Radar data recording and replay system

Claim 2

In combination: a. a radar apparatus including means for providing radar video, trigger, and bearing output signals; b. means for providing heading signals representative of the heading of the craft associated with said radar apparatus; c. a radar visual display device including means for utilizing said video, trigger, and bearing output signals together with said heading signals to provide corresponding visual display data; d. a recording and playback apparatus including means for recording electrical signals on a plurality of separate channels, and means for selectively replaying said recorded electrical signals from said channels, said channels including a wide band video channel, a control channel, and an auxiliary channel; e. record adapter means connecting said radar apparatus with said recording means and including means for mixing said video and trigger output signals to provide a composite signal for recording on said video channel, means for processing said bearing signals for recording on said control channel, and means for processing said heading signals for recording on said auxiliary channel; f. playback adapter means connecting said replay means with said radar display device for (1) processing signals from said video channel to provide separate video and trigger input signals to said display device comparable to said radar apparatus, video and trigger output signals, respectively and (2) for processing signals from said control channel to provide a bearing input signal to said display device comparable to said bearing output signal and (3) for processing signals from said audio channel to provide heading input signals to said visual display device comparable to said original heading signals.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein said video output signals from said radar apparatus include groups of pulses representative of radar echoes, and a single one of said trigger output signals precedes each group of said video pulses.

Claim 4

In combination: a. a radar apparatus including means for providing radar video, trigger, and bearing output signals; b. a radar visual display device including means for utilizing said video, trigger, and bearing output signals to provide corresponding visual display data; c. a recording and playback apparatus including means for recording electrical signals on a plurality of separate channels and means for selectively replaying said recorded electrical signals from said channels; d. record adapter means connecting said radar apparatus with said recording means and including means for mixing said video and trigger output signals for recording on one of said channels and means for processing said bearing signals for recording on another of said channels; e. playback adapter means for connecting said replay means with said radar display device for (1) processing signals from said one channel to provide separate video and trigger input signals to said display device comparable to said radar apparatus video and trigger output signals respectively and (2) for processing said signals from said other channel to provide a bearing input signal to said display device comparable to said bearing output signal; f. said video output signals from said radar apparatus including groups of pulses representative of radar echoes, and a single one of said trigger output signals precedes each group of video pulses; and g. saiD record adapter means including means for amplifying said video pulses and clipping such at a predetermined magntude prior to mixing with said trigger output signals by said mixing means, said video and trigger signals being inverted as necessary and mixed to attain a composite signal of one polarity and uniform amplitude prior to mixing whereby the full dynamic range of the recording channel may be utilized.

Claim 5

In combination: a. a radar apparatus including means for providing radar video, trigger, and bearing output signals; b. a radar visual display device including means for utilizing said video, trigger, and bearing output signals to provide corresponding visual display data; c. a recording and playback apparatus including means for recording electrical signals on a plurality of separate channels and means for selectively replaying said recorded electrical signals from said channels; d. record adapter means connecting said radar apparatus with said recording means and including means for mixing said video and trigger output signals for recording on one of said channels and means for processing said bearing signals for recording on another of said channels; e. playback adapter means for connecting said replay means with said radar display device for (1) processing signals from said one channel to provide separate video and trigger input signals to said display device comparable to said radar apparatus video and trigger output signals respectively and (2) for processing said signals from said other channel to provide a bearing input signal to said display device comparable to said bearing output signal; f. said video output signals from said radar apparatus including groups of pulses representative of radar echoes, and a single one of said trigger output signals precedes each group of video pulses; and g. saiD record adapter means including means for amplifying said video pulses and clipping such at a predetermined magntude prior to mixing with said trigger output signals by said mixing means, said video and trigger signals being inverted as necessary and mixed to attain a composite signal of one polarity and uniform amplitude prior to mixing whereby the full dynamic range of the recording channel may be utilized.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 1 wherein said means for processing said bearing output signals from said radar apparatus includes means for converting said bearing output signals to pulses as needed to synchronize the control circuit of the recording and playback apparatus.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 4 wherein said means for converting said bearing output signals to said pulses phase splits, differentiates and rectifies said bearing output signals and feeds said pulses to said other channel of said recording apparatus.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 5 wherein said playback adapter means includes means for processing the recorded bearing signals to provide bearing motor control signals synchronized with said recorded bearing signals.

Claim 9

The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein said bearing motor control signals include a pair of separate signals out of phase with each other.

