Radar

Claim 2

A radar comprising a spherical lens, wave-generating means, a plurality of feed means positioned adjacent the surface of said lens for applying the output of said wave-generating means at selected points on the surface of said lens, and switching means for selectively connecting individuals of said feed means to said wave-generating means to transmit a beam of energy along an axis determined by the position upon the surface of said lens of the particular feed means selected.

Claim 3

A radar as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lens is of the Luneberg type comprising a sphere of radius R possessing an index refraction NR at any radial distance r within said sphere determined in accordance with the relationship NR 2-r/R 2

Claim 4

A radar comprising a spherical lens of the Luneberg type, a plurality of feed means positioned adjacent said lens, wave-generating means, and switching means for selectively connecting said feed means to said wave-generating means to transmit a beam of energy along the projection of the radius of said lens intersecting the particular feed means connected to said wave-generating means.

Claim 5

A radar comprising a spherical lens of the Luneberg type, a plurality of feed means positioned adjacent said lens, wave-generating means, and switching means for selectively connecting said feed means to said wave-generating means to transmit a beam of energy along the projection of the radius of said lens intersecting the particular feed means connected to said wave-generating means.

Claim 6

In a radar, a spherical lens of the Luneberg type, a plurality of feeds substantially uniformly distributed adjacent the surface of said lens, a plurality of radiating elements, said elements being supported upon a spherical form whence beams of energy may be launched in any desired direction, means connecting certain of said feeds with said radiating elements, wave-generating means, and means for selectively connecting certain others of said feeds to said wave-generating means.

Claim 7

In a radar, a spherical lens of the Luneberg type, a plurality of feeds substantially uniformly distributed adjacent the surface of said lens, a plurality of radiating elements, said elements being supported upon a spherical form whence beams of energy may be launched in any desired direction, means connecting certain of said feeds with said radiating elements, wave-generating means, and means for selectively connecting certain others of said feeds to said wave-generating means.

Claim 8

In a radar, a spherical lens of the Luneberg type, wave-generating means, a plurality of feeds adapted to be selectively connected to said wave-generating means and substantially uniformly distributed over at least a portion of the surface of said lens for launching a wave into said lens from a point on a selected diameter thereof, a second plurality of feed means substantially uniformly distributed over a portion of the surface of said lens diametrically opposite the portion of the lens adjacent said first plurality of feeds, said second plurality of feeds serving to collect a wave emergent from said lens, a plurality of radiating elements, said radiating elements being supported upon a spherical form to provide a convex array of said elements similar to the surface of said lens aDjacent which said second plurality of feeds is distributed, and means connecting individually the feeds of said second plurality with similarly situated individuals of said radiating elements.

Claim 9

In a radar, a spherical lens of the Luneberg type, wave-generating means, a plurality of feeds adapted to be selectively connected to said wave-generating means and substantially uniformly distributed over at least a portion of the surface of said lens for launching a wave into said lens from a point on a selected diameter thereof, a second plurality of feed means substantially uniformly distributed over a portion of the surface of said lens diametrically opposite the portion of the lens adjacent said first plurality of feeds, said second plurality of feeds serving to collect a wave emergent from said lens, a plurality of radiating elements, said radiating elements being supported upon a spherical form to provide a convex array of said elements similar to the surface of said lens aDjacent which said second plurality of feeds is distributed, and means connecting individually the feeds of said second plurality with similarly situated individuals of said radiating elements.

Claim 10

A radar comprising microwave generating means, a microwave lens of the Luneberg type, means for launching microwaves from said generating means into said lens at a plurality of selected points, means for gathering waves emergent from said lens, radiating means connected to said gathering means for launching waves collected thereby into space, a second microwave lens of the Luneberg type for receiving waves reflected from a target in space, a plurality of means situated at selected points on the surface of said second lens for collecting waves entering the second lens and thereby focused to a point, and means for comparing simultaneously the amplitude of the outputs of selected ones of said collecting means to provide an indication of the direction whence the received waves are emanating.

Claim 11

A radar comprising microwave generating means, a microwave lens of the Luneberg type, means for launching microwaves from said generating means into said lens at a plurality of selected points, means for gathering waves emergent from said lens, radiating means connected to said gathering means for launching waves collected thereby into space, a second microwave lens of the Luneberg type for receiving waves reflected from a target in space, a plurality of means situated at selected points on the surface of said second lens for collecting waves entering the second lens and thereby focused to a point, and means for comparing simultaneously the amplitude of the outputs of selected ones of said collecting means to provide an indication of the direction whence the received waves are emanating.

