Patent US4646093A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4646093A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Digital monopulse for tracking radar
Assignee: Raytheon Co
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Filing: 1984-08-22
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Granted: 1987-02-24
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Expires: 2004-08-22
Abstract
Abstract An improved monopulse radar system wherein target return signals received by a plurality of antenna elements are corrected with correction signals derived within the system in response to pilot pulses. The improvement comprises a plurality of receiver channels, each receiver channel being coupled to a single one of the plurality of antenna elements. The improvement also comprises means for generating a first set of quadrature components of video signals developed in the plurality of receiver channels in response to the pilot pulses received by the plurality of antenna elements, and for generating a second set of quadrature components of video signals developed in the plurality of receiver channels in response to return signals from the target received by the plurality of antenna elements. Digital signals representative of the first and second sets of quadrature components of video signals are generated. The digital signals representative of the second set of quadrature components of video signals are digitally corrected with the digital signals representative of the first set of quadrature components of video signals to produce digital signals representative of corrected target return signals. Signals corresponding to the angle of the target relative to the plurality of antenna elements are generated in response to the digital signals representative of corrected target return signals.
Inventors
- 👤 Gerrit B. Postema
- 👤 Howard G. Schiffman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 20:25
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S13/00; G01S13/02; G01S13/06; G01S13/42; G01S13/44; G01S13/4436
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
196 words
A radar system comprising: a plurality of independent receiver channels correspondingly coupled to a plurality of antenna elements, each one of the plurality of independent receiver channels detecting energy received by the antenna element coupled thereto independently of energy received by the other antenna elements; means for generating a set of error correction signals from energy detected in each one of the plurality of independent receiver channels in response to pilot pulse energy received by the plurality of antenna elements, and for generating a second set of signals from energy detected in each one of the plurality of independent receiver channels in response to target return signals received by the plurality of antenna elements; and means for processing the second set of signals in accordance with the set of error correction signals to produce corrected target return signals; and means for combining the corrected target return signals to generate a sum signal representative of the sum of target return signals received by at least two elements of the plurality of antenna elements and a difference signal representative of the difference of target return signals received by at least two elements of the plurality of antenna elements.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
196 words
A radar system comprising: a plurality of independent receiver channels correspondingly coupled to a plurality of antenna elements, each one of the plurality of independent receiver channels detecting energy received by the antenna element coupled thereto independently of energy received by the other antenna elements; means for generating a set of error correction signals from energy detected in each one of the plurality of independent receiver channels in response to pilot pulse energy received by the plurality of antenna elements, and for generating a second set of signals from energy detected in each one of the plurality of independent receiver channels in response to target return signals received by the plurality of antenna elements; and means for processing the second set of signals in accordance with the set of error correction signals to produce corrected target return signals; and means for combining the corrected target return signals to generate a sum signal representative of the sum of target return signals received by at least two elements of the plurality of antenna elements and a difference signal representative of the difference of target return signals received by at least two elements of the plurality of antenna elements.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The radar system of claim 1 wherein the combining means further comprises means for generating, from the sum signal and the difference signal, signals corresponding to the angle of the target relative to the plurality of antenna elements.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
250 words
In a monopulse radar system wherein target return signals received by a plurality of antenna elements are corrected with correction signals derived within the system in response to pilot pulses, the improvement comprising: a plurality of receiver channels, each receiver channel being coupled to a single one of the plurality of antenna elements; means for generating a first set of quadrature components of video signals developed in the plurality of receiver channels in response to the pilot pulses received by the plurality of antenna elements, and for generating a second set of quadrature components of video signals developed in the plurality of receiver channels in response to return signals from the target received by the plurality of antenna elements; means for generating digital signals representative of the first set of quadrature components of video signals and for generating digital signals representative of the second set of quadrature components of video signals; means for digitally correcting the digital signals representative of the second set of quadrature components of video signals with the digital signals representative of the first set of quadrature components of video signals to produce digital signals representative of corrected target return signals; and means for combining digital signals representative of corrected target return signals received by at least two elements of the plurality of antenna elements form a sum signal, and for combining digital signals representative of corrected target return signals received by at least two elements of the plurality of antenna elements to form a difference signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
250 words
