Electronic distance finder

Claim 2

In apparatus for determining with accuracy the distance between first and second stations which are spaced apart, the combination comprising a. transmitting and receiving antennas T1 and R1 at the first station, and transmitting and receiving antennas T2 and R2 at the second station, b. a source for an RF carrier signal f1 delivered for transmission on T1, c. means to convert f1 received on R2 to an RF carrier signal f2 delivered for transmission on T2, d. means to convert f2 received in R1 to a feedback RF carrier signal f1 also delivered to T1 and characterized in that loop transmission of carrier and sideband frequencies is established with production of reverberations occurring at a rate which is a function of said distance, and e. means responsive to said last named means to detect said reverberation rate, f. said converting means including mixers, and said source including an oscillator and at least one radio link means with antenna structure coupling said source and mixers.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein said detection means includes a demodulator having input connection between R1 and the mixer at said first station to receive and demodulate the sideband frequency thereby producing a series of pulses, and a pulse rate counter connected to the demodulator output, the pulse rate being an inverse function of said distance.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 wherein said stations are separated by a distance of between 50 feet and 5 miles.

Claim 5

In apparatus for determining with accuracy the distance between first and second stations which are spaced apart, the combination comprising a. transmitting and receiving antennas T1 and R1 at the first station, and transmitting and receiving antennas T2 and R2 at the second station, b. a source for an RF carrier signal f1 delivered for transmission on T1, c. means to convert f 1 received on R2 to an RF carrier signal f2 delivered for transmission on T2, d. means to convert f2 received on R1 to a feedback RF carrier signal f1 also delivered to T1 and characterized in that loop transmission of carrier and sideband frequencies is established with production of reverberations occuring at a rate which is a function of said distance, and e. means responsive to said last named means to detect said reverberation rate, f. said source for RF carrier f1 comprising an oscillator at the first station, and means including transmit and receive antennas to transmit the oscillator frequency output to the second station and back to the first station and to frequency multiplication means at at least one of said stations to produce said source f1.

Claim 6

In apparatus for determining with accuracy the distance between first and second stations which are spaced apart, the combination comprising a. transmitting and receiving antennas T1 and R1 at the first station, and transmitting and receiving antennas T2 and R2 at the second station, b. a source for an RF carrier signal f1 delivered for transmission on T1, c. means to convert f 1 received on R2 to an RF carrier signal f2 delivered for transmission on T2, d. means to convert f2 received on R1 to a feedback RF carrier signal f1 also delivered to T1 and characterized in that loop transmission of carrier and sideband frequencies is established with production of reverberations occuring at a rate which is a function of said distance, and e. means responsive to said last named means to detect said reverberation rate, f. said source for RF carrier f1 comprising an oscillator at the first station, and means including transmit and receive antennas to transmit the oscillator frequency output to the second station and back to the first station and to frequency multiplication means at at least one of said stations to produce said source f1.

Claim 7

In apparatus for determining with accuracy the distance between first and second stations which are spaced apart, the combination comprising a. transmitting and receiving antennas T1 and R1 at the first station, and transmitting and receiving antennas T2 and R2 at the second station, b. a source for an RF carrier signal f1 delivered for transmission on T1, c. means to convert f1 received on R2 to an RF carrier signal f2 delivered for transmission on T2, d. means to convert f2 received on R1 to a feedback RF carrier signal f1 also delivered to T1 and characterized in that loop transmission of carrier and sideband frequencies is established with production of reverberations occuring at a rate which is a function of said distance, and e. means responsive to said last-named means to detect said reverberation rate, f. said converting means (d) including an oscillator at one of said stations to generate a frequency which is a submultiple of a frequency f3, a mixer connected to receive f3 and f2 and to produce said f1 also delivered to T1 and means coupling the oscillator output to the mixer to supply said f3 and including at least one radio link means with antenna structure between said stations and frequency multiplier means connected in series with said antenna structure at at least one of the stations.

Claim 8

In apparatus for determining with accuracy the distance between first and second stations which are spaced apart, the combination comprising a. transmitting and receiving antennas T1 and R1 at the first station, and transmitting and receiving antennas T2 and R2 at the second station, b. a source for an RF carrier signal f1 delivered for transmission on T1, c. means to convert f1 received on R2 to an RF carrier signal f2 delivered for transmission on T2, d. means to convert f2 received on R1 to a feedback RF carrier signal f1 also delivered to T1 and characterized in that loop transmission of carrier and sideband frequencies is established with production of reverberations occuring at a rate which is a function of said distance, and e. means responsive to said last-named means to detect said reverberation rate, f. said converting means (d) including an oscillator at one of said stations to generate a frequency which is a submultiple of a frequency f3, a mixer connected to receive f3 and f2 and to produce said f1 also delivered to T1 and means coupling the oscillator output to the mixer to supply said f3 and including at least one radio link means with antenna structure between said stations and frequency multiplier means connected in series with said antenna structure at at least one of the stations.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 5 wherein the oscillator is at the first station, there being one radio link coupling the oscillator output from the first station to the second station and another radio link coupling one frequency multiplied version of the oscillator output from the second station back to the first station, said one frequency multiplied version being generated by said frequency multiplier means.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 6 wherein said meaNs c to convert f1 to f2 is coupled at the second station to said one frequency multiplied version of the oscillator output.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 7 wherein said means to convert f2 to feedback f1 is coupled at the first station to another frequency multiplied version of the oscillator output derived from said one frequency multiplied version, said other frequency multiplied version being generated by said frequency multiplier means.