Electronically controlled array for simulation of passive target/background signatures at millimeter wavelengths

Claim 2

An electronically controlled noise generator comprising: a source of noise emission in the millimeter frequency bands, means for converting the noise emission to a plane wavefront output wave of transmitted energy having a plurality of individually controllable wave portions, and means for controlling the transmitted output wave such that said individually controllable portions of the wave have variable intensity of radiation for providing a transmitted wave of noise energy, and said means for converting being disposed for directing said plane wavefront toward said means for controlling.

Claim 3

An electronically controlled noise generator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said source of noise emission is an elongated source radiating noise energy radially around a longitudinal axis, and said means for controlling comprises an aperture array having a plurality of controlled apertures therethrough for passing respective of said individual wave portions therethrough.

Claim 4

An electronically controlled noise generator comprising: an elongated source of noise emission in the millimeter frequency bands which radiates noise energy radially around a longitudinal axis, means for converting the noise emission to a plane wavefront output wave of transmitted energy having a plurality of individually controllable wave portions, and means for controlling the transmitted output wave such that said individually controllable portions of the wave have variable intensity of radiation for providing a transmitted wave of noise energy, said controlling means being an aperture array having a plurality of controlled apertures therethrough for passing respective of said individual wave portions therethrough, said aperture array comprising a plurality of aperture units and first and second blocking plates supporting said aperture units therebetween for providing said controlled apertures through the array, each of said aperture units comprising a variable iris input, a lens output and housing means providing a path between the iris and the lens for said transmitted energy to pass therethrough, and said means for converting being disposed for directing said plane wavefront toward said controlling means.

Claim 5

An electronically controlled noise generator comprising: an elongated source of noise emission in the millimeter frequency bands which radiates noise energy radially around a longitudinal axis, means for converting the noise emission to a plane wavefront output wave of transmitted energy having a plurality of individually controllable wave portions, and means for controlling the transmitted output wave such that said individually controllable portions of the wave have variable intensity of radiation for providing a transmitted wave of noise energy, said controlling means being an aperture array having a plurality of controlled apertures therethrough for passing respective of said individual wave portions therethrough, said aperture array comprising a plurality of aperture units and first and second blocking plates supporting said aperture units therebetween for providing said controlled apertures through the array, each of said aperture units comprising a variable iris input, a lens output and housing means providing a path between the iris and the lens for said transmitted energy to pass therethrough, and said means for converting being disposed for directing said plane wavefront toward said controlling means.

Claim 6

An electronically controlled noise generator as set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said aperture units further comprise driving means for controllably varying the opening of said iris for controlling the amount of electromagnetic radiation passed therethrough, and sensing means responsive to said driving means for detecting the degree of iris opening.

Claim 7

An electronically controlled noise generator as set forth in claim 4 wherein said iris opening or aperture may be completely closed and said lens is a metal lens.

Claim 8

An electronically controlled array for generating selectable, known millimeter wavelengths having a plane wavefront of transmission comprising: a source of cylindrically radiated millimeter wave emission, converting means adjacent to said source for receiving and changing the emission into a plane wavefront of directed energy, said converting means being a parabolic reflector and a metal lens, said source being disposed between said parabolic reflector and said metal lens, and a controlled aperture array for receiving the wave of directed energy and for passing individual portions of said wave, across a cross-section of the wave, as an output wave having said plane wavefront of transmission, said lens being disposed between said source and said controlled aperture array, said parabolic reflector being disposed for capturing millimeter wave radiation of said source that is directed substantially away from said lens and directing said radiation in a plane wavefront wave toward said array, and said lens being disposed for collecting energy that is radiated substantially toward said array and directing said radiation in a plane wavefront wave toward said array.

Claim 9

An electronically controlled array for generating selectable, known millimeter wavelengths having a plane wavefront of transmission comprising: a source of cylindrically radiated millimeter wave emission, converting means adjacent to said source for receiving and changing the emission into a plane wavefront of directed energy, said converting means being a parabolic reflector and a metal lens, said source being disposed between said parabolic reflector and said metal lens, and a controlled aperture array for receiving the wave of directed energy and for passing individual portions of said wave, across a cross-section of the wave, as an output wave having said plane wavefront of transmission, said lens being disposed between said source and said controlled aperture array, said parabolic reflector being disposed for capturing millimeter wave radiation of said source that is directed substantially away from said lens and directing said radiation in a plane wavefront wave toward said array, and said lens being disposed for collecting energy that is radiated substantially toward said array and directing said radiation in a plane wavefront wave toward said array.

Claim 10

An electronically controlled array as set forth in claim 6 wherein said source is an elongated fluorescent light tube for radiating millimeter wave noise energy radially around the longitudinal axis of the tube, said parabolic reflector and said lens are disposed along the length of the tube with the tube being at the geometric focus of the reflector for creating the reflected plane wavefront.

Claim 11

An electronically controlled array as set forth in claim 7 and further comprising a longitudinal detector array disposed selectively in said parabolic reflector for detecting millimeter wave transmission from said tube, said detector array lying in a plane with said tube that substantially lies parallel with the direction of radiation of said wavefront such that millimeter wave energy absorbed by individual detectors of said detector array is indicative of the intensity of radiation from said tube across corresponding cross-sections of the tube.

Claim 12

An electronically controlled array as set forth in claim 6 wherein said controlled aperture array comprises a plurality of aperture units and first and second blocking plates supporting said aperture units therebetwen for providing individually controlled aperture units through the array, each of said aperture units comprising a variable iris input, a lens output, and housing means providing a path between the iris and the lens for said transmitted energy to pass therethrough.

Claim 13

An electronically controlled array as set forth in claim 9 wherein said each of said aperture units further comprise driving means for controllably varying the opening of said iris for controlling the amount of electromagnetic radiation passed therethrough, and sensing means responsive to said driving means for detecting the degree of iris opening, said iris opening or aperture may be completely closed and said aperture unit lens output is a metal lens.

Claim 14

An electronically controlled array as set forth in claim 10 and further comprising control means coupled to said detector array, said driving means, and said sensing means for controlling the individual drive motor positions and the respective iris opening positions of each unit in response to corresponding output signals from said detector array and said sensing means to controllably vary the degree of radiation transmitted across the plane wavefront output from said aperture array.