In a monopulse radar system wherein target return signals received by a plurality of antenna elements are corrected with correction signals derived within the system in response to pilot pulses, the improvement comprising: a plurality of receiver channels, each receiver channel being coupled to a single one of the plurality of antenna elements; means for generating a first set of quadrature components of video signals developed in the plurality of receiver channels in response to the pilot pulses received by the plurality of antenna elements, and for generating a second set of quadrature components of video signals developed in the plurality of receiver channels in response to return signals from the target received by the plurality of antenna elements; means for generating digital signals representative of the first set of quadrature components of video signals and for generating digital signals representative of the second set of quadrature components of video signals; means for digitally correcting the digital signals representative of the second set of quadrature components of video signals with the digital signals representative of the first set of quadrature components of video signals to produce digital signals representative of corrected target return signals; and means for combining digital signals representative of corrected target return signals received by at least two elements of the plurality of antenna elements form a sum signal, and for combining digital signals representative of corrected target return signals received by at least two elements of the plurality of antenna elements to form a difference signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
51 words
The system of claim 3 wherein the digital correcting means comprises: means for storing the digital signals representative of the first set of quadrature components of video signals; and means for combining such stored digital signals with the digital signals representative of the second set of quadrature components of video signals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
The system of claim 3 wherein the combining means includes means for generating, from the sum signal and the difference signal, signals corresponding to the angle of the target relative to the plurality of antenna elements.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
202 words
A monopulse radar system comprising: a four-quadrant array of antenna elements; means for producing detected signals representative of energy received by each one of the quadrants of the array of antenna elements independently of energy received by the other ones of the quadrants of the array of antenna elements; means for combining two of said detected signals to form a sum signal, and for combining two of said detected signals to form a difference signal; means for directing pilot pulse energy for receipt by the four-quadrant array of antenna elements; and error corrrection means, disposed between the detected signal producing means and the detected signal combining means, such error correction means comprising: (i) means for generating a set of error correction signals from the detected signals produced in response to the pilot pulse energy received by the array of antenna elements, and for generating a second set of signals from detected signals produced in response to energy received from a target by the array of antenna elements; and (ii) means for correcting the second set of signals with the set of error correction signals to produce corrected target return signals and for coupling the corrected target return signals to the combining means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
202 words
A monopulse radar system comprising: a four-quadrant array of antenna elements; means for producing detected signals representative of energy received by each one of the quadrants of the array of antenna elements independently of energy received by the other ones of the quadrants of the array of antenna elements; means for combining two of said detected signals to form a sum signal, and for combining two of said detected signals to form a difference signal; means for directing pilot pulse energy for receipt by the four-quadrant array of antenna elements; and error corrrection means, disposed between the detected signal producing means and the detected signal combining means, such error correction means comprising: (i) means for generating a set of error correction signals from the detected signals produced in response to the pilot pulse energy received by the array of antenna elements, and for generating a second set of signals from detected signals produced in response to energy received from a target by the array of antenna elements; and (ii) means for correcting the second set of signals with the set of error correction signals to produce corrected target return signals and for coupling the corrected target return signals to the combining means.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
232 words
A method for correcting target return signals received by a four-quadrant array of antenna elements in a monopulse radar system in accordance with error correction signals derived within the monopulse radar system in response to pilot pulse energy, comprising the steps of: producing detected signals representative of the pilot pulse energy received by each quadrant of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements independently of the pilot pulse energy received by other quadrants of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements; generating a set of error correction signals from the detected signals produced in response to the received pilot pulse energy; producing detected signals representative of the target return signals received by each quadrant of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements independently of the target return signals received by other quadrants of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements; generating a second set of signals from the detected signals produced in response to the received target return signals; correcting the second set of signals with the set of error correction signals to produce corrected target return signals; and combining a first pair of said corrected target return signals to produce a sum signal representative of the sum of the first pair of corrected target return signals, and combining a second pair of said corrected target return signals to produce a difference signal representative of the difference of such second pair of corrected target return signals.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
232 words
