Composable Radar

Abstract

The modular radar system includes an antenna assembly, a support structure on which the antenna assembly is mounted, and a set of modular radar subsystems. The antenna assembly includes an antenna array, an antenna enclosure on which the antenna array is mounted and configured to house the antenna array and distribute communication and power signals to the antenna array, and an antenna enclosure interface configured to receive inputs to and provide outputs from the antenna array. The support structure positions the antenna array at an orientation and height for antenna operation. The set of modular radar subsystems is separate from the support structure and in operative communication with the antenna enclosure interface and includes a data processing subsystem, a cooling subsystem, and an AC power subsystem that provides power to the antenna enclosure, the data processing subsystem, the cooling subsystem, and the DC power conversion subsystem.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to devices, systems, and methods for operating equipment such as radar systems. More particularly, the present disclosure describes embodiments relating to devices, systems, and methods for creating radar systems having a modular, scalable, and composable architecture. [Background technology]

[0002] A radar system is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (range), angle, or velocity of an object, and typically includes a transmitter that generates electromagnetic waves in the radio or microwave range, a transmitting antenna, a receiving antenna (often the same antenna is used for transmitting and receiving), a receiver to determine the characteristics of the object(s), and a processor. Radio waves (pulsed or continuous) from the transmitter reflect off objects and return to the receiver, giving information about the object's location and velocity. In many systems, the antenna is an antenna array, which is a group of multiple connected antennas coupled to a common source or load, acting as a single antenna to form a directional radiation pattern. Common antenna arrays for radar systems may include electronically scanned array (ESA) antennas and active electronically scanning array (AESA) antennas, as known in the art. Typically, the basic building block of a conventional AESA is a transmit / receive module or TR module, which can be packaged to form an AESA antenna element and may include a radiator, a receiver, a low noise amplifier (LNA), a transmit power amplifier (PA), and a digitally controlled phase or delay gain component. Several of these TR modules are arranged on an antenna panel in a grid format for transmitting and receiving radar signals. By digitally controlling the transmit and receive gain and phase, the AESA antenna can steer or point the resulting antenna beam without physically moving the antenna panel. A typical modern low-cost AESA antenna panel uses printed circuit radiators connected to surface-mounted monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) devices. The MMIC device contains the LNA, PA, and phase / gain control circuitry, all implemented on a single printed circuit board (PCB).

[0003] In recent years, AESA antenna array architectures have been developed using modular and / or stackable components. 1 is a diagram of an antenna array architecture 100 constructed using modular, stackable components as described in several commonly assigned patents and patent applications, including U.S. Patent No. 8,810,448, entitled "Modular Architecture for Scalable Phased Array Radars," issued on August 19, 2014, U.S. Patent No. 9,116,222, entitled "Modular Architecture for Scalable Phased Array Radars," issued on August 25, 2015 (a division of U.S. Patent No. 8,810,448), and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2,021,008,339, entitled "Modular and Stackable Antenna Array," having application serial number 16 / 573,954, filed on September 17, 2019, and published on March 18, 2021 (hereinafter the "'954 Application"). The disclosures of each of these documents are incorporated herein by reference.

[0004] As shown in FIG. 1 and as further described in the above-referenced patents, multiple power and beamforming building blocks 102 can be arranged in rows and columns in an array 116. Each modular building block (MBB) 102 (also referred to herein as a radar modular assembly (RMA) and / or functional building block (FBB)) can include multiple transmit / receive integrated multi-channel module (TRIMM) cards 110 and their associated power and signal electronics cards, such as 24 TRIMMs, a synthesizer card, a DREX (digital receiver exciter) card 106, a synthesizer 108, and an auxiliary power controller card 104. In this exemplary architecture, each individual TRIMM card 110 can be replaceable, and the architecture can be modular in the modular building blocks. Multiple MBBs 102 can be combined to form a modular radar assembly (MRA), and multiple MRAs can be combined together to form a radar antenna array 114. As further described in the above-mentioned '954 application, in the example of Figure 1, groups of MBBs 102 can be coupled together with their own support structures 122 to form building block sections 112 of a modular radar assembly (MRA) 114. In this case, each section 112 is configured to have its own respective connections for power, cooling, control signals, and beamforming coupled in parallel such that each section 112 can function independently of each other section. In the antenna array 100 of Figure 1, this allows antenna arrays of any desired size to be created, including by combining sections 112 (e.g., by stacking or placing adjacent to each other) and aligning the faces of each respective MRA subsection 112 to form an array surface 120 to create a single uniform array surface. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of one or more aspects of the embodiments described herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of all possible embodiments, and is not intended to identify key or essential elements of the embodiments or to delineate the scope thereof. Rather, the primary purpose of this summary is to present some concepts of the embodiments described herein in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0006] Designing, testing, and manufacturing a radar system such as that shown in FIG. 1 can involve significant time, expense, and design expertise. As a result, changes to any part of the design and / or operation of the radar system can result in costly and time-consuming changes to multiple parts of the radar system as well. As is known in the art, in many instances, radar systems are often specifically designed or tailored for a particular application and location, so when changes are required to the radar system due to new requirements, applications, or other demands, it can be difficult to make the changes, upgrades, expansions, and / or improvements, especially to the radar system hardware once it is deployed in the field. For example, changing the antenna to a larger size array due to increased power demands can require significant upgrades throughout the rest of the system, including new or upgraded power distribution systems, new or upgraded cooling systems, additional data processing capabilities, etc.

[0007] In addition to the cost, time, and expense of modifying a radar system, customers purchasing radar systems (especially large installations such as military radar systems) often prefer to use mature technology for upgrades and / or incremental insertion into existing systems, as compared to completely new designs. However, being able to retrofit or adapt mature technology to work with systems in the field can require costly and time-consuming significant redesign of the radar system, and particularly some or all of the radar subsystems, to make the work possible.

[0008] At least some embodiments herein attempt to address at least some of these concerns.

[0009] In certain embodiments, a new tower-based family of radar systems is provided that features modular building block subsystems designed to allow customers to configure and rapidly deploy systems tailored to their mission needs. Using predefined and tested building blocks, in at least some embodiments, a family of high-performance radars composed of high Technology Readiness Level (TRL) subsystems is established to provide a novel systematic radar architecture that addresses diverse mission spaces with mature technology. In certain embodiments, each high TRL building block and radar subsystem is tailored to the requirements and / or budget without requiring substantial additional design. In certain embodiments, building blocks are defined for each subsystem, allowing the radar system to scale from relatively small apertures to large apertures intended for highly specialized missions. In certain embodiments, the maturity of the subsystems provides confidence that the radar hardware will perform as expected without expensive test cycles, which can help enable the system's performance and requirement levels to be confirmed by simulation.

[0010] In certain embodiments, the unique tower-based radar system configuration described herein utilizes a novel, fully integrated antenna support structure that facilitates the integration of three independent antenna enclosures (also referred to herein as array enclosures) into the tower structure, as described further herein in connection with at least some embodiments. These enclosures, which are of a novel design, are purposefully configured to facilitate rapid deployment, provide system evolution, and enable radar system configurability without a new design cycle. In at least some embodiments, each subsystem, although a new subsystem, is defined and adapted by a mature building block architecture. In certain embodiments, each subsystem is sheltered, scalable, and relocatable, allowing for installation and checkout in a factory environment. For example, in at least some embodiments, each modular subsystem is independently functionally scalable, meaning that the functional capabilities of the subsystems (e.g., including but not limited to functions such as cooling capacity, signal processing capacity, power capacity, etc.) can be independently changed, expanded, reduced, etc., based on the functional and / or operational requirements of the other components of the system. At least some embodiments leverage mature antenna components and technology, and the fact that building blocks are common across radar families and other programs of record, allowing customers and users to not only benefit from cost avoidance associated with design advances or new developments, but also realize full DOTMLPF (doctrinal, organizational, training, materiel, leadership, education, personnel, and facilities) efficiencies.

[0011] According to one embodiment, a modular radar system includes a first antenna assembly, a support structure on which the first antenna assembly is mounted, and a set of first modular radar subsystems. The first antenna assembly includes a first antenna array, a first antenna enclosure to which the first antenna array is mounted, the first antenna enclosure configured to house the first antenna array and distribute a first communication signal and a first power signal to the first antenna array, and a first antenna enclosure interface configured to receive a first input to the first antenna array and provide a first output from the first antenna array. The support structure is configured to position the antenna array of the first antenna enclosure at a first orientation and height sufficient for antenna operation. The set of first modular radar subsystems is configured to be separate from the support structure, and the set of modular radar subsystems is configured to operably communicate with at least one first antenna enclosure interface via a respective set of first connections. The first set of modular radar subsystems includes a first data processing subsystem, a first cooling subsystem, and a first alternating current (AC) power subsystem. The first data processing subsystem is configured to provide an input to an interface of the first antenna enclosure, control beamforming of the first antenna array, and perform signal processing at an output of the first antenna array. The first cooling subsystem provides cooling to the first antenna enclosure and the first data processing subsystem. The first AC power subsystem is configured to provide power to the first antenna enclosure, the first data processing subsystem, the first cooling subsystem, and the first direct current (DC) power conversion subsystem.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first antenna array has a first array size, and at least one respective subsystem of the first set of modular radar subsystems is configured to be functionally independently scalable based on at least one of the first array size and the operability requirements of the first antenna array. In some embodiments, the support structure is configured to route a respective first set of connections between the first set of modular radar subsystems and the at least one first antenna enclosure interface. In some embodiments, the first antenna enclosure and the support structure are scalably configured such that the first antenna array can be scaled to a second array size different from the first array size without removing the first antenna assembly from the support structure.

[0013] In some embodiments, the set of modular radar subsystems are configured to be housed in respective repositionable shelters that are separate from the support structure. In some embodiments, the first antenna enclosure and the support structure are configured to enable self-alignment of the first antenna assembly as part of installation of the first antenna enclosure on the support structure.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first set of connections further includes a first portion operably coupled to the at least one first antenna interface and a second portion configured to connect to a respective one of the set of first modular radar subsystems. Each of the first set of connections and the first antenna enclosure are operably coupled together, including the connection of each respective first portion to the at least one first antenna enclosure interface, prior to installation on the support structure, and the first antenna enclosure, the first antenna array, and the first set of connections are all calibrated before the first antenna assembly is mounted on the support structure.

[0015] In some embodiments, the support structure comprises an antenna enclosure mounting portion configured to allow at least a second antenna assembly to be mounted on the support structure in a second orientation different from the first orientation, the second antenna assembly comprising a second antenna array, a second antenna enclosure in which the second antenna array is mounted, the second antenna enclosure configured to house the second antenna array and distribute a second communication signal and a second power signal to the second antenna array, and a second antenna enclosure interface configured to receive a second input to the second antenna array and provide a second output from the second antenna array. The second antenna assembly is in operative communication with a respective set of second modular radar subsystems via a respective set of second connections between the set of second modular radar subsystems and at least one respective second antenna enclosure interface, the set of second modular radar subsystems being configured to be separate from the support structure and separate from the set of first modular radar subsystems.

[0016] In some embodiments, the second set of modular radar subsystems includes a second data processing subsystem configured to provide input to an interface of the second antenna enclosure, control beamforming of the second antenna array, and perform signal processing at an output of the second antenna array, a second cooling subsystem configured to provide cooling to the second antenna enclosure and the second data processing subsystem, and a second alternating current (AC) power subsystem configured to provide power to the second antenna enclosure, the second data processing subsystem, the second cooling subsystem, and the second direct current (DC) power conversion shelter. The second antenna array has a second array size, and at least one respective subsystem of the second set of modular radar subsystems is functionally and independently scalable configured based on at least one of the second array size and the operability requirements of the second antenna array.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first antenna enclosure is configured to be at least one of waterproof, weatherproof, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, and high intensity electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) resistant. In some embodiments, the support structure includes a tower structure configured to elevate the antenna assembly a predetermined distance above the set of first modular radar subsystems.

[0018] In another aspect, a modular radar system is provided that includes an antenna assembly and a set of modular radar subsystems. The antenna assembly includes an antenna array, an antenna enclosure to which a first antenna array is attached, the antenna enclosure configured to house the antenna array and distribute a first communication signal and a first power signal to the antenna array, and an antenna enclosure interface configured to receive an input to the antenna array and provide an output from the antenna array. The set of modular radar subsystems is configured to be separate from the antenna assembly, the set of modular radar subsystems is configured to operably communicate with at least one first antenna enclosure interface via a respective set of connections, and the set of modular radar subsystems includes a data processing subsystem, a cooling subsystem, and an alternating current (AC) power subsystem. The data processing subsystem is configured to provide an input to the antenna enclosure interface, control beamforming of the antenna array, and perform signal processing at an output of the antenna array. The cooling subsystem provides cooling to the antenna enclosure and the data processing subsystem. The AC power subsystem is configured to supply power to the antenna enclosure, the data processing subsystem, the cooling subsystem, and the direct current (DC) power conversion subsystem.

[0019] In some embodiments of the modular radar system, the antenna array has an array size, and each subsystem of at least one of the set of modular radar subsystems is configured to be functionally independently scalable based on at least one of the array size and the operability requirements of the first antenna array. In some embodiments of the modular radar system, the set of connections further includes a first portion operably coupled to the at least one antenna interface and a second portion configured to be connected to a respective one of the set of modular radar subsystems, and each of the connection sets and the antenna enclosure are operably coupled to each other, including a connection between each respective first portion and the at least one antenna enclosure interface, prior to installation in the operative position, and the antenna enclosure, the antenna array, and the set of connections are all calibrated prior to installation of the antenna assembly in the operative position.

[0020] In some embodiments, the modular radar system further includes a support structure through which the set of connections are routed, the support structure being separate from the set of modular radar subsystems and comprising a tower structure configured to elevate the antenna assembly a predetermined distance above the set of modular radar subsystems. In some embodiments of the modular radar system, the antenna enclosure is configured to be at least one of waterproof, weatherproof, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, and high intensity electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) resistant. In some embodiments, the tower structure includes an antenna enclosure mounting portion configured to allow the antenna enclosure to be mounted in any one of a number of orientations.

[0021] In another aspect, a method of providing a modular radar system is provided. An antenna array is attached to an antenna enclosure to form an antenna assembly, the antenna enclosure configured to house the antenna array and distribute a first communication signal and a first power signal to the antenna array. An antenna enclosure interface is coupled to the antenna enclosure, the antenna enclosure interface configured to receive an input to the antenna array and provide an output from the antenna array. A set of connections is attached to the antenna enclosure interface to form an antenna assembly including the antenna enclosure, the antenna array, the antenna enclosure interface, and a set of connections, the set of connections configured to connect the antenna assembly to one or more modular radar subsystems. The antenna assembly is mounted to a support structure configured to position the antenna array at a first orientation and height sufficient for antenna operation. A data processing system is operably connected to one or more corresponding data processing connections in the set of connections, the data processing subsystem being separate from the support structure and configured to provide inputs to the interface of the antenna enclosure, control beamforming of the antenna array, and perform signal processing at an output of the antenna array. A cooling system is attached to one or more corresponding cooling connections in the set of connections, the cooling subsystem being separate from the support structure and configured to provide cooling to the antenna enclosure and the data processing subsystem. An alternating current (AC) power subsystem is operably connected to one or more corresponding power connections in the set of connections, the AC power subsystem being separate from the support structure and configured to provide power to the antenna enclosure, the data processing subsystem, the cooling subsystem, and the direct current (DC) power conversion subsystem.

[0022] In some embodiments, at least one of the data processing subsystem, the cooling subsystem, and the AC power subsystem are functionally and independently scalable based on at least one of the size of the antenna array and the operability requirements of the antenna array. In some embodiments, the antenna assembly is calibrated prior to mounting the antenna assembly to the support structure.

[0023] Details regarding these and other embodiments are described more fully herein.

[0024] Advantages and aspects of the described embodiments, as well as the embodiments themselves, will be more fully understood in conjunction with the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an antenna array configured with a radar modular assembly (RMA) according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a first exemplary block diagram of radar system elements according to one embodiment. [Figure 3-1] FIG. 3 is a second example block diagram of radar system elements showing the radar system elements of FIG. 2 in more detail, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3-2] FIG. 3 is a second example block diagram of radar system elements showing the radar system elements of FIG. 2 in more detail, according to one embodiment. [Figure 4A] 3 is a first exemplary embodiment of a tower composable radar using the radar system elements of FIG. 2 , according to some embodiments. [Figure 4B] 3 is a second exemplary embodiment of a tower composable radar using the radar system elements of FIG. 2 , according to some embodiments. [Figure 4C] 3 is a further detail of the antenna array of the radar system of FIG. 2 according to one embodiment. [Diagram 5]FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary modular tower, according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a close-up view of a portion of the modular tower of FIG. 5 showing attachment points, attachment angles, and alignment pins, according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a first view of a plurality of individual home antenna enclosures mounted on top of the modular tower of FIG. 5 according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a rear view of a standalone antenna enclosure with the door open, according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 6 is a maintenance diagram of several standalone antenna enclosures mounted on top of the modular tower of FIG. 5, showing the components in transit, according to one embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram of the individual unit antenna enclosures of FIG. 9 in an operational state. [Figure 11] 6 illustrates a diagram of the antenna enclosure upon removal and / or installation from the tower of FIG. 5, such as during installation, evolution, and / or upgrade, according to one embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a direct current (DC) power distribution shelter, according to one embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a block diagram of the DC distribution shelter of FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 illustrates an alternating current (AC) power shelter, according to one embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a block diagram of the AC power shelter of FIG. 14 according to one embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) shelter, according to one embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of the UPS shelter of FIG. 16 according to one embodiment. [Figure 18] 1 is a diagram of a data processing shelter, according to one embodiment. [Figure 19] 19 is a block diagram of the data processing shelter of FIG. 18, according to one embodiment. [Figure 20]FIG. 1 is a diagram of a cooling equipment shelter (CES) according to one embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a block diagram of the CES of FIG. 20 according to one embodiment. [Figure 22] 1 is an illustrative example of a trailer-mounted commercial off-the-shelf system (COTS) that may be used to deploy at least some embodiments herein. [Diagram 23] is an illustrative example of a palletized COTS that can be used in the deployment of at least some embodiments herein. [Figure 24] FIG. 1 is an illustrative block diagram example of physical interfaces between radar system elements in an exemplary composable radar system, according to one embodiment. [Diagram 25] FIG. 4 is an example block diagram of the composable radar system of FIG. 3 adapted to operate in an example surveillance radar system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 27 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system usable with at least some of the systems and devices of FIGS. 1-26, according to one embodiment.

[0026] The drawings are not to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles and features of embodiments of the present disclosure.In the drawings, like reference numbers refer to like elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] The following detailed description is provided in at least some examples using the particular context of a target detection system (e.g., a radar system) configured to detect, track, monitor, and / or identify targets, where targets may include, but are not limited to, aircraft (both unmanned and manned), unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned autonomous vehicles, robots, ships, spacecraft, autonomous vehicles, and celestial bodies, as well as birds, insects, and rain. At least some embodiments herein may be used with any system associated with any radar application, including, but not limited to, military radar, air traffic control radar, weather surveillance radar, and the like. Some embodiments described herein may be used to install and configure any type of elevated surveillance system.

[0028] Increasingly, it is believed that radar system users and purchasers will prefer to avoid the cost, risk, and extended time to develop and deploy new radars. Recent radar developments and advances have focused on the modulation of scalable phased array technology to reduce the design required to tune the radar sensitivity and aperture. Examples of such modularization are described in several commonly assigned patents and patent applications mentioned above. Using scalable systems such as the scalable phased array antennas described in the patent documents mentioned above may mean that radar users and customers are more willing to adapt these mature available radar solutions to new mission spaces. While using mature production hardware significantly reduces cost and schedule risk, radar users and customers may compromise mission requirements despite using scalable systems to improve processing power. Furthermore, scaling of phased arrays and supporting subsystems may require significantly more design support and cost than expected.

[0029] Furthermore, although an antenna architecture such as the antenna architecture 100 of FIG. 1 has the advantage that it is scalable, antenna array expansion is not effective in all situations. In some cases, antenna array expansion does not work because the available power, cooling, and processing cannot be easily scaled or upgraded to the new antenna array requirements without requiring new design and testing. For very large scale apertures, it is feasible to stack the MRA subsections 112 and / or place them side-by-side. However, in the case of the exemplary antenna architecture 100 of FIG. 1, the architecture cannot always be easily upgraded in size at a later date without extensive rework if new unique array and tail structures are required for each radar size and performance. While using modular building blocks to scale phased arrays and reuse production components across radar families is becoming more common in radar design, this approach generally cannot be scaled beyond antenna subsystems without significant redesign. Furthermore, recent implementations require extensive downtime associated with upgrades and calibrations in the field.

[0030] One proposed solution is to improve the modularity of the system by packaging the radar components in the antenna. This may be feasible, and addresses the issue of very large apertures. However, this approach is not always efficient, especially for multi-plane systems that require high elevations (towers) for applications where smaller and / or lighter antennas are needed.

[0031] Radar modularity in some past systems has focused primarily on antenna scalability via building blocks such as the Radar Modular Assembly (RMA) described above. The process of upgrading scalable antennas in the field can be cumbersome, resulting in substantial work downtime and requiring on-site calibration. Each new antenna configuration can result in additional design effort required for features such as antenna structure, support systems such as power, cooling, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), and system design including integration, testing, and system validation. Finally, in some cases, the extensive design required to upgrade existing systems can lead to costly projects where customers and radar users may lose confidence that the upgraded system has a high system Technology Readiness Level (TRL).

[0032] Recent building block concepts at higher levels of integration focus on large scale rapid system scaling (e.g., modular radar assemblies (MRA)) as described in the aforementioned '954 patent application. These other building block concepts may require a ground platform due to size and weight, but the nature of the ground platform (e.g., size and ground coverage) may limit site installation options near deployment centers. Additionally, these building blocks may require the use of relatively large ground surfaces for 360 degree coverage. In some cases, these concepts employ very large building blocks that are not well suited for miniaturization. Ground platforms may be dictated by the geometry of the area for situations where overlook surveillance is required. The nature of these large systems may limit the practicality of applying these large systems for most airborne surveillance missions that require tower-based foundations.

[0033] In some instances, a user / customer, such as a military or other government agency, may require and / or prefer a range of radar capabilities and performance, but may compromise on requirements to ease availability, minimize DOTMLPF (doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership, education, personnel, and facilities) complexity, and / or expedite deployment schedules for delivery and deployment of radar systems. Thus, the customer / user must make tradeoffs in some cases, such as:

[0034] - Mitigating risk due to high technology maturity level (TRL): There may be an incentive to purchase an available and mature system versus choosing to develop a new system.

[0035] - Functionality trade-off: the user may be willing to accept some system performance limitations, assuming that a solution that meets, say, 80% of the requirements is better than no solution at all.

[0036] - Selection based on lowest cost: Cost sensitivity for many users may mean increased emphasis on maximizing capacity within a constrained budget.

[0037] - System scalability imperative: Radar and other systems that are open systems and / or offer modularity and scalability may be preferred, allowing initial acquisitions to be scaled to budgets while providing an evolutionary path to desired capabilities.

[0038] - Acquisition Agility: Extensive use of Other Trade Authority (OTA), Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ), and other acquisition methods to accelerate time to field.

[0039] In certain aspects, at least some of the present embodiments described herein attempt to address at least some of these above-mentioned concerns and problems. Furthermore, at least some of the embodiments described herein provide novel composable radar systems that can help address one or more of these needs. In certain embodiments, the composable radar solution provides a novel approach to define, configure, and deploy mature, high-performance radars for various customers, missions, and requirements. In certain embodiments, a fully modular building block approach is used, and certain embodiments result in tower-based radar systems that are configured using mature, proven building blocks with little design assistance required. The approach demonstrated in at least some embodiments can help address very specific customer needs, including: 1) Use of high TRL phased array and critical subsystem technologies 2) Establishing measures to introduce features and address development delays 3) Tailoring radar solutions to meet operational requirements and / or budgetary constraints without redesign 4) Rapid deployment of advanced features with extremely low downtime 5) Validating system performance through simulation versus expensive flight testing 6) Use of mature, uniform system components to deliver DOTMLPF efficiency

[0040] In certain embodiments, as described herein, the radar systems provided are produced using modular "building block" components derived from mature products and product building blocks. Creating these components, according to at least some embodiments, helps establish a catalog of standardized configurations for customers (advantageously with predictable costs / prices). At least some embodiments herein provide pre-engineered building blocks that span a variety of radar system configurations, as well as other types of systems incorporating any or all of the components.

[0041] In certain embodiments, the configuration of the radar system is defined to support a wide range of radar missions and functions (civil and Department of Defense (DoD)). In certain embodiments, the lineage of configuration defines a commodity radar (off the shelf) with known and unquestioned capabilities, with maturity, availability, and pedigree. In certain embodiments, standardized building blocks and standardized configurations can be used to advantageously match known mission requirements and / or budgets, as described further herein. In certain embodiments, the use of standardized building blocks can help eliminate or reduce design and development time for subsequent radar applications. Yet another advantage of standardized components associated with at least some embodiments herein is repeatable manufacturing, deployment, and performance.

[0042] FIG 2 is a first example block diagram of radar system elements for an example composable radar system 200, according to one embodiment. FIG 3 is a second example block diagram of the radar system 200 of FIG 2, showing the radar system elements and subsystems of FIG 2 in more detail, according to one embodiment (details of the subsystems shown in FIG 3 are described further herein). The example composable / modular radar system 200 includes multiple radar system subcomponents (also referred to herein as "radar building blocks" or "RBBs"), each of which (other than the tower structure 202) is advantageously housed in a modular, relocatable, shelter or other protective housing with predefined interfaces and connections to other RBBs (as described further herein). In certain embodiments, each RBB is pre-tested, pre-verified, and / or pre-configured and ready for use. Each RBB is configured to operatively communicate with certain of the other RBBs (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 24 and 25 herein) and / or with the antenna array 207 (as described further herein). In certain embodiments, the operative connections between the RBBs of the antenna array 207 and its antenna enclosure 204 RBB, and other RBBs, are formed by cables and other connections routed through and / or within the tower 202 (which may be constructed using one or more modular subcomponents that are themselves also RBBs and, in certain embodiments, are themselves also visible as RBBs).

[0043] 2 and 3, an exemplary composable radar system 200 includes a first tower antenna structure 205 (including one or more antenna enclosures 204 and a support tower structure 202), one or more direct current (DC) power distribution shelters 206, one or more alternating current (AC) power shelters 208, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) shelter 210, one or more data processing shelters 211, and one or more cooling shelters 214. Details of each of these components are described further herein. Additionally, in certain embodiments, the shelters can be configured to be rearrangeable and / or stackable. In certain embodiments, the shelters housing some or all of the subsystem components of the radar system 200 can be comparable in size to traditional cargo containers used for transportation.

[0044] In certain embodiments, the systems of Figures 2 and 3 are uniquely integrated together to provide a novel architecture that can advantageously reuse and adapt mature array technologies, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment, and / or freestanding shelters, including a novel tower support structure 202 (see Figure 5 herein) incorporating antenna supports 502, in novel combinations, enabling novel, modular, scalable, and re-deployable tower-based radar products. Subsystems 202-214 of Figures 2 and 3 correspond to new, well-defined Radar Building Block (RBB) subsystems. Use of the RBB subsystems of Figures 2 and 3 allows the radar system to be easily tailored to mission requirements with little or no new development.

[0045] The antenna enclosure 204 (described in more detail in FIGS. 4-11 herein) in certain embodiments provides a fully enclosed, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielded, high altitude electromagnetic pulse (HAM) resistant, and weather resistant integrated structure for a scalable phased array antenna (advantageously constructed using modular Radar Modular Assembly (RMA) antenna elements or other Functional Building Block (FBB) elements), such as those available from Raytheon Corporation and / or other manufacturers, and associated array distribution. The antenna enclosure 204 in certain embodiments allows for delivery and field installation of a fully integrated antenna, already calibrated and tested at the factory where it was manufactured (although this is not required in all embodiments). In some embodiments, the antenna enclosure includes fully calibrated cables already connected inside the enclosure, although this is not required in all embodiments. The antenna enclosure 204, in some embodiments, can be installed on a tower mount (e.g., to the tower 202) in a matter of hours using a crane lift (see FIG. 11 herein) or other suitable lift, and the antenna enclosure and antenna support tower 202 are specially designed for quick, simple, proper (and advantageously, mechanical) alignment (further described herein in connection with FIGS. 6 and 11).

[0046] In certain embodiments, the antenna enclosure 204 is designed for a fully populated array, but smaller apertures can be deployed depending on mission-specific requirements or budgets. This is described further herein, particularly in conjunction with FIGS. 4A-4C and 11. An additional benefit of the antenna enclosure 204 of FIGS. 2 and 3 is that in certain embodiments, it allows for rapid sensitivity development by replacing an existing antenna enclosure 204 (which may not be fully populated) with a fully populated antenna enclosure 204 (see FIG. 11 herein) with very little downtime. In an exemplary embodiment, for 360 degree coverage, the tower antenna structure 205 can include three antenna enclosures 204, but this is not limited. The tower antenna structure can be implemented with one to four antenna enclosures, as desired and / or depending on a given application. The number of antenna enclosures 204 that can be used is limited by the configuration, shape, and support capabilities of the tower structure 202. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different geometries and footprints of the tower 204 can be created to accommodate more antenna enclosures 204 and / or support structures 502 configured to hold different orientations of the antenna enclosures 204. However, this may be less advantageous from a cost and coverage (e.g., radar signal) standpoint. In a particular embodiment, the antenna enclosure 205 includes an antenna 207 created using the RMA-based building blocks described above (e.g., as incorporated by the reference '222 and '448 patents, as described above), but this is not a limitation. The concepts and structures illustrated in the figures herein are applicable to any scalable or functional building blocks, as will be appreciated.

[0047] The system 200 of Figures 2 and 3 also includes a novel tower design 202 with an integrated antenna enclosure support structure 502 (shown and described in more detail in connection with Figures 5-6 herein) in certain embodiments. With brief reference to Figures 5 and 6, the exemplary radar system 200 has one such tower 202, where the support structure portion 502 is configured to support one to four antenna enclosures 204. In certain embodiments, the tower subsystem 202 is specially configured and designed for rapid integration of the antenna enclosures 204. In various embodiments, the antenna elements can be equally distributed in the three antenna enclosures 204 associated with three corresponding antenna array faces. In certain embodiments, the array size and coverage of the faces of the antenna array 2017 can be changed. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, the pre-configured array population combinations can be adjusted and subsequently upgraded to meet mission requirements or limited budgets. In certain embodiments, the tower subsystem 202 is provided in modular sections to allow the user / customer to select the desired height based on the mission and geometry. It should be noted that the implementations of Figures 2 and 3 apply to any scalable antenna, regardless of frequency.

[0048] In certain embodiments, the tower subsystem 202 is deployed before the other radar subsystems of FIG. 2 so that the antenna enclosure 204 can be craned or otherwise lifted onto the tower and mechanically aligned without the need for further design (see FIGS. 6 and 11 herein), but this is not limiting. The other radar building block (RBB) elements or subsystems of FIGS. 2 and 3 can also be provided in a different order. However, in certain embodiments, the array enclosure 204 requires that the tower subsystem 202 be installed and ready to house the antenna enclosure 204. The tower subsystem 202 can include a tower sectioned in terms of three to four separate antenna heights in some embodiments, whereby the tower 202 is provided in multiple modular pieces to be installed in the field.

[0049] The system 200 of Figures 2 and 3 also includes another novel RBB in the form of a power shelter, such as DC power distribution shelter 206, and in some embodiments, DC power distribution 206 and AC power distribution 208 are in separate shelters. In certain embodiments, the power shelter can provide AC / DC power conversion. In certain embodiments, each respective antenna enclosure 204 has its own corresponding power shielding structure, including its own dedicated DC power distribution shelter 206 and its own dedicated AC power distribution shelter 208. In certain embodiments, each respective antenna enclosure 204 also has its own cooling shelter 214, data processing shelter 212, and / or UPS shelter 210, as will be further described herein. The engineered power "building blocks" such as shelters 206 and 308 can be combined / scaled across a range of potential antenna configurations, as will be appreciated. For example, they can be easily scaled to support upgraded antenna enclosures 204 having more elements and greater needs for power and power distribution, as will be appreciated. Thus, one of the three antenna enclosures 204 on a tower can be replaced or upgraded, and some or all of the corresponding functional support (power, cooling, data processing, etc.) can be easily replaced simply by replacing the shelter or adding components inside the shelter.

[0050] Some of the other components of the radar system 200 of FIG. 2 may utilize shelter-level building blocks that leverage COTS or existing program of record (PoR) designs in certain embodiments. That is, if a component has already been used / proven for a given “program of record” or product (e.g., where an antenna enclosure / tower is used), the component may be considered mature and suitable for reuse in other systems of the same program. For example, in certain embodiments, both the UPS shelter 210 and / or the cooling equipment shelter 214 may be implemented using COTS products. In at least some embodiments, the components are independently functionally scalable to match the capacity or functionality provided based on the needs of the other components of the system. In one embodiment, the UPS shelter 210 leverages scalable COTS UPS / battery storage. In one embodiment, the cooling equipment shelter 214 is realized using a scalable COTS chiller designed to meet the specifications of the radar system, specifically to cool the antenna. The functionality of the cooling equipment shelter 214 is likewise independently scalable, so that, for example, as the size of the antenna array increases (and thus additional cooling is required), additional cooling functionality can be added to the cooling equipment shelter 214 or additional cooling equipment shelters 214 can be provided. Similar to the power shelter 206 described above, these other RBB shelters can be associated with and connected to their respective antenna enclosures 204.

[0051] In further embodiments, the data processing shelter 212 can be implemented to reuse already used or approved processes such as PoR back-end processing (TRL-8, i.e., Technology Readiness Level 8, meaning that the actual system is completed and mission or "flight qualified" through testing and demonstration). As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the hardware and software technology associated with a TRL-8 system has been proven to function in its final form under expected conditions with inherent scalability. In a particular embodiment, for example, the signal and data processing shelter 212 includes 100% reuse of S-band products for radar processing and associated back-end radar architecture (this radar band is of course not limiting), all housed in the data processing shelter 12. As will be appreciated, there may still be minor configuration settings that need to be made for the data processing shelter 212 during set-up.

[0052] 4A and 4B are a first exemplary embodiment 400a and a second exemplary embodiment 400b of a composable radar on a tower using the radar system elements of FIGS. 2 and 3, according to some embodiments. The tower 202 of FIG. 4A has an integrated antenna support structure (shown in more detail in FIGS. 5A-7B, see antenna support structure 502 of FIGS. 5A and 6), which is an open structure configured to support up to three antenna enclosures 204a, each with a corresponding array 207a, each associated with its own set of respective RBBs (e.g., subsystems of FIGS. 2 and 3) in certain embodiments. Referring briefly to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is a diagram of an exemplary modular tower 202, according to one embodiment.

[0053] FIG. 6 is a close-up view 600 of the top portion 502 of the modular tower 202 of FIG. 5, showing that the antenna support 502 includes multiple mounting points, is oriented to maintain a particular mounting angle, and further includes alignment pins 906 according to one embodiment. In a particular embodiment, the top portion 502 is configured to have three sides, each side configured to couple to a respective antenna enclosure 204. For example, in one embodiment, the top portion 502 can have a "teepee"-shaped (e.g., having three sides) or a triangular pyramid-shaped top. In another embodiment, the top portion 502 can be implemented using a three-dimensional trapezoidal prism-shaped top portion (having a narrowest end toward the top and base approaching the dimensions of at least a portion of the base of the tower structure, resulting in each side having a substantially trapezoidal shape). In other embodiments (not shown, but readily understood), the top portion 502 can also be implemented using a triangular prism shape and / or a pyramid shape. As will be appreciated, any shape can be implemented using four faces instead of three (e.g., four trapezoidal faces versus three faces), with even more faces possible depending on the application.

[0054] Advantageously, the upper part 502 can be implemented using any shape that can be adapted to support the shape of the antenna enclosure 204 (for illustrative purposes, the embodiment herein is shown to have a substantially rectangular three-dimensional shape). The tower 202 itself can have any desired geometric shape, but is advantageously one of a square, a rectangle, a diamond, an octagon, and a triangle. The overall shape of the tower 202 in the drawings is shown as constant, but this is not limiting. The shape of the tower 202 can have, for example, a change in size in its sections and / or have one or more tapers, and can have various kinds of shapes (for example, a so-called "beefy square" shape, an Eiffel Tower shape, etc.), as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The particular shape of the antenna enclosure support 502 part is not limiting, but advantageously, this upper support 502 is configured to guarantee the weight of the antenna enclosure 204 when loaded as required with array elements to form the array 207, and can be held in place, fixedly and securely, via the mountings 604.

[0055] One advantage of using the open truss-like support structure shown in Figures 4A-4B and 5 (and antenna enclosure support 502 shown in Figure 6) is that it is not a "building" and therefore site requirements and building codes that apply to buildings (especially those where humans may be present), such as the type and number of egress, fire protection, airflow, drainage, etc., may not apply or be as burdensome to an open truss tower-like structure, even if the tower includes ladders and stairs or floors to allow humans access to some parts. This makes the support structure 202 simpler, lighter, less costly, quicker to erect / construct, easier to maintain, easier to dismantle, etc., compared to the enclosed building-like structures in which antenna arrays of this size are often mounted. Because the supporting structure is open and not completely enclosed by walls (as opposed to a supporting structure that is completely enclosed such as a building), it allows other additional health and safety requirements (such as for enclosed spaces) regarding, for example, temperature, ventilation, etc., to be more simply and / or easily achieved.

[0056] 5 and 6, it can be seen that the tower 202 includes an upper portion 502 providing an open structure capable of supporting a corresponding antenna enclosure 204 with supports 604. The upper portion 502 includes several "floor" levels 606 used by support personnel 906 (including an upper "penthouse" level 607), and the support frame 604 of the upper portion 502 is tilted from vertical. This is exemplary and not limiting. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in certain embodiments and applications, the upper portion 502 can be configured and positioned to mount antenna enclosures at other orientations and various angles (or even no angles).

[0057] In certain embodiments, the tilt of the antenna enclosure support frame 604 is related to the array scanning capability, which is determined by scanning requirements of the mission space. In some embodiments, the tilt from vertical can be greater than the tilt shown, which may tend to lead to potential scan losses toward the horizon. In many missions and applications, the preponderance of surveillance is near the horizon. As will be appreciated, the greater the tilt back, the greater the angle of scanning (and the greater the concomitant scan losses toward the horizon).

[0058] The structure 502 of FIG. 6 includes three alignment pins 610a, 610b, 610c, which are surrounded by dashed ovals in FIG. 6. The bottom alignment pins 610a and 610b are surrounded by white, and the top alignment pin 610c is surrounded by black. These pins are configured, in certain embodiments, with matching apertures formed inside the housing portion of the corresponding antenna enclosure 204, as understood in the art. As will be appreciated, many different techniques are possible for mechanically aligning the structure 502 to the antenna enclosure 204. In at least some embodiments, the alignment pins help ensure that each antenna enclosure 204 is coupled to the top 502 at the correct angle, including with the assistance of support personnel 906 during installation. Additionally, the upper array mounting supports 604 are configured to be spaced around the top such that the centers of each support 604 are a predetermined distance apart from one another, and the antenna enclosures 204 are each configured to be spaced apart from one another at a known distance or orientation for desired coverage. This arrangement is merely exemplary and not limiting. For example, in certain embodiments, if future growth (e.g., in the number of RMAS) is not anticipated or required or is known to be limited, it may be possible to have smaller sized supports with potentially reduced cost. Additionally, in FIG. 6, the mounting apparatus shows a bolt pattern 604 configured to support the weight of a nominal antenna enclosure size associated with a first size antenna array, and the bolt pattern is also configured to support the weight of an "evolving" antenna enclosure size (e.g., one with more RMAs or more FBBs). Advantageously, in some embodiments, the bolt pattern 604 is configured to support two or more sizes of enclosures (e.g., two enclosures). In one embodiment, the bolt pattern 604 may also vary based on antenna type (eg, if the antenna type is extended from the original S-band RMA to C-band).

[0059] 4A, in this exemplary embodiment, the overall height of the tower 202 including the integrated antenna support structure ranges from a very short height to a very tall height, although this is not limiting. The tower 202 is configured to support the full weight of the three antenna arrays 207 fully deployed, in some embodiments, as contained within the antenna enclosure 204. Advantageously, the tower 202 is deployed prior to other radar system components. As will be appreciated, the tower 202 is also configured to allow routing connections and / or cabling and / or conduits (collectively "connections 411") from the power / electrical (206, 208) to the antenna enclosure 204 and cooling (214).

[0060] The tower of FIG. 4A is configured to support three antenna enclosures 204, each of which may have up to a predetermined first baseline number (N1) of RMA / FBB as part of a respective array, in a particular embodiment. In an exemplary embodiment, the three small enclosures 204 fully deployed may have weights on the order of 100,000 pounds, and the three large enclosures fully deployed may have weights on the order of 200,000 pounds. In a particular embodiment, the antenna enclosures 204 may be delivered partially or fully deployed according to the desired radar configuration. In a particular embodiment, the antenna enclosures 204 include one or more integrated array distribution unit (APDU) cabinets (discussed further herein). As will be appreciated, the radar system 200 may be configured with matched or mismatched antennas (RMA / FBB amounts). Optionally, the tower 202 may include a lifting mechanism 413 to aid in component maintenance and installation. In a particular embodiment, lifting mechanism 413 is configured to transport maintenance personnel to the top 200 feet of tower 200 .

[0061] Referring again to FIG. 4A, the ground shelters shown at the base of the tower 202 include AC / DC power conversion shelters 206a, 208a, chiller (cooling) shelter 214a, signal and data processing shelter 212a, and UPS shelter 210a, all delivered fully and as-tested in certain embodiments. As will be appreciated, the ground shelters (each representing a modular radar building block providing a specific function) are configured to be fully scalable at the shelter and / or subsystem level. In certain embodiments, this scaling can be independent of whether other ground shelters need to be scaled. For example, if the size of the antenna array changes (e.g., increases by adding more array elements), additional power capacity may be required (e.g., additional power shelters would be required), but additional data processing capacity may not be required because the existing data processing shelter itself may have sufficient capacity to accommodate the increased array size. Additionally, the electrical, functional, and operable connections 411 can be routed through the tower 202, directly coupled to the tower 202, routed inside the hollow "legs" of the tower, or coupled anywhere on the tower 202 so that they can reach the antenna enclosure 204. The locations shown for the connections 411 are exemplary and not limiting. RBB components that are not directly part of the tower 202 and antenna enclosure 204 do not need to be located directly adjacent to or in close proximity to the tower subsystem 205, as long as the components that require a direct operable connection (e.g., cooling 215, DC power 206, data processing 212, and AC power 208) can make their operable connections reach the antenna enclosure 204 without degradation or signal loss. In particular, it may be possible to locate the data processing shelter 212 more remotely, which may even allow it to communicate wirelessly with other components for some activities.However, in certain embodiments, because the data processing shelter 212 is also powered by the AC and / or DC shelter (see interface diagrams in Figures 24-25 herein), it may be limited as to where the data processing shelter 212 may be located. Furthermore, in certain embodiments (e.g., the example block diagram of Figure 3, the example implementation of Figure 26), because the data processing shelter 212 includes equipment that directly deals with the antenna 207, including communicating with the antenna I and Q signals, performing digital beamforming, performing signal processing on the signals that the antenna array communicates to the data processing shelter subsystem 212, and / or other functions (as shown in block 212 of Figure 3), it may be important for optimal operation and signal fidelity that the data processing 212 be located as close as possible to the antenna array 207.

