Nodal metamaterial antenna system

Abstract

The present invention is a nodal radar system having a metamaterial-based object detection system. An intelligent antenna metamaterial interface (IAM) associates specific metamaterial unit cells into subarrays to adjust the beam width of a transmitted signal. The nodal radar system is positioned on infrastructure to complement sensor information from mobile vehicles and devices within an environment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a radar system, comprising:
 transmitting, via a radar unit of the radar system, a radio frequency (RF) beam in an environment of the radar system;   controlling, via a feed distribution module, at least one subarray within the radar unit during the transmitting of the RF beam; and   phase shifting, via a feed structure, the at least one subarray within the radar unit.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 adjusting a focus of the RF beam to a larger beam width to enable a faster scan of areas in the environment.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 adjusting a focus of the RF beam of the radar unit.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein adjusting the focus of the RF beam comprises changing a phase shift of the RF beam. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein adjusting the focus of the RF beam comprises controlling a reactance control means. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting an object within the environment based on received signals from the environment; and   sending a message to a vehicle based on the detecting.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 classifying the detected object based on the received signals.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 interpreting received signals in a reflected RF beam from the environment; and   implementing one or more control actions based on the interpreted received signals.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the radar system is fixed to an infrastructure and wherein the infrastructure is a building or a sign board. 
     
     
         10 . A nodal radar system, comprising:
 a metamaterial radar unit configured to transmit radio frequency (RF) beams in an environment;   a feed structure coupled to the metamaterial radar unit, the feed structure comprising a super element layer having conductive traces and non-conductive traces; and   a metamaterial array control means configured to adjust reactance behavior of the metamaterial radar unit to change a phase of the RF beams.   
     
     
         11 . The nodal radar system of  claim 10 , wherein the feed structure comprises a conductive layer having a plurality of discontinuities. 
     
     
         12 . The nodal radar system of  claim 11 , wherein the feed structure further comprises a second conductive layer and a dielectric layer configured between the first and second conductive layers. 
     
     
         13 . The nodal radar system of  claim 12 , wherein the feed structure further comprises a plurality of vias that are positioned from the first conductive layer to the second conductive layer through the dielectric layer. 
     
     
         14 . The nodal radar system of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of vias define a plurality of super elements within the feed structure. 
     
     
         15 . A method of performing radar system operations, comprising:
 receiving radar signals via a plurality of sensors of a radar system within an environment;   implementing one or more control actions based on the received radar signals;   controlling one or more subarrays of a metamaterial antenna of the radar system via an intelligent antenna metamaterial (IAM) interface; and   enabling, via the IAM interface, a communication with the metamaterial antenna.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 scanning a field of view of the radar system within the environment.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 interpreting the received radar signals;   detecting an object based on the interpreting of the received radar signals; and   sending a message to a vehicle after the detecting.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the radar system is configured to collaborate with one or more radar systems within a network of radar systems. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 coordinating one or more operations of the plurality of sensors of the radar system.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the radar system is fixed to an infrastructure and wherein the infrastructure is a building or a sign board.