Millimeter wave passive/active simulator array and method of evaluating the tracking capability of an active/passive target seeker

Claim 1

An extended area target scene signature simulator array for simulating targets and the background terrain of the targets to facilitate tracking evaluation of an active/passive mode millimeter wave target seeker, the simulator comprising: a support; an array of target elements mounted on said support for exposing to the seeker a portion of each of said target elements and shielding from the seeker a portion of each of said target elements, each of said target elements partially exhibiting a first material substantially reflective of incident electromagnetic energy and partially exhibiting a second material substantially absorptive of incident electromagnetic energy; means for transmitting electromagnetic energy toward said target array; and means for dynamically controlling said transmitting means and for dynamically varying, individually for each said target element on said support, the ratio of said exposed exhibited reflective portion of each said element to said exposed exhibited absorptive portion of each said element such that the exposed reflective and absorptive characteristics to incident electromagnetic energy of the array as a whole simulates the target and the background terrain of the target.

Claim 18

A method of facilitating the simulation of a target and the target background at a particular range relative to an active/passive mode millimeter wave seeker, comprising the steps of: providing, in a radiometrically cold room, an array of target elements, each of said target elements being mounted on a support and being partially covered with a first material substantially reflective of incident electromagnetic energy and partially covered with a second material substantially absorptive of incident electromagnetic energy and having a first portion exposed to incident electromagnetic energy, a second portion shielded from incident electromagnetic energy; transmitting electromagnetic energy toward said array for simulation when said seeker is in an active mode; and individually positioning said target elements on said support to expose in said first portion selected amounts of said first material and said second material so that electromagnetic energy reflected from said array of said elements simulates the electromagnetic reflectivity and emissivity characteristics corresponding to said target and said target background at a particular range relative to said seeker.

Claim 19

A method of facilitating the simulation of a target and the target background at a particular range relative to an active/passive mode millimeter wave seeker, comprising the steps of: providing, in a radiometrically cold room, an array of target elements, each of said target elements being mounted on a support and being partially covered with a first material substantially reflective of incident electromagnetic energy and partially covered with a second material substantially absorptive of incident electromagnetic energy and having a first portion exposed to incident electromagnetic energy, a second portion shielded from incident electromagnetic energy; transmitting electromagnetic energy toward said array for simulation when said seeker is in an active mode; and individually positioning said target elements on said support to expose in said first portion selected amounts of said first material and said second material so that electromagnetic energy reflected from said array of said elements simulates the electromagnetic reflectivity and emissivity characteristics corresponding to said target and said target background at a particular range relative to said seeker.

Claim 20

A method of facilitating the simulation of relative motion between a target and the background terrain, for purposes of evaluating an active mode millimeter wave seeker, comprising the steps of: providing, in a radiometrically cold room, an array of target elements, each of the target elements being mounted on a support and having a first portion of said element exposed to incident electromagnetic energy and a second portion of said element shielded from incident electromagnetic energy, each said target element being partially covered with a first material substantially reflective of incident electromagnetic energy and partially covered with a second material substantially absorptive of incident electromagnetic energy; transmitting electromagnetic energy toward said array; dynamically positioning said target elements on said support individually to expose in said first portion selected amounts of said first material and said second material so that electromagnetic energy reflected and emitted from said array of said elements simulates the reflectivity and emissivity characteristics corresponding to a first orientation of the target relative to the target background at a particular range relative to the seeker; and dynamically repositioning said target elements on said support individually to expose in said first portion selected amounts of said first material and said second material so that electromagnetic energy reflected and emitted from said array of said elements simulates the reflectivity and emissivity characteristics corresponding to a second orientation of the target relative to the target background at a particular range relative to the seeker.

Claim 21

A method of facilitating the simulation of relative motion between a target and the background terrain, for purposes of evaluating an active mode millimeter wave seeker, comprising the steps of: providing, in a radiometrically cold room, an array of target elements, each of the target elements being mounted on a support and having a first portion of said element exposed to incident electromagnetic energy and a second portion of said element shielded from incident electromagnetic energy, each said target element being partially covered with a first material substantially reflective of incident electromagnetic energy and partially covered with a second material substantially absorptive of incident electromagnetic energy; transmitting electromagnetic energy toward said array; dynamically positioning said target elements on said support individually to expose in said first portion selected amounts of said first material and said second material so that electromagnetic energy reflected and emitted from said array of said elements simulates the reflectivity and emissivity characteristics corresponding to a first orientation of the target relative to the target background at a particular range relative to the seeker; and dynamically repositioning said target elements on said support individually to expose in said first portion selected amounts of said first material and said second material so that electromagnetic energy reflected and emitted from said array of said elements simulates the reflectivity and emissivity characteristics corresponding to a second orientation of the target relative to the target background at a particular range relative to the seeker.