Tracking radar

Claim 2

In a conical scan receiver, wherein the angular deviation of a target from a boresight axis and a reference axis is determined, angle computing apparatus comprising: a. means for separating energy in signals received from various objects and the target into several signal channels, the relative level of the energy in each such signal channel being in accordance with the angular deviation of each one of the various objects and the target from the boresight axis and the reference axis; b. means, disposed in the several signal channels, for substantially inhibiting energy other than that related to the target from passing through the several signal channels; and, c. means, fed by the inhibiting means, for comparing the relative level of energy between selected outputs of such signal channels.

Claim 3

The angle computing apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the inhibiting means includes: a. means, fed by the separating means, for transforming the signals from the various objects and the target into a set of digital signals, the signals in such set representing the frequency spectrum of the signals from the various objects and the target; and b. means, fed by the transforming means, for passing selected ones of the set of digital signals, such selected ones being representative of the portion of the frequency spectrum associated with the target.

Claim 4

A conical scan receiver wherein the angular deviation of a target from a boresight axis and a reference axis is dEtermined, such conical scan receiver operating at a conical scanning frequency and including an ''''in phase'''' heterodyne receiver and a ''''quadrature'''' heterodyne receiver for receiving signals from a target and various objects and computing apparatus, such apparatus comprising: a. modulating means, fed by the ''''in phase'''' heterodyne receiver and the ''''quadrature'''' heterodyne receiver, for applying, to the signals produced at the output of each one of such receivers, modulating signals having a frequency component equal to the conical scanning frequency to produce a set of first signals and a set of second signals, the energy in such sets of signals being in accordance with the angular deviation of each one of the various objects and the target from the boresight axis and the reference axis; b. filter means, fed by the modulating means, for inhibiting substantially all of the energy in the sets of first and second signals associated with the various objects from passing through such filter means; and, c. means, fed by the filter means, for measuring the relative energy in selected portions of the filtered sets of first and second signals.

Claim 5

A conical scan receiver wherein the angular deviation of a target from a boresight axis and a reference axis is dEtermined, such conical scan receiver operating at a conical scanning frequency and including an ''''in phase'''' heterodyne receiver and a ''''quadrature'''' heterodyne receiver for receiving signals from a target and various objects and computing apparatus, such apparatus comprising: a. modulating means, fed by the ''''in phase'''' heterodyne receiver and the ''''quadrature'''' heterodyne receiver, for applying, to the signals produced at the output of each one of such receivers, modulating signals having a frequency component equal to the conical scanning frequency to produce a set of first signals and a set of second signals, the energy in such sets of signals being in accordance with the angular deviation of each one of the various objects and the target from the boresight axis and the reference axis; b. filter means, fed by the modulating means, for inhibiting substantially all of the energy in the sets of first and second signals associated with the various objects from passing through such filter means; and, c. means, fed by the filter means, for measuring the relative energy in selected portions of the filtered sets of first and second signals.

Claim 6

The conical scan receiver recited in claim 3 wherein the filter means includes: a. means, fed by the modulating means, for transforming the sets of signals from the various objects and the target into digital signals, such digital signals representing the frequency spectrum of the signals from the various objects and the target; and b. means, fed by the transforming means, for passing selected ones of the digital signals, such selected ones being representative of the portion of the frequency spectrum associated with the target.

Claim 7

The conical scan receiver recited in claim 4 wherein the passing means includes: a. means for determining the digital signal associated with the frequency component within a portion of the frequency spectrum and having substantially the largest energy level of all frequency components within such portion; b. means, fed by the determining means, for transmitting the digital signals representing the frequency components within a predetermined band of frequencies, such band of frequencies being centered at frequency associated with the frequency component having the largest energy level.

Claim 8

The conical scan receiver recited in claim 5 wherein the transforming means includes means for separating the digital signals into a frequency portion signal and an energy level portion signal and wherein the determining means includes: a. means, coupled to the separating means, for producing a first gating signal when the frequency portion signal is associated with the target; b. first register means, coupled to the producing means and the separating means, for storing the energy portion signal in response to the first and a second gating signal; c. comparator means, coupled to the first register means and the separating means, for producing the second gating signal when such energy level portion signal of the separating means is greater than the energy level portion signal stored in the first register means; d. second register means coupled to the separating means for storing the frequency portion signal in response to the first and the second gating signals.