes a first phased-array radar device and a second phased-array radar device,

wherein the first phased-array radar device includes an antenna array pointed approximately parallel to a direction of movement of the vehicle and configured to:

transmit the first radar signals; and

receive the first returned radar signals, and

wherein the second phased-array radar device includes an antenna array pointed towards the ground surface and configured to:

transmit the second radar signals; and

receive the second returned radar signals.

8. The system of claim 1 ,

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the one or more receive beams by determining at least two receive beams towards the ground surface based on the returned signals, and

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine a distance to the ground surface based on the at least two receive beams.

9. The system of claim 1 ,

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the one or more receive beams by determining at least two receive beams of the second returned radar signals, and

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

measure Doppler shift of the at least two receive beams; and

determine an estimated velocity of the vehicle based on the Doppler shift of the at least two receive beams.

10. The system of claim 1 ,

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the one or more receive beams by determining at least four receive beams towards the ground surface based on the returned signals; and

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: determine a distance to the ground surface based on the at least four receive beams.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to apply the complex weighting to the one or more receive beams by applying the complex weighting to four quadrants of I and Q channels generated by mixers.

12. A system configured to be mounted on a vehicle, the system comprising:

a phased-array radar device configured to:

transmit radar signals towards a ground surface; and

receive returned radar signals; and

processing circuitry configured to:

determine at least four receive beams based on the returned radar signals;

determine a distance to the ground surface based on the at least four receive beams; and

determine an estimated altitude of the vehicle above the ground surface based on the at least four receive beams.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to measure Doppler shift of the at least four receive beams, and

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the estimated altitude of the vehicle based on the Doppler shift of the at least four receive beams.

14. A method comprising:

transmitting first radar signals;

receiving first returned radar signals;

transmitting second radar signals;

receiving second returned radar signals;

detecting an object based on the first returned radar signals;

determining one or more receive beams based on the second returned radar signals;

steer the one or more receive beams by at least applying complex weighting to the one or more receive beams; and

determining an estimated altitude of a vehicle above a ground surface based on the second returned radar signals, wherein determining the estimated altitude comprises by steering a receive beam towards the ground surface.

15. The method of claim 14 ,

wherein transmitting the first radar signals comprises transmitting the first radar signals at a first angle relative to the vehicle, and

wherein transmitting the second radar signals comprises transmitting the second radar signals at a second angle relative to the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15 ,

wherein transmitting the first radar signals in the first direction comprises transmitting the first radar signals at an angle that is approximately parallel to a direction of movement of the vehicle, and

wherein transmitting the first radar signals in the first direction comprises transmitting the first radar signals towards the ground surface.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein transmitting the first radar signals further comprises transmitting the first radar signals at a third angle that is approximately parallel to a direction of movement of the vehicle, wherein the third angle is an opposite direction of the first orientation.

18. The method of claim 14 ,

wherein determining the one or more receive beams comprises determining at least two receive beams based on the second returned radar signals, and

wherein the method further comprises:

measuring Doppler shift of the at least two receive beams; and

determining an estimated velocity of the vehicle based on the Doppler shift of the at least two receive beams.

19. A system configured to be mounted on a vehicle, the system comprising:

a single phased-array radar device;

a mechanical element comprising a planetary gearset including:

an outer planetary gear configured to control an orientation of the single phased-array radar device;

an inner planetary gear configured to rotate inside the outer planetary gear; and

a stationary motor and stationary gear configured to cause the outer planetary gear to rotate, wherein the mechanical element is configured to:

position the single phased-array radar device in a first orientation relative to the vehicle; and

position the single phased-array radar device in a second orientation relative to the vehicle,

wherein the single phased-array radar device is configured to:

transmit first radar signals while the single phased-array radar device is positioned in the first orientation;

receive first returned radar signals while the single phased-array radar device is positioned in the first orientation;

transmit second radar signals while the single phased-array radar device is positioned in the second orientation; and

receive second returned radar signals while the single phased-array radar device is positioned in the second orientation; and

processing circuitry configured to:

detect an object based on the first returned radar signals; and

determine an estimated altitude of the vehicle above a ground surface based on the second returned radar signals.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

determine at least four receive beams towards the ground surface based on the second returned signals; and

determine a distance to the ground surface based on the at least four receive beams.