[0062] 4B, the second composable radar of tower 400B includes many concepts similar to the composable radar 400a of FIG. 1, but is scaled and adapted to increase the capacity of the composable radar 400a to N2 RMA per antenna array plane (compared to N1 RMA per antenna array plane in the system of FIG. 4A). In a particular embodiment, N2=2N1, although this is not limiting. Since in a particular embodiment, each RMA corresponds to approximately a 2 foot by 2 foot "box" (e.g., as shown in FIG. 1) and weighs approximately 1000 pounds, it can be appreciated that the size of antenna array 207b of the embodiment of FIG. 2, and the weight of the corresponding antenna enclosure 204b, would require a significantly larger tower 202b with a larger footprint to provide more support. Similar to the tower 202a of FIG. 4A, the tower 202b of FIG. 4B also supports three array faces initially deployed per customer / user requirements, which may include up to N2 RMAs per face, as described above. The tower 202b provides more future growth in radar system capacity due to its size, as compared to the tower 202a of FIG. 5A. Furthermore, depending on the size of the FBBs used, the FBBs may have a different size than the RMAs described above, and as will be recognized, there may be some other number of FBBs per face of the array.

[0063] In certain embodiments, the tower 202b has a height that may be very short or very tall, with no limitations on minimum or maximum height. Like the tower 202a, in certain embodiments, the tower 202b is provided in a modular format and includes an integrated antenna enclosure support structure 502 and a service elevator power system 413, along with other features such as stairs. The ground shelters 206b, 208b, 210b, 212b, 214b are similar in function to the like-numbered shelters described above in connection with FIG. 4A, but it can be seen that the system 400b of FIG. 4B has more of the same type of shelter (e.g., two cooling shelters 214b compared to one cooling shelter 214a for the radar system of FIG. 4A). That is, each antenna enclosure 204 is itself a radar building block, but each given RBB set may require multiple shelters of one type, and so on. In certain embodiments, the shelters can be arranged in smaller configurations to begin with. And then more can be added as needed as the array grows. This allows customers to start with a smaller, lower cost configuration and add to the configuration as their needs and funding grow, so the shelter building blocks are even independent and can be scaled with future developments of the antenna enclosure 203 or any other part of the radar system. Furthermore, the interfaces for all the shelters to the rest of the system are advantageously configured to be identical, allowing for easy integration.

[0064] In certain embodiments, each antenna enclosure has its own respective power shelter and its own respective cooling shelter. In certain embodiments, for example, such an exemplary three-sided system has a given N3 RMA (N3 is less than N1, e.g., in certain embodiments, N3 is about 1 / 4 the size of N1). In an embodiment with N3 RMAs, it may be possible to have one DC building block per side. Three DC building blocks can then be placed into the exemplary DC shelter, so that only one DC shelter is required. However, in certain embodiments, as the size of the array increases, it may be necessary to have multiple DC shelters to accommodate the DC building blocks required to support the array. In certain embodiments, when the array is fully deployed, each array side will require its own DC shelter.

[0065] FIG. 4C is a further detail of the antenna array 207 of the radar system of FIGS. 2-4B, according to one embodiment. Advantageously, in certain embodiments, the antenna array 207 is sized to the mission requirements, and in certain embodiments, the increase in sensitivity is limited by the size of the antenna enclosure 204 itself. In one embodiment, there are two possible sizes of antenna enclosure that can support two different overall capacities of the RMA. In the first configuration shown in FIG. 4C, the antenna enclosure 204 has 49 possible openings (e.g., from a 7×7 configuration) and can support various arrangements of arrays of various sizes, as indicated by the various shadings. Various "standard" type antenna configurations, such as a square antenna array 408, a rectangular array (408 combined with 406a and 406b), can be achieved by arranging in the basic 7×7 configuration. In certain embodiments, one or more of the array locations can be filled with weatherproof and / or weathertight sealed blanks, which can provide cost savings in helping to weatherize and weathertight seal the entire array compared to using radomes and radiators.

[0066] As will be appreciated, in certain embodiments, for a tower 202 that includes three different antenna faces, each face can have a different configuration of array elements, and there can be many different possible combinations of arrays, effectively creating 12-24 different types of antennas (even when using the tower 202 of FIG. 4B, which can hold arrays up to N2RMA). In another embodiment, the array face of FIG. 4C can be even larger than 7×7, as will be appreciated.

[0067] FIG. 5 (already mentioned above) is a diagram of an exemplary modular tower 202, according to one embodiment, and FIG. 2 also shows a similar exemplary modular tower 202. Referring to FIG. 2, in this illustrative exemplary modular tower 202, there is an additional component, such as a different type of sensor or antenna 508, mounted on the top of the tower, which is not limited to one antenna type. This additional sensor 508 can be configured to be rotatable in certain embodiments. The sensor 508 can be, for example, an antenna that is part of a radar system used for a different purpose, such as a weather tracking radar, an air traffic control radar, etc. It can also be for an entirely different system (e.g., a mobile phone operator). The component can also be a sensor (e.g., acoustic, optical, thermal, etc.) or even a camera. In certain embodiments and / or for certain types of surveillance (e.g., border surveillance), the component can be a sensor, such as an electro-optical (EO) sensor or an infrared (IR) sensor. In this case, the sensor is configured to cooperate with a radar system mounted on or below the tower 202 to aid in visual confirmation of detection and / or aid in detection of smaller artifacts (e.g., aircraft) that have thermal characteristics. Figures 2 and 5 also help in illustrating the scale of the tower compared to others such as a flatbed truck 515 and several stacked shelters 506, which in certain embodiments are the size of a conventional shipping container (typically 20-40 feet long, 8-9.5 feet high, and 8-9.5 feet deep). As will be recognized, in certain embodiments, the combination of array type and number of RMA / FBBs may then dictate the number and type of supporting shelters required. Also, of course, embodiments are not limited to those using RMA / FBBs or to only towers and enclosures of the given sizes shown. Other scalable types of building blocks can be used, and similarly, the concepts described herein can be adapted to towers and enclosures of many different sizes.

[0068] FIG. 7 is a first view 800A of several home-based antenna enclosures 204a, 204b (a third enclosure 204c is not visible) mounted on top of the modular tower of FIG. 5 according to one embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a rear view 800b of the home-based antenna enclosure 204 with the door open according to one embodiment. Each antenna enclosure 204 is a home-based antenna enclosure (in a particular embodiment, there are three per radar system). The first embodiment (e.g., as shown in FIG. 4A) has the size of the first baseline tower 202 and uses N1 RMA. The antenna enclosure 204 is sized for maximum RMA capacity (e.g., N1 RMA or N2 RMA). The relocated antenna can support a predefined but scaled configuration that may be less than N1 RMA / FBB in a particular embodiment.

[0069] According to one embodiment, an array power distribution unit (APDU) 802 is built into the lower portion of each enclosure 204. In a particular embodiment, the array power distribution unit (cabinet) is configured to service a predefined number of RMAs. In a particular embodiment, each APDC is powered by a respective medium sized KW DC power building block (see FIG. 2 with P2KW), where P2 can be any power level required by the user for a given antenna configuration. One exception to this is a large P3KW building block (BB) that is added in a particular embodiment for odd array sizes (e.g., odd RMAs) to service a predefined subset of additional RMAs.

[0070] Advantageously, in certain embodiments, each antenna enclosure 204 is pre-configured prior to delivery to be fully tested, integrated, and calibrated in the near field (NFR) (including array power cables and cooling hoses, as well as data and communication cables). This means that in advantageous embodiments, the antenna enclosure 204 is delivered fully integrated and calibrated without requiring disassembly / reassembly in the field. The on-tower connections of the antenna enclosure 204 are significantly reduced compared to conventional radar systems, advantageously, in certain embodiments, reduced to power cables and coolant interfaces (see FIGS. 24-25 herein).

[0071] In certain embodiments, prior to NFR / calibration, APDUs for array power distribution cables, cooling hoses, data and control cables (fiber) are installed in the antenna enclosure 204 at the manufacturer. In certain embodiments, data cables are rolled and bundled for shipping / delivery to the data processing shelter 212 at the site. This saves significant labor by avoiding the multiple steps of installation during manufacturing, removal for delivery, and then reinstallation at the installation site. In certain embodiments, the array enclosure 204 is weatherproof / EMI sealed, HEMP resistant, and coupled to the rest of the system via a direct AC power cable that connects from below. The antenna enclosure 204 is environmentally controlled in some embodiments by passive heating / cooling via the array dehumidifier (and active cooling via the cooling shelter 214 described above, which can be accomplished using liquid refrigerants as known in the art). The antenna enclosure 204 includes an antenna maintenance area 209 designed to safety and human factors criteria. The array enclosure 802 includes built-in lift points and alignment for easy installation and removal, and further includes rear access with a secure lock (main access door behind the array, not visible in Figures 8A-8B). The design of the antenna enclosure 802 is configured to facilitate future scalability and significantly reduce downtime during upgrades.

[0072] Figure 9 is a diagram 900 of a maintenance of multiple standalone antenna enclosures installed on top of the modular tower of Figure 5 showing components 902 in transport using elevator 413, according to one embodiment, and Figure 10 is a diagram 1000 of the standalone antenna enclosures of Figure 9 when operational. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the radar system can include features such as handrails 904a for the safety of personnel 906a performing maintenance, and these handrails 904 can be configured and designed to not interfere with the radar (e.g., removable) during operational mode, as shown in Figure 10.

[0073] FIG. 11 shows a diagram 1100 of removing an antenna enclosure 204 to be replaced with a second enclosure (not shown) for evolution and / or upgrade, according to one embodiment. The diagram in FIG. 11 is also applicable to show how the antenna enclosure 204 is first attached to a support structure. In FIG. 11, the entire antenna enclosure 204a is removed and / or attached via a crane (not shown) and cable 1102 (selected to support the weight of the antenna enclosure 204) with the assistance of a worker 906 (who helps remove the array enclosure 204a from the alignment pins (not shown, see FIG. 6 above)). The array enclosure 204 is calibrated into a deployment configuration to meet the deployment goals. If the array enclosure 204 is later replaced with another antenna enclosure having a larger factory calibrated antenna, additional upgrades to the radar system 200 and / or other subsystems may be required to fully integrate the larger factory calibrated antenna, such as upgrades to the ground shelter equipment to provide additional capacity (e.g., power and cooling capacity). This is easily done without affecting the rest of the system, and since the interfaces are standard, no other re-engineering or redesign is required.

