US4332018A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Wide band mosaic lens antenna array
Assignee: United States Department of the Navy
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Filing: 1980-02-01
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Granted: 1982-05-25
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Expires: 2000-02-01
Abstract
Abstract A wide band, substantially constant beamwidth, frequency independent, scable acoustic array uses a mosaic pattern acoustic lens arrangement of fully directive acoustic lens antennas as the primary array antenna elements. The lenses at the center of the array pass signals at all frequencies, the lenses near but not at the center pass all signals except those at the highest frequencies and the lenses on the outer periphery pass only those signals at the lowest frequencies. When used as a transmitter, a wide band source supplies a broad band frequency signal to a plurality of filters, time delays, amplifiers, switches and acoustic retinas for applying predetermined signals to the acoustic lenses. When used as a receiver the same plurality of filters, time delays, amplifiers, switches and acoustic retinas act in a complimentary reciprocal fashion in the recovery of signals. The geometrical distribution of the various frequencies over the array described above produces a substantially constant effective aperture to wavelength ratio independent of frequency for the antenna as a whole which results in formation of a substantially constant beamwidth, frequency independent beam while the time delays, being dependent only on the lens spacing and the scan angle and not on the wavelength provide for scanning independent of frequency.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert L. Sternberg
- 👤 Warren A. Anderson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 19:12
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04B; H04B11/00; G; G10; G10K; G10K11/00; G10K11/18; G10K11/26; G10K11/30; G10K11/34; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S367/00; Y10S367/905
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
180 words
An acoustic transmitter comprising: wide band electrical means for inhibiting electrical signals of predetermined frequencies and conducting electrical signals of other predetermined frequencies, said wide band electrical means includes a plurality of electrical filters that all pass low frequency signals, some of said electrical filters differ from others in that they have different predetermined high frequency cutoff points; wide band transducer means for accepting the conducted electrical signals and converting the conducted electrical signals into acoustic signals, said wide band transducer means has transducer subarrays arranged in an array and connected to respective members of said plurality of electrical filters so that the more toward the center of said array each of said transducer subarrays is located the higher the high frequency cutoff point of the electrical filter to which it is connected; and acoustic means for focusing the acoustic signals and simultaneously forming a plurality of individual near field elementary acoustic beams that form a substantially constant beamwidth frequency independent composite far field acoustic transmitting beam, said acoustic means comprises an array of fully directive indicidual acoustic lens antennas.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
180 words
An acoustic transmitter comprising: wide band electrical means for inhibiting electrical signals of predetermined frequencies and conducting electrical signals of other predetermined frequencies, said wide band electrical means includes a plurality of electrical filters that all pass low frequency signals, some of said electrical filters differ from others in that they have different predetermined high frequency cutoff points; wide band transducer means for accepting the conducted electrical signals and converting the conducted electrical signals into acoustic signals, said wide band transducer means has transducer subarrays arranged in an array and connected to respective members of said plurality of electrical filters so that the more toward the center of said array each of said transducer subarrays is located the higher the high frequency cutoff point of the electrical filter to which it is connected; and acoustic means for focusing the acoustic signals and simultaneously forming a plurality of individual near field elementary acoustic beams that form a substantially constant beamwidth frequency independent composite far field acoustic transmitting beam, said acoustic means comprises an array of fully directive indicidual acoustic lens antennas.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
An acoustic transmitter according to claim 1 further comprising scanning means for frequency independent scanning of said substantially constant beamwidth frequency independent composite far field acoustic transmitting beam.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
An acoustic transmitter according to claim 2 wherein said array is a linear array.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
An acoustic transmitter according to claim 2 wherein said array is a planar array.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
82 words
An acoustic transmitter according to claim 4 wherein said wide band transducer means has said transducer subarrays arranged in such a pattern and connected to said wide band electrical means in such a manner that as the wavelength of the electrical and hence acoustic signal varies, the diameter of said wide band transducer means that is operational varies so that the ratio of wavelength of said acoustical signals to the diameter of said wide band transducer means that is operational remains constant.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
204 words
An acoustic receiver comprising: acoustic means for receiving acoustic signals and simultaneously focusing a plurality of individual near field elementary acoustic beams that form a substantially constant beamwidth frequency independent composite far field acoustic receiving beam, said acoustic means comprises an array of fully directive indicidual acoustic lens antennas; wide band transducer means having transducer subarrays arranged in an array for accepting said plurality of individually focused near field elementary acoustic beams from said acoustic means and converting the acoustic signals in said elementary beams into electrical signals; and wide band electrical means for conducting electrical signals of predetermined frequencies and inhibiting electrical signals of other predetermined frequencies that together form the electrical analogue of the said substantially constant beamwidth frequency independent composite far field acoustic receiving beam, said wide band electrical means includes a plurality of electrical filters that all pass low frequency signals, some of said electrical filters differ from others in that they have different predetermined high frequency cutoff points, said electrical filters connected to respective members of said transducer subarrays so that the more toward the center of said array each of said transducer subarrays is located the higher the frequency cutoff point of said electrical filter which is connected.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
204 words
An acoustic receiver comprising: acoustic means for receiving acoustic signals and simultaneously focusing a plurality of individual near field elementary acoustic beams that form a substantially constant beamwidth frequency independent composite far field acoustic receiving beam, said acoustic means comprises an array of fully directive indicidual acoustic lens antennas; wide band transducer means having transducer subarrays arranged in an array for accepting said plurality of individually focused near field elementary acoustic beams from said acoustic means and converting the acoustic signals in said elementary beams into electrical signals; and wide band electrical means for conducting electrical signals of predetermined frequencies and inhibiting electrical signals of other predetermined frequencies that together form the electrical analogue of the said substantially constant beamwidth frequency independent composite far field acoustic receiving beam, said wide band electrical means includes a plurality of electrical filters that all pass low frequency signals, some of said electrical filters differ from others in that they have different predetermined high frequency cutoff points, said electrical filters connected to respective members of said transducer subarrays so that the more toward the center of said array each of said transducer subarrays is located the higher the frequency cutoff point of said electrical filter which is connected.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
An acoustic receiver according to claim 6 further comprising scanning means for frequency independent scanning of said substantially constant beamwidth frequency independent composite far field acoustic receiving beam.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
An acoustic receiver according to claim 7 wherein said array is a linear array.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
An acoustic receiver according to claim 7 wherein said array is a planar array.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1985-05-24 | 1985-11-23 | 1986-05-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1989-05-24 | 1989-11-23 | 1990-05-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1993-05-24 | 1993-11-23 | 1994-05-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |