Doppler-based traffic radar system and related method of operation without detection

Abstract

A Doppler-based traffic radar system determines a speed of a moving target from a platform while substantially eliminating the possibility of detection by an operator of the moving target utilizing a traffic radar detector. The radar system includes a controller or digital signal processor for limiting the period of time the system is initially transmitting. The duration of the initial transmission period is limited such that presently available commercial radar detectors are substantially unable to detect and/or elect not to report the presence of the radar signal. Specifically, the radar system is adapted to monitor the number of accumulated digital samples from a reflected portion of the radar signal. Upon receipt of a number of samples sufficient to determine the speed of the target, the radar system ends the initial transmission. Once the samples are obtained, the radar system determines the speed of the target and displays the speed. Dependent upon the displayed rate of speed, the radar system operator further has the ability to halt operation of the radar system with respect to the particular target or to reinitiate transmission of the transmit signal for subsequently tracking the speed of the moving target both visually and aurally for a period of time sufficient to support a citation.

1 . A method for determining a speed of a moving target from a platform having a traffic radar system while substantially eliminating the possibility of detection by an operator of the target utilizing a traffic radar detector comprising the steps of: 
 transmitting a radar signal from the platform toward the moving target for a controlled period of time;    receiving a portion of said radar signal reflected from the moving target;    calculating the speed of the moving target;    displaying the speed of the moving target; and    ending the transmission of said radar signal at the end of said controlled period of time, said controlled period of time being sufficiently short in duration to avoid detection by the operator of the target but sufficiently long in duration to support said calculating step,    whereby the speed of the moving target is initially determined without alerting the operator of the moving target.    
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said controlled period of time is substantially less than fifty milliseconds.  
     
     
         3 . A Doppler-based radar system for determining a speed of a moving target from a platform while substantially eliminating the possibility of detection by a traffic radar detector associated with the moving target comprising: 
 an oscillator to generate a signal;    an antenna to transmit the oscillator signal toward the target for a limited period of time and to receive a return signal reflected from the target;    means for accumulating a predetermined amount of the received return signal sufficient to calculate the speed of the target and for calculating the speed of the moving target; and    wherein said limited period of time ends upon the accumulation of the predetermined amount of the return signal.