Patent ID: 7504985

Claim:
A radar system, comprising: a signal generator configured to produce energization signals; an antenna comprising an array of multiple antenna elements; a switching circuit connected to the signal generator and to the antenna and configured to deliver the energization signals to a selected individual antenna element at a respective moment in time to cause the selected antenna element to transmit a respective radar signal in response to the respective energization signal, wherein at least the respective selected antenna element receives a corresponding return-radar signal before the switching circuit selects a next antenna element to transmit a respective radar signal; an I/Q sampling and signal-demodulation processor connected so as to receive the return-radar signals from the antenna elements and configured to demodulate the return-radar signals; and a fast Fourier-transform (FFT) processor connected to the I/Q sampling and signal-demodulation processor and configured to perform fast Fourier transforms of the return-radar signals.