Autoscan / AutoSensitivity Patent?

[ES13Raven]

Beltronics' patented AutoScan feature continuously analyzes all incoming signals and automatically rejects unwanted false alarms.

Passport 8500 X50's patented AutoSensitivity™ mode intelligently distinguishes real threats from other known sources of radar - virtually eliminating false alarms.

Could this: [replacer_a] be the Belscort Autoscan / AutoSensitivity Patent?

I saw that the RX65's and X50's Autoscan/Autosensitivity modes are patented, so I looked on my RX65 box and all the patents were there. There are only a few within the last 5 years, and I think this might be it. Finally we see what it actually does. 8)

A police radar detector detects police radar signals in the X, K and wide Ka police radar bands and rejects interfering Ka band signals that are a higher harmonic of a nuisance source having a fundamental frequency adjacent to the X police radar bands. Each of the three police radar bands is separately swept in a first mixer stage with the resulting IF signal concurrently demodulated in two IF circuits. The first IF circuit detects signals that were received in the X, K and outer portions of the wide Ka band during respective sweeps. The second IF circuit detects nuisance signals adjacent to the X and K bands, and the inner portion of the wide Ka band during respective sweeps.

[ES13Raven]

AutoScan™ is only available on higher end Bel models. It is an "automatic" City/Highway mode. Autoscan™ is designed to automatically adjust sensitivity to X and K Band Radar whatever your driving environment. Whether driving in densely populated urban areas or “wide open” rural areas, AutoScan™ will automatically reject virtually all false signals which are shared with traffic radar on X and K Bands such as door openers and security systems. AutoScan™ is a “no-fuss” means of achieving optimum signal selectivity.

If this is truly what AutoScan does (Roy is supposed to find out for sure from Bel soon), then this seems to be the patent... is it not?

Jimbonzzz? Roy? What do you guys think?

[jimbonzzz]

No, that isn't a patent for Autoscan/Autosensitivity, and you probably won't find this info detailed in any patent.
What is being patented there is the use of LNAs in the from end, which isn't something that is done in currently-produced units from BEL/Escort. The frequency scheme in current units is also different, as the X50/RX65's 1st LO is in the 14-15 GHz range and not ~11 GHz as described in the patent. The text that you cited above is a common filtering scheme for Ka, rejecting falses due to harmonics from other detectors by detecting the fundamental 1st LO freq, or the first harmonic of that freq or both. One variation of this or another is used in all of todays detectors (at least the higher end ones), but generally only for Ka band (and maybe K band in some limited cases).

You might see this used in future units. Although the use of LNAs in the front end doesn't relate to "Autoscan", it would have other advantages such as better sensitivity, and suppressing the LO and mixer products from leaking out the antenna from the 1st mixer (hint hint - to avoid detection by RDDs )

I'll be surprised if BEL actually comes up off of any info on what Autoscan does, but you never know...

Jim

[ES13Raven]

No, that isn't a patent for Autoscan/Autosensitivity, and you probably won't find this info detailed in any patent.
I'll be surprised if BEL actually comes up off of any info on what Autoscan does, but you never know...

Thanks for the clarification Jim.

Why don't you think the info would be in any patent, if the technology is "patented"?

[jimbonzzz]

No, that isn't a patent for Autoscan/Autosensitivity, and you probably won't find this info detailed in any patent.
I'll be surprised if BEL actually comes up off of any info on what Autoscan does, but you never know...

Thanks for the clarification Jim.

Why don't you think the info would be in any patent, if the technology is "patented"?

Oh yeah...I don't know, you might find something, but they could probably be referring to any number of aspects detailed in one of the patents they have listed, and we might never know exactly what they are referring to (unless they tell us)

Jim