[0074] With reference to Figures 5, 6, and 11, it will be appreciated that the dimensions of the support structure 502 may vary based on the size of the antenna enclosure 204. In certain embodiments, the trapezoidal shape of the top 502 essentially represents the shape of a tapered top (triangular pyramid) when looking at one face of the radar. In an exemplary embodiment, the mounted enclosure is rectangular, but the base of the pyramid shape is significantly wider than the top. As will be appreciated, describing the shape in this manner may help characterize the exposure from wind, which affects tower structure calculations. In certain embodiments, the RMA has dimensions of 2 feet by 2 feet, which represents the active area of ​​the array, but in certain embodiments, the enclosure itself is much larger. Additionally, in some embodiments, the array PDUs (which in the exemplary embodiment are over 7 feet long) are not located below the antenna in the enclosure. Thus, additional area may be required, as indicated by the size of the trapezoidal face. In some embodiments, the enclosure is the same size regardless of the active area. In some embodiments, in array configurations smaller than N1RMA (for smaller enclosures) or N2RMA (for larger enclosures), a weather sealed cover is used.

[0075] 12-13 are diagrams 206a and 206b, respectively, of a direct current (DC) power distribution shelter, according to one embodiment. As can be seen from FIG. 12, in a particular embodiment, the shelter is comparable to a traditional shipping cargo container. In a particular embodiment, the DC power distribution shelter 206b includes three building block COT AC / DC power conversion subsystems, each with a different power capacity. Commercially available power sources, batteries, etc., known in the art, can be used inside these shelters. FIGs. 14-15 are diagrams 208a and 208b, respectively, of an alternating current (AC) power shelter, according to one embodiment. The AC power shelter 208b includes, in a particular embodiment, a transformer 1702, a line buffer 1704, a power system protection 1706, a switch gear 1708, and a backup generator 1710.

[0076] 16-17 are respectively a diagram 210a and a block diagram 210b of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) shelter according to one embodiment. This component can be implemented with a suitable COT product as shown, and advantageously, its size is adapted to the size of the antenna. It is noted that the components shown are illustrative and not limiting.

[0077] 18-19 are diagrams 212a and 212b, respectively, of a data processing shelter 212, according to one embodiment. The data processing shelter 212 is a system that includes computers and other processors (e.g., similar to FIG. 26 herein) to perform many typical radar system and antenna control and processing functions (e.g., those shown in FIG. 19, which is illustrative and not limiting). Typically, this will be the type of component that is reused. In a particular embodiment, the data processing shelter 212 includes a computer (i.e., by providing commands to the antenna array via an interface, controlling the beamforming of the antenna array, performing signal processing on signals that the antenna array communicates to the data processing shelter, such as I and Q information, etc.) with functionality that includes a scalable beamformer (e.g., similar to that shown in FIG. 26) and signal processing functionality that is tailored to the size of the antenna array. 24 herein, in some embodiments, the data processing shelter 212 can also be configured to monitor the health and status of all radar system 200 components. Additionally, as shown in the interface of FIG. 24 herein, in certain embodiments, the data processing shelter is in operative communication with a computer network, which is in operative communication with a 2505 network communications subsystem (in certain embodiments, the communications subsystem can correspond to a C5I communications subsystem, where C5I stands for "Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber ​​Defense (C5), and Intelligence").

[0078] 20-21 are diagrams 214a and 214b, respectively, of a cooling equipment shelter (CES) according to one embodiment. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, many cooling systems from many manufacturers are available, but in certain embodiments, the metal components used in the cooling system are intended to be metal, compatible with those in the antenna 207. What is important is that the capacity of the cooling system matches the requirements of the antenna. Advantageously, in certain embodiments, the cooling system 214 is scaled as dictated by capacity and redundancy. In certain embodiments, the cooling system uses liquid coolant. In certain embodiments, a pump 2108 is configured to pump coolant up the length of the tower as well as receive the returned coolant, as will be appreciated (see also FIGS. 24-25).

[0079] Figure 22 is an illustrative example 2200 of a trailer mounted commercial off-the-shelf system (COTS) that can be used to deploy at least some embodiments herein. Figure 23 is an illustrative example of a palletized COTS that can be used to deploy at least some embodiments herein. Of course, other methods of deploying and transporting the radar building blocks and shelters can be used, including by air and sea.

[0080] FIG. 24 is an illustrative block diagram example 2500 of the physical interfaces between radar system elements of the systems of FIGS. 2 and 3 in an exemplary composable radar system, according to one embodiment. Like numbered elements in FIG. 24 correspond to the same elements described elsewhere herein. In FIG. 25, array 2502 is a vertical large aperture array of secondary surveillance radar (e.g., transponder-based transmission for air traffic control (ATC) radar) in a particular embodiment, but not by way of limitation. In a particular embodiment, the communications subsystem is separate from the composable radar of other embodiments.

[0081] 24 shows that the DC power conversion shelter 206 provides DC power 231 to the antenna enclosure 206 and receives AC input 221d from the on-site AC distribution shelter 208. The AC distribution shelter 208 is configured to provide AC power 221 to several other subsystems, including antenna AC power 221a to the antenna enclosure subsystem 204, input AC power 221d to the DC power conversion shelter 206, input AC power 221e to the UPS shelter 210, and input AC power 221c to the chiller shelter 214. In certain embodiments, the AC power, DC power, and / or UPS power may be collectively referred to as a power subsystem, regardless of whether any or all of these components are in separate shelters or all within the same shelter.

[0082] The UPS shelter 210 provides an additional AC input 223 a to the antenna enclosure subsystem 204 and provides AC power 223 b to the data processing shelter 212 .

[0083] The cooling equipment shelter 214 cools both the antenna enclosure subsystem 204 (via cooling fluid in 215a and return cooling return 215b) and the data processing shelter 212 (cooling fluid in 215c and return water 215d).

[0084] The data processing shelter 212 sends array commands 227 to the antenna enclosure subsystem 204 and receives I and Q data 229 from the antenna enclosure subsystem 204. Additionally, in certain embodiments, the various components of FIG. 25 all communicate their respective health and status information to the data processing shelter 2012. In certain embodiments, the data processing shelter 211 sends and receives array commands / communications 233 to the array 2501 and sends and receives GPS signals 235a, 235b to the tower GPS antenna 239 and array 2502, respectively. The tower GPS antenna 239 is mechanically mounted to the tower 202, as is the array 2502, in certain embodiments.

[0085] 25 is an illustrative example block diagram 2600 of the composable radar system of FIG. 3 adapted to operate in an exemplary surveillance radar system, according to one embodiment. Components of this diagram correspond to similarly numbered components described elsewhere in this document. This example block diagram 2600 is illustrative, but not limiting, to show an example of what the modular and scalable composable radar system of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 (and elsewhere herein) might look like when out in the field.

[0086] Referring to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 25, the tower 202 includes one or more enclosures 204, each of which includes an array 207. The tower includes connections 411 (e.g., communication signal lines, power lines, conduits, and / or cables) that allow various power, data, communication, and cooling connections to be made to the array 207 and / or other components housed within the enclosures 204. FIG. 25 details the contents of the connections 411 in block diagram form, similar to FIG. 24. As also shown in FIG. 25, the COTS cooling device 214 provides cooling liquid input / cooling return 215 to the S-band array 207. The array enclosure 204 includes nine array power distribution units (APDUs) 802 and a capacitor bank 813, which provide input power signals, including DC input 231b and AC input 223a, to the array 207. These input power signals 231b, 223a come from power shelter 208b as DC output 231a and from UPS shelter 210b as AC output 223a. The array 207 receives array control signals 227 and transmits array status signals to the data processing shelter 212. In addition, the array 207 provides I&Q data 229 to the data processing shelter 212.

[0087] In certain embodiments, tower 202 includes one or more additional sensors or other antennas, such as a rotational sensor 2502, in communication with data processing shelter 212. For example, in one embodiment, rotational sensor 2502 receives array commands / communications 233 from data processing shelter 212 and transmits RF and / or GPS signals 235b to data processing shelter 212. Although not explicitly shown in FIG. 25, rotational sensor 2502 is powered via AC input 221b (as shown in FIG. 24), which is supplied via the AC distribution of the site power grid 208.

[0088] One or more power shelters 208 provide DC output 231a to the array enclosure 204 and receive AC input 221d from the local power grid 208 via a transformer 2640, line buffers 2642, and power protection and switchgear 2634. The power shelter 208 of Figure 25 includes a capacitor bank 2602, an AC / DC converter 2604, and a harmonic neutralizer 2606 (which helps prevent ripple on the power line signal).

[0089] The UPS shelter 210b receives an AC input 221e from the power protection / switchgear 2634 described above and provides several AC outputs 223a, 223b to the array enclosure 204 and the data processing shelter 212, respectively. The UPS shelter 210b, in this exemplary embodiment, includes three UPS / power conditioners 2608, a UPS battery 2610, three input filters 2612, an input transformer 2614, and a soft start 2616.

[0090] The data processing shelter 212 in this exemplary embodiment may include one or more of the elements shown in the exemplary data processing shelter of Figure 19. For example, the data processing shelter 212 of Figure 25 includes one or more antenna interface unit (AIU) subsystems 2012 configured to receive I&Q data 227 from the array 207 and / or RF and GPS data 235b from the rotation sensor 2502. The data processing shelter 212 also includes a digital beamformer subsystem 2002 (scaled according to the size of the array) to communicate digital beamforming information and associated array control information / commands 227 to the array 207. Various signal and data processor subsystems such as those shown in Figure 19 (e.g., one or more of a real-time simulation subsystem 2006, a data recording subsystem (DRSS) 2008), a digital signal processor subsystem (DSP) 2014, a radar control processing subsystem (RCP) 2016, and / or a risk management framework (RMF) 2018) may be included in the signal and data processor section. In certain embodiments, the data processing shelter 212 may also include a multi-unit mission storage 2015. In certain embodiments, depending on other components of the system 2600, the data processing shelter 212 may also include other interfaces, such as a communication interface 2019 for connecting to its subsystems, and other subsystems, such as a sensor subsystem 2017 configured to cooperate with the rotation sensor 2502. The data processing shelter 2012 receives power from a UPS shelter via a 208 VAC connection 223b. Although not shown in FIG. 25, it will be appreciated that the data processing shelter 212 of FIG. 25, similar to the data processing shelter 212 of FIG. 24, may also include processing for monitoring health and status information of various system components.

