Patent ID: 7324039

Claim:
An automotive radar transceiver, comprising: a transmit antenna; a receive antenna separate and isolated from said transmit antenna; a frequency generator for generating a voltage pulse; a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) arranged to receive the voltage pulse from said frequency generator and generate a signal; a transmitter active IMPATT multiplier module arranged to receive the signal from said VCO and generate a radar probing signal which is directed to said transmit antenna; a heterodyne active IMPATT multiplier module arranged to receive the signal from said VCO; a first balance mixer arranged to receive the signal from the VCO; a second balance mixer arranged to receive a signal from said receive antenna and said heterodyne active IMPATT multiplier module and derive a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal; a first amplifier for amplifying the output of said second balance mixer and providing the amplifier output to said first balance mixer; and a second amplifier for amplifying the output of said first balance mixer, whereby analysis of the signal transmitted by said transmit antenna and the signal received by said receive antenna provides information for use in the vehicle.