Claim 10

For use with a radar apparatus and associated visual display device, in combinstion: a. a recording and playback apparatus including means for recording electrical signals on a plurality of separate channels, said channels including a wide-band video channel, a control channel, and an audio channel, and means for selectively replaying the recorded signals from said channels; b. record adapter circuit means for receiving and processing separate video, trigger, bearing, and heading signals from the radar apparatus and including first means for mixing said video and trigger signals to provide a composite signal which is fed to said video channel, second means for processing said bearing signals and furnishing such processed bearing signals to said control channel, and third means for processing said heading signal and furnishing such processed heading signal to said audio channel; c. and playback adapter circuit means receiving said composite, bearing, and heading signals from said video, control, and audio channels respectively and including first circuit means for processing said composite signal to provide separate video input and trigger input signals for operating the visual display device, second circuit means for processing signals recorded on said control channel to provide bearing control signals synchronized with the signals recorded on said control channel for operating a synchronization circuit associated with the visual display device, third circuit means for processing the signals recorded on said audio channel to provide an input heading signal to the visual display device comparable to the above mentioned heading signal.

Claim 11

For use with a radar apparatus and associated visual display device, in combinstion: a. a recording and playback apparatus including means for recording electrical signals on a plurality of separate channels, said channels including a wide-band video channel, a control channel, and an audio channel, and means for selectively replaying the recorded signals from said channels; b. record adapter circuit means for receiving and processing separate video, trigger, bearing, and heading signals from the radar apparatus and including first means for mixing said video and trigger signals to provide a composite signal which is fed to said video channel, second means for processing said bearing signals and furnishing such processed bearing signals to said control channel, and third means for processing said heading signal and furnishing such processed heading signal to said audio channel; c. and playback adapter circuit means receiving said composite, bearing, and heading signals from said video, control, and audio channels respectively and including first circuit means for processing said composite signal to provide separate video input and trigger input signals for operating the visual display device, second circuit means for processing signals recorded on said control channel to provide bearing control signals synchronized with the signals recorded on said control channel for operating a synchronization circuit associated with the visual display device, third circuit means for processing the signals recorded on said audio channel to provide an input heading signal to the visual display device comparable to the above mentioned heading signal.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 8 wherein said record adapter means includes means for amplifying said video pulses to the same magnitude prior to mixing with said trigger output signals by said mixing means.

Claim 13

The combination set forth in claim 8 wherein said bearing control signals include a pair of separate bearing motor control signals 90* out of phase with each other and said synchronization circuit includes a two-phase motor.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 8 wherein said means for processing said bearing output signals from said radar apparatus includes means for converting said bearing output signals to pulses as needed to synchronize the control circuit of the recording and playback apparatus.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 11 wherein said means for converting said bearing output signals to said pulses phase splits, differentiates and rectifies said bearing output signals and feeds said pulses to said other channel of said recording apparatus.

Claim 16

For use with a three-track video tape recording and replaY apparatus, a record adapter comprising first means for mixing video and trigger signals to provide a composite signal for recording on a video track, second means for converting radar sine wave bearing signals to pulses for recording on a control track, and third means for converting craft heading pulse signals to sine wave signals for recording on an audio track.

Claim 17

For use with a three-track video tape recording and replaY apparatus, a record adapter comprising first means for mixing video and trigger signals to provide a composite signal for recording on a video track, second means for converting radar sine wave bearing signals to pulses for recording on a control track, and third means for converting craft heading pulse signals to sine wave signals for recording on an audio track.

Claim 18

The combination of claim 13 wherein said third means includes means for processing speech signals and auxiliary data signals and means for mixing said speech signals and auxiliary data signals with said heading signals to provide a single combined signal for recording on an audio track.

Claim 19

The combination set forth in claim 14 wherein said heading pulses are converted to tone bursts of approximately 5KHz, said auxiliary data signals being limited to a frequency range of approximately 7-10KHz, and said speech signals being limited to frequencies of approximately 3KHz, and below.

Claim 20

For use with a three-track video tape recording and replay apparatus, a replay adapter comprising first means for processing a composite radar trigger and video signal to provide separate video and trigger signals for operating a radar visual display device, second means for processing a recorded radar bearing control signal to provide bearing motor control signals synchronized with the recorded signals to control a motor associated with a radar visual display device, and third means for processing recorded heading marker signals to provide heading marker pulse signals for operating a radar visual display device.

Claim 21

For use with a three-track video tape recording and replay apparatus, a replay adapter comprising first means for processing a composite radar trigger and video signal to provide separate video and trigger signals for operating a radar visual display device, second means for processing a recorded radar bearing control signal to provide bearing motor control signals synchronized with the recorded signals to control a motor associated with a radar visual display device, and third means for processing recorded heading marker signals to provide heading marker pulse signals for operating a radar visual display device.

Claim 22

The combination set forth in claim 16 wherein said second means provides a pair of separate bearing motor control signals approximately 90* out of phase with each other and said motor is a two-phase motor associated with a radar visual display device.

Claim 23

The combination set forth in claim 16 wherein said third means includes means for separating said heading marker signals from said recorded auxiliary data and speech signals.

Claim 24

The combination set forth in claim 18 wherein said heading marker pulse signals are approximately 5KHz, said auxiliary data signals being limited to a range of 7-10KHz, and said speech signals being limited to frequencies of approximately 3KHz and below.