[0091] Referring again to FIG. 25, the system 2600 of this embodiment includes a site power grid 208 that provides site power distribution, including, by way of example and certainly not by way of limitation, three different AC outputs.

[0092] As illustrated in the above description and figures, at least some of the embodiments described herein help provide a configurable, high TRL radar level solution that can help address a wide range of multi-mission requirements with minimal, if any, redesign for various mission applications. At least some of the embodiments described herein provide mature radar system options that affordable meet a diverse mission space without requiring substantial new development. At least some of the embodiments described herein help dramatically shorten both deployment and capability upgrade timelines. At least some of the embodiments described herein fully leverage mature and proven technologies to avoid years of development and testing. One or more of the embodiments described herein help establish system performance through simulation to eliminate expensive system level test programs. For example, some types of conventional radar systems are tested in the field with expensive and extensive flight test programs to demonstrate the capabilities of the system. This must often be done for each new configuration or modification. However, in certain embodiments described herein, the performance of one configuration (e.g., an implementation using N1RMA) can be verified in a conventional manner, and then the information from that configuration test can be used to help simulate the final configuration of the other deployment (e.g., N2RMA). Because these components are modular, scalable, and carefully calibrated before installation, the performance of a given configuration or deployment can be better predicted or simulated because it is built with known building block components whose performance has already been verified for each. It will be recognized that because so many configurations are possible using the building blocks described herein, it can be advantageous to avoid having to perform rigorous, extensive, and expensive testing with each of dozens of possible configurations. Because the building blocks are consistent and have known performance, simulation of the configurations can be relied upon to demonstrate potential performance.Thus, the use of at least some of the embodiments described herein helps provide a low-cost alternative for expanding system capabilities to address new future targets with minimal downtime using multiple different configurations constructed from proven and tested building blocks.

[0093] It is contemplated that any or all of the embodiments described herein and / or illustrated in Figures 1-26 herein may be combined and / or adapted to work in conjunction with the technology described in one or more of the commonly assigned U.S. patent applications and patents, including, but not limited to, the following: - U.S. Patent No. 9,116,222, issued on August 25, 2015, entitled "Modular architecture for scalable phased array radars"; - U.S. Patent No. 8,810,448, issued August 19, 2014, entitled "Modular architecture for scalable phased array radars" - U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2,021,008,339, published on March 18, 2021, entitled “Modular and Stackable Antenna Array.”

[0094] The contents of the above patents and published patent applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0095] The embodiments described herein are advantageously applicable to any land-based high power radar program, especially those requiring a low-cost, high-maturity solution. While the embodiments described herein may be advantageously implemented using S-Band production line radars in certain embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments described herein are readily adaptable to other frequencies (including X-Band, C-Band, and L-Band). Additionally, the embodiments described herein are extendable to other production areas requiring tower-based sensing, such as cruise missile defense, aviation surveillance including air traffic control (ATC), and critical asset protection.

[0096] One further advantage of at least some of the embodiments described herein is improved survivability. For example, the building block architecture described for at least some of the embodiments allows for the use of distributed hardware for survivability. There is no need for the failure or destruction of any one radar building block component to cause a system failure, rather the component can be replaced with another modular component performing the same function. In some embodiments, the antenna enclosure, power shelter, processing shelter, and cooling shelter are easily distributed and function independently. This allows for separation for survivability, as described above. It also allows for sharing and movement of radar system and subsystem building blocks, if necessary. Yet another advantage of at least some of the embodiments described herein is that it provides a significantly lower cost than other available standard ground facilities and Missile Protection Agency (MDA) radar locations.

[0097] Using the building blocks described herein, it can be seen that multiple (e.g., at least 12-24, depending on tower size) high performance multi-mission radar configurations are defined by common radar building blocks shown in FIGS. 2-3 and throughout this application, including, but not limited to, tower subsystem 202, array enclosure subsystem 204, DC power distribution shelter 206, AC power shelter 208, UPS shelter 210, data processing shelter 212, and cooling equipment shelter 2014. Antenna enclosure subsystem 204 can be implemented with common or different array sizes. Furthermore, antenna enclosure subsystem 204 need not have the illustrative rectangular three-dimensional shape shown in the embodiments herein. Antenna enclosure subsystem 204 can have, for example, any other shape. Predefined building blocks (e.g., COT components) are used for AC / DC power conversion in DC shelter 206 and AC shelter 208, and as will be appreciated, many different mature components can be accommodated. The UPS 210 and chiller 214 architecture is scalable. The tower 202 subsystem can have variable heights and scalable antennas. In at least some embodiments, it is intended that all components are pre-tested, pre-calibrated (if applicable), and pre-verified prior to installation.

[0098] However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are not limited to use with the exemplary radar systems / programs listed above or any other radar systems, target detection systems, and / or antenna-based systems. The embodiments described herein have numerous applications and are not limited to the exemplary applications described herein. It should be recognized that such references and examples are made as an effort to enhance clarity of the description of the concepts disclosed herein. Such references are not intended to, and should not be construed as, limiting the use or application of the concepts, systems, arrangements, and techniques described herein to use alone or with these or any other systems.

[0099] FIG. 26 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system that can be used with at least some of the systems and devices of FIGS. 1-25, according to one embodiment. In some embodiments, computer system 2700 of FIG. 26 may be used as the computer(s) used in a data processing shelter. Referring briefly to FIG. 26, there is shown a block diagram of computer system 2700 that can be used in at least some embodiments. Computer system 50 can also be used to implement all or a portion of any of the methods, formulas, and / or calculations described herein.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 26, computer 2700 may include a processor / CPU 2702, volatile memory 2704 (e.g., RAM), non-volatile memory 2706 (e.g., one or more hard disk drives (HDDs), one or more solid state drives (SSDs) such as flash drives, one or more hybrid magnetic and solid state drives, and / or one or more virtual storage volumes, e.g., cloud storage, or a combination of physical and virtual storage volumes), a graphical user interface (GUI) 2710 (e.g., touch screen, display, etc.), and input and / or output (I / O) devices 2708 (e.g., mouse, keyboard, etc.). Non-volatile memory 2704 stores, for example, journal data 2704a, metadata 2704b, and pre-allocated memory area 2704c. Non-volatile memory 2706 may include an operating system 2714, computer instructions 2712, and data 2716 in some embodiments. In a particular embodiment, the computer instructions 2712 are configured to include several subsystems, including a routing subsystem 2712A, a control subsystem 2712b, a data subsystem 2712c, and a write cache 2712d. In a particular embodiment, the computer instructions 2712 are executed by the processor / CPU 2702 from the volatile memory 2704 to implement and / or execute at least a portion of the systems and processes illustrated in Figures 1-25. The program code may also be applied to data entered using an input device or GUI 2710 or received from an I / O device 2708.

[0101] The systems, architectures, and processes of Figures 1-26 are not limited to use with the hardware and software described and illustrated herein, but may find applicability in any computing or processing environment, as well as in any type of machine or set of machines capable of executing a computer program and / or implementing a radar system (including, in some embodiments, a software-defined radar). The processes described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, and combinations of the two. Logic for performing the methods described herein may be embodied as part of the system described in Figure 26. The processes and systems described herein are not limited to the particular embodiments described, or that they are specifically limited to the particular processing order shown. Rather, any of the blocks of the processes may be performed in parallel or serially rearranged, combined, or removed as necessary to achieve the results described herein.

[0102] The processor 2702 may be implemented by one or more programmable processors that execute one or more computer programs to perform the functions of the system. The term "processor" as used herein describes an electronic circuit that performs a function, operation, or sequence of operations. The function, operation, or sequence of operations may be hard-coded into the electronic circuit or soft-coded by instructions held in a memory device. The "processor" may perform the function, operation, or sequence of operations using digital values ​​or using analog signals. In some embodiments, the "processor" may be embodied in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). In some embodiments, the "processor" may be implemented in one or more microprocessors with associated program memory. In some embodiments, the "processor" may be embodied in one or more discrete electronic circuits. The "processor" may be analog, digital, or mixed signal. In some embodiments, the "processor" may be one or more physical processors or one or more "virtual processors" (e.g., remotely located processors or "cloud").

[0103] Various functions of the circuit elements may also be implemented as processing blocks of a software program. Such software may be used in, for example, one or more digital signal processors, microcontrollers, or general-purpose computers. The described embodiments may be implemented in hardware, a combination of hardware and software, or software executed by one or more physical or virtual processors.

[0104] Some embodiments can be implemented in the form of methods and apparatuses for carrying out such methods. The described embodiments can also be implemented in the form of program code, for example, stored in a storage medium, loaded and / or executed by a machine, or transmitted over some transmission medium or carrier, for example, over electrical wiring or cable, over optical fiber, or over electromagnetic radiation. Non-transitory machine-readable media can include, but are not limited to, tangible media, for example, magnetic recording media, including hard drives, floppy disks, and magnetic tape media, optical recording media, including compact disks (CDs) and digital versatile disks (DVDs), solid-state memories, such as flash memories, hybrid magnetic, and solid-state memories, non-volatile memories, volatile memories, and the like, but not including the transitory signals themselves. When the program code, embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable medium, is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for carrying out the method.

[0105] When implemented in one or more processing devices, the program code segments combine with the processor to provide a unique device that operates similarly to specific logic circuits. Such processing devices may include, for example, general-purpose microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), reduced instruction set computers (RISCs), complex instruction set computers (CISCs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs), microcontrollers, embedded controllers, multi-core processors, and / or others, including combinations of one or more of the above. The described embodiments may also be implemented in the form of a bit stream or other sequence of values ​​of a signal transmitted electrically or optically through a medium, magnetic field fluctuations stored on a magnetic recording medium, etc., generated using the claimed methods and / or apparatus.

[0106] For example, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as the computer of FIG. 26, the machine becomes an apparatus for implementing one or more of the previously described embodiments. When implemented in one or more general-purpose processors, the program code combines with such processors to provide a unique apparatus that operates similarly to specific logic circuits. Thus, a general-purpose digital machine can be transformed into a special-purpose digital machine. FIG. 26 shows program logic 2724 embodied in a computer-readable medium 2720 as shown, the logic being coded with computer executable code configured to execute the reservation service process of the present invention, thereby forming a computer program product 2722. The logic may be the same logic in a memory loaded into a processor. The logic of the program may also be embodied in a software module, as a module, or as a hardware module. The processor may be a virtual processor or a physical processor. The logic may be distributed across multiple processors or virtual processors to execute the logic.

[0107] In some embodiments, the storage medium may be a physical or logical device. In some embodiments, the storage medium may consist of a physical or logical device. In some embodiments, the storage medium may be mapped across multiple physical and / or logical devices. In some embodiments, the storage medium may reside in a virtual environment. In some embodiments, the processor may be virtual or physical in embodiment. In some embodiments, the logic may be executed via one or more physical or virtual processors.

