Re: $20 microwave transmitter/receiver

[brian whatcott <inet@INTELLISYS.NET>]

At 17:40 4/15/99 -0500, Mike Moloney wrote:
> Today's New York Times (4/15) page D4 tells of a device which is
> intended to fit on a baseball mitt and give the speed of an
> approaching baseball in mph.  The projected price is $80.
> This is radar, calculation, and display in a palm-sized package.
>
> This suggests that a microwave transceiver must be available
> on a chip for around $20 or so.  Where might one find out about
> a device like that?

> Mike Moloney

I recalled a thread concerning cheap impulse radar on one of the
electronics newsgroups a while ago.
A Dejanews search
 http://www.dejanews.com

turned up this note (below), which reminded me of Livermore Labs recent
efforts to promote such a device.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: micropower impulse radar
Author:

         Larry Fullerton <larrfull@tdsi.com>
Date:

         1996/07/06
Forums:

         sci.electronics.misc, alt.inventors


John G. Bendickson wrote:
>  Does anyone have any more knowledge of this system
>  more then what was printed in popular science last year?
>  If so any info would be greatly appreciated.
>
> THANKS
> John B
> (for my personal info, nothing to do with my company (usual
>  disclaimers etc)).

John,
I can say that I know a good bit more about this subject than
appeared in the PS.  I began developing this technology in the
early '70s and had working impulse communications equipment by
1978 and an operational radar by '81.  It was miniturized,
battery powered and portable.  These efforts resulted in my
receiving broad coverage patents 8 years before Livermore's!

In 1987 I started Time Domain Systems, Inc. to develop
applications of this technology; we've had working systems
for many, many years.  By the time the company was formed, I
had already constructed an impulse radar which utilized a 33
element timed array (the analog to a phased array in the
frequency domain) and a coherent, correlation receiver.  It was
demonstrated to the US Army missile command under contract as a
foliage penetrating radar and as an extremely high resolution
radar for target recognition.

Interestingly, the first LLNL patent was filed six months after
a team (including the 'inventor' of MIR) from Livermore attended
a paper which I presented at Los Alamos (another DOE facility)
detailing the results of measurements which were taken with my
impulse radar.  If you read the disclosure claims of mine and
LLNL's patents, you will see that they are practically
identical, except of course that mine predate theirs by nearly a
decade.  Doesn't say much for the USPTO examiner; my patents
were not even listed as references. If I seem a bit miffed, it's
because I am...

I have also received broad coverage patents for the use of these
waveforms for efficient, covert communication.  I suppose that's
what they will 'invent' next.

We've had a working relationship with Rockwell Collins for 10
years; RC has interest in both the radar and the communications
systems for both commercial and military applications.  I would
be happy to brief you on our progress since the last contact
with RC and give you the names of the individuals in your
orginization who are familiar with these activities.  There is a
favorable internal (to RC) report which might be of interest to
you as well.

Larry Fullerton, larrfull@tdsi.com
Time Domain Systems, Inc.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Brian



brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net>
Altus OK