Phase control circuit

Claim 2

A circuit for controlling the phase of the signal produced by an oscillator having a control input, by that of a reference signal, with control of the desired relative phase between the two signals, said circuit comprising a reference signal input, an oscillator having a control input, a first phase detection means having two inputs for receiving respectively said signals and an output, said first means supplying a signal proportional to the sine of the difference between the instantaneous phases of said two signals when the latter are sinusoidal, said circuit further comprising a second phase detection means having two inputs for receiving respectively said signals and an output, said second means supplying a signal proportional to the cosine of the difference between the instantaneous phases of said two signals when the latter are sinusoidal, weighting and summing means having two inputs respectively coupled to said detection means outputs and an output coupled to said oscillator control input, said weighting and summing means having two weighting control inputs for receiving respective weighting control signals.

Claim 3

A circuit as claimed in claim 1 further comprising amplifying means inserted in serieS between said weighting and summing means output and said oscillator control input.

Claim 4

A circuit as claimed in claim 2 wherein said weighting and summing means comprise a first set of resistors having a first common terminal, a second set of resistors having a second common terminal, a first switch having a control input, a signal input coupled to said first detection means output, and an output selectively coupled to said resistors of said first set, a second switch having a control input, a signal input coupled to said second detection means output, and an output selectively coupled to said resistors of said second set, and a first and a second controlled inverters having respective control inputs and respective signal inputs coupled respectively to said first and second common terminals, and common outputs, said first switch and first inverter control inputs and said second switch and second inverter control inputs being coupled respectively to said weighting control inputs.

Claim 5

A circuit as claimed in claim 3 wherein said switches are built up by semiconductor matrices.

Claim 6

A circuit as claimed in claim 2 wherein said summing and weighting means comprise two variable gain amplifiers having respective control inputs respectively coupled to said weighting control inputs, respective signal inputs respectively coupled to said detection means outputs, and respective outputs, and adding means having two inputs respectively coupled to said variable gain amplifiers outputs.

Claim 7

An active modular element for an electronic scan antenna, comprising an oscillator having a control input and an output, a radiating element, means for coupling said radiating element to said output, a reference terminal for receiving a reference signal, a first phase detection means having two inputs respectively coupled to said output and to said reference terminal, and an output, said first means supplying a signal proportional to the sine of the difference between the instantaneous phases of the signals applied to its inputs when the latter are sinusoidal, a second phase detection means having two inputs respectively coupled to said output and to said reference terminal, and an output, said second means supplying a signal proportional to the cosine of the difference between the instantaneous phases of the signals applied to its inputs when the latter are sinusoidal, weighting and summing means having two inputs respectively coupled to said detection means outputs, and an output coupled to said oscillator control input, said weighting and summing means having two weighting control inputs for receiving respective weighting control signals.

Claim 8

An active modular element for an electronic scan antenna, comprising an oscillator having a control input and an output, a radiating element, means for coupling said radiating element to said output, a reference terminal for receiving a reference signal, a first phase detection means having two inputs respectively coupled to said output and to said reference terminal, and an output, said first means supplying a signal proportional to the sine of the difference between the instantaneous phases of the signals applied to its inputs when the latter are sinusoidal, a second phase detection means having two inputs respectively coupled to said output and to said reference terminal, and an output, said second means supplying a signal proportional to the cosine of the difference between the instantaneous phases of the signals applied to its inputs when the latter are sinusoidal, weighting and summing means having two inputs respectively coupled to said detection means outputs, and an output coupled to said oscillator control input, said weighting and summing means having two weighting control inputs for receiving respective weighting control signals.

Claim 9

An active modular element as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a further oscillator having a control input, and an output, means for selectively coupling said radiating element selectively to said oscillator outputs, means for further coupling said weighting and summing means output to said further oscillator control input, and frequency shifting means having two inputs respectively coupled to said further oscillator output and to said radiating element.

Claim 10

An active modular element as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a further oscillator having a control input, and an output, means for selectively coupling said radiating element selectively to said oscillator outputs, further weighting and summing means having two inputs respectively coupled to said detection means outputs, two weighting control inputs for receiving respective weighting control signals, and an output coupled to said further oscillator control input, and frequency shifting means having two inputs respectively coupled to said further oscillator output and to said radiating element.

Claim 11

An electronic transmit-receive antenna comprising pilot means supplying a reference signal, and active modular elements comprising an oscillator having a control input and an output, a radiating element, means coupling said radiating element to said output for supplying received signals therEto, a reference terminal for receiving said reference signal, each of said elements further comprising a first phase detection means having two inputs respectively coupled to said output and to said reference terminal, and an output, said first means supplying a signal proportional to the sine of the difference between the instantaneous phases of the signals applied to its inputs when the latter are sinusoidal, a second phase detection means having two inputs respectively coupled to said output and to said reference terminal, and an output, said second means supplying a signal proportional to the cosine of the difference between the instantaneous phases of the signals applied to its inputs when the latter are sinusoidal, weighting and summing means having two inputs respectively coupled to said detection means outputs, and an output coupled to said oscillator control input, said weighting and summing means having two weighting control inputs for receiving respective weighting control signals.

Claim 12

An electronic transmit-receive antenna comprising pilot means supplying a reference signal, and active modular elements comprising an oscillator having a control input and an output, a radiating element, means coupling said radiating element to said output for supplying received signals therEto, a reference terminal for receiving said reference signal, each of said elements further comprising a first phase detection means having two inputs respectively coupled to said output and to said reference terminal, and an output, said first means supplying a signal proportional to the sine of the difference between the instantaneous phases of the signals applied to its inputs when the latter are sinusoidal, a second phase detection means having two inputs respectively coupled to said output and to said reference terminal, and an output, said second means supplying a signal proportional to the cosine of the difference between the instantaneous phases of the signals applied to its inputs when the latter are sinusoidal, weighting and summing means having two inputs respectively coupled to said detection means outputs, and an output coupled to said oscillator control input, said weighting and summing means having two weighting control inputs for receiving respective weighting control signals.

Claim 13

An electronic scan transmit-receive antenna as claimed in claim 9, each of said elements further comprising a further oscillator having a control input and an output, means for selectively coupling said radiating element to said oscillator outputs, means for further coupling said weighting and summing means output to said further oscillator control input, and frequency shifting means having two inputs respectively coupled to said further oscillator output and to said radiating element.

Claim 14

An electronic scan transmit-receive antenna as claimed in claim 9, each of said elements further comprising a further oscillator having a control input and an output, means for selectively coupling said radiating element to said oscillator outputs, further weighting and summing means having two inputs respectively coupled to said detection means outputs, two weighting control inputs for receiving respective weighting control signals, and an output coupled to said further oscillator control input, and frequency shifting means having two inputs respectively coupled to said further oscillator output and to said radiating element.