[0108] For purposes of describing the present embodiments, the disclosed embodiments are described as being embodied in specific configurations and using particular logical configurations, however, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present devices are not limited to specific configurations, but are limited only by the scope of the claims contained herein. Moreover, it is expected that many related technologies will be developed during the life of the patents that mature from this application, and the scope of the corresponding terms is intended to include, a priori, all such novel technologies.

[0109] The terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," "having," and compounds thereof mean at least "including, but not limited to." As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Various elements that are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, it will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of parts described and illustrated herein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the following claims.

[0110] Throughout this disclosure, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary, it should be understood that individual elements as described may be singular or plural. For example, the terms "circuit" and "circuitry" can include either a single component or multiple components, either active and / or passive, connected or coupled together to provide a described function. Additionally, the term "signal" may refer to one or more currents, one or more voltages, and / or data signals. Like or related elements in the figures have like or related alpha, numeric, or alphanumeric designators (e.g., the component labeled "204" in FIG. 2 may be similar to the component labeled "404" in FIG. 4, etc.). Additionally, although the disclosed embodiments have been described in the context of implementations using separate components, including some components including one or more integrated circuit chips, the functionality of any component or circuit may alternatively be implemented using one or more appropriately programmed processors, depending on the signal frequency or data rate to be processed and / or the functionality to be accomplished.

[0111] Similarly, further, in the drawings of the present application, in some cases, multiple system elements may be shown as illustrations of a particular system element and a single system element, or multiple illustrations of a particular system element. It should be understood that the illustration of multiple particular elements is not intended to suggest that a system or method implemented in accordance with the present invention must include two or more of the elements, nor is the illustration of a single element intended to limit the present invention to embodiments having only one of each of the elements. Furthermore, the total number of elements shown for a particular system element is not intended to be limiting, and one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the number of particular system elements may be selected, in some cases, to suit the needs of a particular user.

[0112] In describing and illustrating the embodiments herein, specific terminology (e.g., language, phrases, product brand names, etc.) may be used in the text and drawings for clarity. These names are merely examples and are not limiting. The embodiments described herein are not limited to the specific terminology so selected, and each specific term includes at least all grammatical, literal, scientific, technical, and functional equivalents, and any other equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. Furthermore, in the drawings, figures, and text, specific features, elements, circuits, modules, tables, software modules, systems, etc. may be given specific names. However, such terminology as used herein is for purposes of explanation and not limitation.

[0113] Although the embodiments contained herein have been described and illustrated in a particular and advantageous manner with a particular degree of detail, it will be understood that the disclosure has been described by way of example only, and that many changes in the details of the configuration and the combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the described embodiments. Although at least some principles of the technology have been described and illustrated with reference to specific implementations, it will be recognized that the technology and embodiments described herein can be implemented in many other different forms and in many different environments. The technology and embodiments disclosed herein can be used in combination with other technologies. Furthermore, all publications and references cited herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Claims

1. 1. A modular radar system, comprising: a first antenna assembly; a first antenna array; and a first antenna enclosure having the first antenna array mounted thereto, the first antenna enclosure being configured to house the first antenna array and to distribute a first communication signal and a first power signal to the first antenna array; a first antenna enclosure interface configured to receive a first input to the first antenna array and provide a first output from the first antenna array; the first antenna assembly comprising: a support structure to which the first antenna assembly is mounted; configured to position the first antenna array in the first antenna enclosure at a first orientation and height sufficient for antenna operation; The support structure, and a first set of modular radar subsystems configured to be separate from the support structure; The first set of modular radar subsystems are configured to operatively communicate with the first antenna enclosure interface via a respective set of first connections, the first set of modular radar subsystems comprising: a first data processing subsystem configured to provide the first input to the first antenna enclosure interface, to control beamforming of the first antenna array, and to perform signal processing at the first output of the first antenna array; a first cooling subsystem configured to provide cooling to the first antenna enclosure and the first data processing subsystem; a first alternating current (AC) power subsystem configured to supply power to the first antenna enclosure, the first data processing subsystem, the first cooling subsystem, and a first direct current (DC) power conversion subsystem; Equipped with the first set of modular radar subsystems; A system comprising:

2. the first antenna array has a first array size; at least one respective subsystem of the first set of modular radar subsystems is configured to be functionally independently scalable based on at least one of the first array size and steerability requirements of the first antenna array. The system of claim 1 .

3. the support structure is configured to route the respective first set of connections between the first set of modular radar subsystems and the first antenna enclosure interface; The system of claim 1 .

4. the first antenna enclosure and the support structure are configured to be scalable such that the first antenna array can be scaled to a second array size different from the first array size without removing the first antenna assembly from the support structure. The system of claim 2.

5. the first set of modular radar subsystems are configured to be housed in respective repositionable shelters separate from the support structure; The system of claim 1 .

6. the first antenna enclosure and the support structure are configured to allow self-alignment of the first antenna assembly as part of installation of the first antenna enclosure on the support structure. The system of claim 1 .

7. The first set of connections further comprises: a first portion operably coupled to the first antenna enclosure interface; and a second portion configured to be connected to a respective one of the first set of modular radar subsystems; and Including, the respective first sets of connections and the first antenna enclosure are operably coupled together, including a connection of each respective first portion to the first antenna enclosure interface prior to installation on the support structure; the first antenna enclosure, the first antenna array, and the first set of connections are all calibrated before the first antenna assembly is mounted to the support structure. The system of claim 1 .

8. the support structure comprising: an antenna enclosure mounting portion configured to mount at least a second antenna assembly to the support structure in a second orientation different from the first orientation; The second antenna assembly includes: A second antenna array; a second antenna enclosure to which the second antenna array is mounted, the second antenna enclosure configured to house the second antenna array and to distribute a second communication signal and a second power signal to the second antenna array; and a second antenna enclosure interface configured to receive a second input to the second antenna array and provide a second output from the second antenna array; Equipped with the second antenna assembly in operative communication with a respective set of second modular radar subsystems via a respective second set of connections between the respective set of second modular radar subsystems and the second antenna enclosure interface; the second set of modular radar subsystems is configured to be separate from the support structure and separate from the first set of modular radar subsystems. The system of claim 1 .

9. The second set of modular radar subsystems includes: a second data processing subsystem configured to provide the second input to the second antenna enclosure interface, control beamforming of the second antenna array, and perform signal processing at the second output of the second antenna array; and a second cooling subsystem configured to provide cooling to the second antenna enclosure and the second data processing subsystem; and a second alternating current (AC) power subsystem configured to supply power to the second antenna enclosure, the second data processing subsystem, the second cooling subsystem, and a second direct current (DC) power conversion shelter; Equipped with the second antenna array has a second array size; at least one corresponding subsystem of the second set of modular radar subsystems is functionally and independently scalable based on at least one of the second array size and steerability requirements of the second antenna array; The system of claim 8.

10. the first antenna enclosure is configured to be at least one of waterproof, weatherproof, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, and high intensity electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) resistant; The system of claim 1 .

11. the support structure includes a tower structure configured to elevate the first antenna assembly a predetermined distance above the first set of modular radar subsystems. The system of claim 1 .

12. 1. A modular radar system, comprising: an antenna assembly, An antenna array; an antenna enclosure having an antenna array mounted thereon, the antenna enclosure configured to house the antenna array and to distribute communication signals and power signals to the antenna array; an antenna enclosure interface configured to receive an input to the antenna array and provide an output from the antenna array; The antenna assembly comprising: a set of modular radar subsystems configured to be separate from the antenna assembly; The set of modular radar subsystems are configured to operatively communicate with the antenna enclosure interface via a respective set of connections, the set of modular radar subsystems comprising: a data processing subsystem configured to provide the input to the antenna enclosure interface, to control beamforming of the antenna array, and to perform signal processing at the output of the antenna array; a cooling subsystem configured to provide cooling to the antenna enclosure and the data processing subsystem; an alternating current (AC) power subsystem configured to supply power to the antenna enclosure, the data processing subsystem, the cooling subsystem, and a direct current (DC) power conversion subsystem; the set of modular radar subsystems comprising: A system comprising:

13. the antenna array has an array size; each subsystem of at least one of the set of modular radar subsystems is configured to be functionally independently scalable based on at least one of the array size and steerability requirements of the antenna array; The system of claim 12.

14. the set of connections further includes a first portion operably coupled to the antenna enclosure interface and a second portion configured to be connected to a respective one of the set of modular radar subsystems; each connection set and the antenna enclosure are operably coupled to one another, including a connection between each respective first portion and the antenna enclosure interface, prior to installation in the operative position; the antenna enclosure, the antenna array, and the set of connections are all calibrated before the antenna assembly is installed in the operational position; The system of claim 12.

15. a support structure on which the antenna assembly is mounted and on which the set of connections are routed, the support structure comprising: a set of modular radar subsystems, the set being separate from the set of modular radar subsystems; a tower structure configured to elevate the antenna assembly a predetermined distance above the set of modular radar subsystems. said support structure, The system of claim 12.

16. the tower structure includes an antenna enclosure mounting portion configured to allow the antenna enclosure to be mounted in any one of a plurality of orientations; The system of claim 15.

17. the antenna enclosure is configured to be at least one of waterproof, weatherproof, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, and high intensity electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) resistant; The system of claim 12.

18. 1. A method of providing a modular radar system, the method comprising: mounting the antenna array in an antenna enclosure to form an antenna assembly; the antenna enclosure is configured to house the antenna array and distribute communication and power signals to the antenna array; Steps and coupling the antenna enclosure with an antenna enclosure interface configured to receive an input to the antenna array and provide a second output from the antenna array; attaching a set of connections to the antenna enclosure interface to form an antenna assembly including the antenna enclosure, the antenna array, the antenna enclosure interface, and the set of connections; the set of connections are configured to couple the antenna assembly with one or more modular radar subsystems. Steps and mounting the antenna assembly to a support structure configured to position the antenna array at a first orientation and height sufficient for antenna operation; operatively connecting a data processing subsystem to one or more corresponding data processing connections of said set of connections; the data processing subsystem is separate from the support structure and configured to provide the input to the antenna enclosure interface, control beamforming of the antenna array, and perform signal processing on the output of the antenna array. Steps and attaching a cooling subsystem to one or more corresponding cooling connections in the set of connections; the cooling subsystem being separate from the support structure and configured to provide cooling to the antenna enclosure and the data processing subsystem. Steps and operably connecting an alternating current (AC) power subsystem to one or more corresponding power connections in the set of connections; the AC power subsystem is separate from the support structure and configured to provide power to the antenna enclosure, the data processing subsystem, the cooling subsystem, and a direct current (DC) power conversion subsystem. Steps and A method comprising:

19. The method comprises: configuring at least one of the data processing subsystem, the cooling subsystem, and the AC power subsystem to be functionally and independently scalable based on at least one of a size of the antenna array and operability requirements of the antenna array; 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

20. The method comprises: calibrating the antenna assembly prior to mounting the antenna assembly to the support structure; 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

Images