Claim 12

A radar transmitter comprising a source of microwaves, a plurality of amplifying means, a power divider for supplying microwaves from said source to aid amplifying means in substantially equal increments, a microwave lens of the Luneberg type, a first plurality of feed means substantially uniformly spaced adjacent a portion of the surface of said lens, each of said feed means being connected to individual ones of said amplifying means, and means for selectively actuating individual ones of said amplifying means to launch a wave into said lens at selected points.

Claim 13

A radar transmitter comprising a source of microwaves, a plurality of amplifying means, a power divider for supplying microwaves from said source to aid amplifying means in substantially equal increments, a microwave lens of the Luneberg type, a first plurality of feed means substantially uniformly spaced adjacent a portion of the surface of said lens, each of said feed means being connected to individual ones of said amplifying means, and means for selectively actuating individual ones of said amplifying means to launch a wave into said lens at selected points.

Claim 14

A transmitter as claimed in claim 7, with additionally, a second plurality of feed means substantially uniformly spaced adjacent a portion of the surface of said lens diametrically opposite said first plurality of feed means, a second plurality of amplifying means each of which is individually connected to individuals of said second plurality of feed means, and a plurality of radiating elements individually connected to individuals of said second plurality of amplifying means.

Claim 15

A radar receiver comprising, a microwave lens of the Luneberg type, a plurality of feed means substantially uniformly distributed adjacent a portion of the surface of said lens, first, second, and third receiving means, a first group of said feed means being connected to said first receiving means, a second group of said feed means being connected to said second receiving means, a third group of said feed means being connected to said third receiving means, the order of said first, second and third groups being such that a point on the surface of said lens may be isolated by the selection of a single feed from each of said groups, and means for simultaneously comparing the amplitudes of the outputs from said first, second and third receiving means.

Claim 16

A radar receiver comprising, a microwave lens of the Luneberg type, a plurality of feed means substantially uniformly distributed adjacent a portion of the surface of said lens, first, second, and third receiving means, a first group of said feed means being connected to said first receiving means, a second group of said feed means being connected to said second receiving means, a third group of said feed means being connected to said third receiving means, the order of said first, second and third groups being such that a point on the surface of said lens may be isolated by the selection of a single feed from each of said groups, and means for simultaneously comparing the amplitudes of the outputs from said first, second and third receiving means.

Claim 17

A radar comprising, wave-generating means, a first microwave lens of the Luneberg type, feed means for launching waves into said first lens from selected points on the surface thereof, collecting means for gathering waves emergent from said first lens, radiating means supplied by said gathering means for launching waves in space, structure supporting said radiating means in an elevated position, a plurality of second microwave lenses of the Luneberg type, said second lenses being positioned symmetrically about said radiating means and supported at a lower elevation than said radiating means, second collecting means distributed at points adjacent the surfaces of said second lenses, and receiving means connected to said second collecting means for detecting signals entering said second lenses.

Claim 18

A radar comprising, wave-generating means, a first microwave lens of the Luneberg type, feed means for launching waves into said first lens from selected points on the surface thereof, collecting means for gathering waves emergent from said first lens, radiating means supplied by said gathering means for launching waves in space, structure supporting said radiating means in an elevated position, a plurality of second microwave lenses of the Luneberg type, said second lenses being positioned symmetrically about said radiating means and supported at a lower elevation than said radiating means, second collecting means distributed at points adjacent the surfaces of said second lenses, and receiving means connected to said second collecting means for detecting signals entering said second lenses.

Claim 19

A radar comprising, microwave-generating means, a spherical lens of the Luneberg type, a first plurality of feed means substantially uniformly distributed over a first zone of the surface of said lens, a second plurality of feed means substantially uniformly distributed over a second zone of the surface of said lens, a third plurality of feed means substantially uniformly distributEd over a third zone of the surface of said lens, said first, second and third zones of said lens being defined by the intersection with the lens of a pair of horizontal parallel planes, the first zone being that portion of the surface of said lens above the uppermost of the intersecting planes, the second zone being that portion of the surface of said lens between the intersecting planes, the third zone being that portion of the surface of said lens beneath the lowermost of the intersecting planes, a plurality of radiating elements formed into an emittive array having a spherical contour, means connecting similarly positioned ones of said first plurality of feed means to ones of said radiating elements, means for selectively connecting ones of said third plurality of feed means to said microwave-generating means, and means including bidirectional couplers for selectively connecting ones of said second plurality of feed means to said microwave-generating means and also to similarly positioned ones of said radiating elements.

Claim 20

A radar comprising, microwave-generating means, a spherical lens of the Luneberg type, a first plurality of feed means substantially uniformly distributed over a first zone of the surface of said lens, a second plurality of feed means substantially uniformly distributed over a second zone of the surface of said lens, a third plurality of feed means substantially uniformly distributEd over a third zone of the surface of said lens, said first, second and third zones of said lens being defined by the intersection with the lens of a pair of horizontal parallel planes, the first zone being that portion of the surface of said lens above the uppermost of the intersecting planes, the second zone being that portion of the surface of said lens between the intersecting planes, the third zone being that portion of the surface of said lens beneath the lowermost of the intersecting planes, a plurality of radiating elements formed into an emittive array having a spherical contour, means connecting similarly positioned ones of said first plurality of feed means to ones of said radiating elements, means for selectively connecting ones of said third plurality of feed means to said microwave-generating means, and means including bidirectional couplers for selectively connecting ones of said second plurality of feed means to said microwave-generating means and also to similarly positioned ones of said radiating elements.

Claim 21

A radar as claimed in claim 11, with additionally, a plurality of spherical receiving lenses of the Luneberg type, said receiving lenses being positioned symmetrically about said emittive array of radiating elements, a plurality of collecting means substantially uniformly distributed adjacent a portion of the surface of each of said receiving lenses, said collecting means being divided into first, second and third groups according to their relative positions so that the selection of a particular one from each of said groups will define a triangular portion of the surface of one of said receiving lenses, first, second and third receivers to which said collecting means are connnected, and means for simultaneously comparing the amplitudes of the outputs of said receivers.

Claim 22

A radar as claimed in claim 12, wherein said last named means comprises an optical mask having varying opacity corresponding to the sensitivities of said collecting means adjacent said receiving lenses, a movable light source, and means for moving said light source to a position wherein the amount of light transmitted by said mask is proportional to the outputs of said receivers.

Claim 23

A radar comprising a transmitter for launching a beam of microwave energy into space, a spherical receiving lens of the Luneberg type, a plurality of feed means substantially uniformly spaced adjacent a portion of the surface of said lens, said feed means being divided into first, second and third groups according to their relative positions so that the selection of a particular feed from each of said groups will define a triangular portion of the surface of said lens, a first receiver to which feeds of said first group may be selectively connected, a second receiver to which feeds of said second group may be selectively connected, a third receiver to which feeds of said third group may be selectively connected, an optical mask having areas of graduated opacity thereon corresponding to the location and sensitivity of individuals of said feed means, a movable light source, beam-splitting means for projecting a triple image of said light source upon said mask, one each of said triple images being projected upon a portion of said mask representing the response of one each of said feed means from said first, second, and third groups, individual means for determining the intensity of light projected through said mask by each image of said triple images, and means for comparing the outputs of said light-detecting means with corresponding outputs of said first, second, and third receivers to caused said light source to move to a position wherein the outputs of said light-detecting means bear the same relationship to one another as the outputs of said first, second, and third receivers.

Claim 24

A radar comprising a transmitter for launching a beam of microwave energy into space, a spherical receiving lens of the Luneberg type, a plurality of feed means substantially uniformly spaced adjacent a portion of the surface of said lens, said feed means being divided into first, second and third groups according to their relative positions so that the selection of a particular feed from each of said groups will define a triangular portion of the surface of said lens, a first receiver to which feeds of said first group may be selectively connected, a second receiver to which feeds of said second group may be selectively connected, a third receiver to which feeds of said third group may be selectively connected, an optical mask having areas of graduated opacity thereon corresponding to the location and sensitivity of individuals of said feed means, a movable light source, beam-splitting means for projecting a triple image of said light source upon said mask, one each of said triple images being projected upon a portion of said mask representing the response of one each of said feed means from said first, second, and third groups, individual means for determining the intensity of light projected through said mask by each image of said triple images, and means for comparing the outputs of said light-detecting means with corresponding outputs of said first, second, and third receivers to caused said light source to move to a position wherein the outputs of said light-detecting means bear the same relationship to one another as the outputs of said first, second, and third receivers.

Claim 25

Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, with additionally, a transparent calibration chart having opaque graduations corresponding to space coordinates referenced to said receiving lens, means projecting a fourth Image of said light source upon said calibration chart, means for detecting the light projected through said chart by said fourth image, and counting means connected to said last named means for providing an indication of the space coordinates of the source of the energy entering said receiving lens.

Claim 26

Apparatus as claimed in claim 15, with additionally, data stabilization means including means for moving both said optical mask and said calibration chart, a gyroscope providing an output related to the departure of said transmitter and said receiving lens from a stabile reference axis, and means for resolving the output of said gyroscope into rectilinear components to control the position of said optical mask and said calibration chart.