Intelligent sensor and intelligent feedback-based dynamic control of a parameter of a field of regard to which the sensor is directed

1. A radar subsystem, comprising:

at least one antenna configured to radiate at least one first transmit beam and to form at least one first receive beam; and

a control circuit configured

to steer the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over fields of regard,

to receive, from the at least one first receive beam, information related to the fields of regard,

to detect, in response to the information, a change related to at least one object within at least a first one of the fields of regard;

to steer, in response to the detection of the change, the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over

the at least a first one of the fields of regard according to a first value of an update rate, and

at least a first other one of the fields of regard according to a second value of the update rate, and

to steer the at least one first transmit beam and the at least on first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard according to a third value of the update rate a time after detecting the change.

2. The radar subsystem of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to transition from steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard to the at least a first other one of the fields of regard in response to a command.

3. The radar subsystem of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to transition from steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard to the at least a first other one of the fields of regard in response to an occurrence of an event.

4. The radar subsystem of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to transition from steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard to the at least a first other one of the fields of regard in response to an interrupt signal.

5. The radar subsystem of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to transition from steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard to the at least a first other one of the fields of regard in response to an elapse of an amount of time.

6. The radar subsystem of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured:

to cause the at least one antenna to generate the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam having a first transmit characteristic and a first receive characteristic, respectively, while steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard; and

to cause the at least one antenna to generate the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam having a second transmit characteristic and a second receive characteristic, respectively, while steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first other one of the fields of regard.

7. The radar subsystem of claim 1 wherein:

the at least one antenna is configured to radiate at least one second transmit beam and to form at least one second receive beam; and

the control circuit is configured

to detect a change related to at least one object within at least a second one of the fields of regard, and

to steer, in response to the detection of the changes, the at least one second transmit beam and the at least one second receive beam over

the at least a second one of the fields of regard according to a fourth value of the update rate, and

at least a second other one of the fields of regard according to a fifth value of the update rate, and

to steer at least the second one of the fields of regard according to a sixth value of the update rate a time after detecting the change.

8. The radar subsystem of claim 1 wherein

the first value of the update rate is higher than the second value of the update rate.

9. The radar subsystem of claim 1 wherein:

the first value of the update rate is higher than the second value of the update rate; and

the third value of the update rate is equal to the first value of the update rate.

10. The radar subsystem of claim 6 wherein:

the first transmit characteristic includes a first transmit waveform;

the first receive characteristic includes a first receive waveform;

the second transmit characteristic includes a second transmit waveform; and

the second receive characteristic includes a second receive waveform.

11. A method, comprising:

radiating at least one first transmit beam;

forming at least one first receive beam;

steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over fields of regard;

receiving, from the at least one first receive beam, information related to the fields of regard;

detecting, based on the information, a change related to at least one object within at least a first one of the fields of regard; and

steering, in response to the detection of the change, the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over

the at least a first one of the fields of regard according to a first value of an update rate, and

at least a first other one of the fields of regard according to a second value of the update rate, and

steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard according to a third value of the update rate a time after detecting the change.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transitioning from steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard to the at least a first other one of the fields of regard in response to a command.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transitioning from steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard to the at least a first other one of the fields of regard in response to an occurrence of an event.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transitioning from steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard to the at least a first other one of the fields of regard in response to an interrupt signal.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transitioning from steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard to the at least a first other one of the fields of regard in response to an elapsed of an amount of time.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

causing the at least one first transmit beam to have a first transmit characteristic while steering the at least one first transmit beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard;

causing the at least one first receive beam to have a first receive characteristic while steering the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard;

causing the at least one first transmit beam to have a second transmit characteristic while steering the at least one first transmit beam over the at least a first other one of the fields of regard; and

causing the at least one first receive beam to have a second receive characteristic while steering the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first other one of the fields of regard.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein:

the first transmit characteristic includes a first transmit waveform;

the first receive characteristic includes a first receive waveform;

the second transmit characteristic includes a second transmit waveform; and

the second receive characteristic includes a second receive waveform.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

radiating at least one second transmit beam;

forming at least one second receive beam; and

steering the at least one second transmit beam and the at least one second receive beam over the at least a first one and the at least a first other one of the fields of regard while steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one and the at least a first other one of the fields of regard.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processing circuit, cause the at least one processing circuit, or another circuit under control of the at least one processing circuit:

to radiate, with an antenna, at least one first transmit beam;

to form at least one first receive beam;

to steer the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over fields of regard;

to receive, from at least one first receive beam, information related to the fields of regard;

to detect, from the information, a change related to at least one object within at least a first one of the fields of regard; and

to steer, in response to detecting the change, the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard according to a first value of an update rate, and over the at least a first other one of the fields of regard according to a second value of the update rate, and

to steer the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard according to a third value of the update rate a time after detecting the change.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processing circuit, further cause the at least one processing circuit, or another circuit under control of the at least one processing circuit to transition from steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard to over the at least a first other one of the fields of regard in response to a command.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processing circuit, further cause the at least one processing circuit, or another circuit under control of the at least one processing circuit to transition from steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard to over the at least a first other one of the fields of regard in response to an occurrence of an event.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processing circuit, further cause the at least one processing circuit, or another circuit under control of the at least one processing circuit to transition from steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard to the at least a first other one of the fields of regard in response to an interrupt signal.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processing circuit, further cause the at least one processing circuit, or another circuit under control of the at least one processing circuit to transition from steering the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard to the at least a first other one of the fields of regard in response to an elapse of an amount of time.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processing circuit, further cause the at least one processing circuit, or another circuit under control of the at least one processing circuit:

to cause the at least one first transmit beam to have a first transmit characteristic while the at least one first transmit beam is being steered over the at least a first one of the fields of regard;

to cause the at least one first receive beam to have a first receive characteristic while the at least one first receive beam is being steered over the at least a first one of the fields of regard;

to cause the at least one first transmit beam to have a second transmit characteristic while the at least one first transmit beam is being steered over the at least a first other one of the fields of regard; and

to cause the at least one first receive beam to have a second receive characteristic while the at least one first receive beam is being steered over the at least a first other one of the fields of regard.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processing circuit, further cause the at least one processing circuit, or another circuit under control of the at least one processing circuit:

to radiate at least one second transmit beam;

to form at least one second receive beam; and

to steer the at least one second transmit beam and the at least one second receive beam over the at least a first one of the fields of regard and the at least a first other one of the fields of regard while the at least one first transmit beam and the at least one first receive beam are being steered over the at least a first one of the fields of regard and the at least a first other one of the fields of regard.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24 wherein:

the first transmit characteristic includes a first transmit waveform;

the first receive characteristic includes a first receive waveform;

the second transmit characteristic includes a second transmit waveform; and

the second receive characteristic includes a second receive waveform.