A method for correcting target return signals received by a four-quadrant array of antenna elements in a monopulse radar system in accordance with error correction signals derived within the monopulse radar system in response to pilot pulse energy, comprising the steps of: producing detected signals representative of the pilot pulse energy received by each quadrant of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements independently of the pilot pulse energy received by other quadrants of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements; generating a set of error correction signals from the detected signals produced in response to the received pilot pulse energy; producing detected signals representative of the target return signals received by each quadrant of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements independently of the target return signals received by other quadrants of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements; generating a second set of signals from the detected signals produced in response to the received target return signals; correcting the second set of signals with the set of error correction signals to produce corrected target return signals; and combining a first pair of said corrected target return signals to produce a sum signal representative of the sum of the first pair of corrected target return signals, and combining a second pair of said corrected target return signals to produce a difference signal representative of the difference of such second pair of corrected target return signals.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
173 words
A system comprising an array of receiving elements for receiving signals from a target, and an arithmetic unit response to the target signals received by the array of receiving elements for combining the received target signals to generate a sum signal representative of the sum of target signals received by at least two elements of the array of receiving elements and a difference signal representative of the difference of target signals received by at least two elements of the array of receiving elements, the improvement comprising: means for coupling the target signals received by each one of the receiving elements in the array of receiving elements to the arithmetic unit independently of the target signals received by the other receiving elements in the array of receiving elements, such coupling means producing errors in the target signals coupled to the arithmetic unit; and error correction means including the coupling means, disposed between the array of receiving elements and the arithmetic unit, for correcting said errors produced in the target signals by said coupling means.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
173 words
A system comprising an array of receiving elements for receiving signals from a target, and an arithmetic unit response to the target signals received by the array of receiving elements for combining the received target signals to generate a sum signal representative of the sum of target signals received by at least two elements of the array of receiving elements and a difference signal representative of the difference of target signals received by at least two elements of the array of receiving elements, the improvement comprising: means for coupling the target signals received by each one of the receiving elements in the array of receiving elements to the arithmetic unit independently of the target signals received by the other receiving elements in the array of receiving elements, such coupling means producing errors in the target signals coupled to the arithmetic unit; and error correction means including the coupling means, disposed between the array of receiving elements and the arithmetic unit, for correcting said errors produced in the target signals by said coupling means.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
205 words
A method of correcting target return signals received by a four-quadrant array of antenna elements in a monopulse radar system in accordance with error correction signals derived within the monopulse radar system in response to pilot pulse energy, comprising the steps of: producing detected signals representative of the pilot pulse energy received by each quadrant of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements independently of pilot pulse energy received by the other quadrants of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements; producing detected signals representative of the target return signals received by each quadrant of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements independently to target return signals received by the other quadrants of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements; correcting the detected signals representative of the target return signals received by each quadrant of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements with the detected signals representative of the pilot pulse energy received by each quadrant of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements to produce corrected target return signals; and subsequently combining the corrected target return signals to generate a sum signal representative of the sum of two of the corrected target return signals and a difference signal representative of the difference of two of the corrected target return signals.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
205 words
A method of correcting target return signals received by a four-quadrant array of antenna elements in a monopulse radar system in accordance with error correction signals derived within the monopulse radar system in response to pilot pulse energy, comprising the steps of: producing detected signals representative of the pilot pulse energy received by each quadrant of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements independently of pilot pulse energy received by the other quadrants of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements; producing detected signals representative of the target return signals received by each quadrant of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements independently to target return signals received by the other quadrants of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements; correcting the detected signals representative of the target return signals received by each quadrant of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements with the detected signals representative of the pilot pulse energy received by each quadrant of the four-quadrant array of antenna elements to produce corrected target return signals; and subsequently combining the corrected target return signals to generate a sum signal representative of the sum of two of the corrected target return signals and a difference signal representative of the difference of two of the corrected target return signals.
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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) | 1990-02-23 | 1990-08-25 | 1991-02-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-02-23 | 1994-08-25 | 1995-02-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-02-23 | 1998-08-25 | 1999-02-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |